A common question to those in sports media is how they got to where they are. And, in most cases, the answers are usually the same: working their asses off, and benefitting from a little bit of luck. ESPN play-by-play broadcaster Adam Amin is yet another example, but can also add that he was able to do so a little bit earlier than most.
Before we get into Episode 115, as a reminder, The Bridge is broadcast as a one-hour radio show Monday through Friday on Sports Radio America at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. A brand new show airs on Wednesdays, then is released as a podcast on iTunes and on this website immediately following the episode. You can listen to the show live on Wednesday night on Sports Radio America here or through the TuneIn app. Additional bonus content can be found exclusively on this podcast.
- This week’s guest is Adam Amin, he’s a play-by-play commentator for ESPN for just about every sport and every stage imaginable, doing so since 2011 at the age of 24. He got his start at the bottom, calling Minor League Baseball games, working as sports director in Spirit Lake, Iowa, and dabbling in Division 2 sports before getting a foot in the door at the Four Letter Network doing tape-delayed college football games for ESPNU. That transitioned to other sports like college volleyball, wrestling, baseball and softball, then bigger assignments that included the NBA Playoffs and primetime college football games. Recently, you heard his voice call the thrilling last second victories of the Notre Dame women’s basketball team en route to winning this past National Championship, LeBron’s playoff buzzer beater against the Raptors, the softball College World Series and as the voice of the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest. Adam is incredibly versatile in the sports broadcasting world, has been fortunate enough to be behind the microphone for some incredible sports moments and I was fortunate enough to get a chance to chat with him about all of it, from getting his start in the industry and working his way up in it, any pressure felt along the way doing so at a young age and on the platform he was doing it on, the preparation and grind of it all, and a couple quick-hitting questions to close things out that led to some great stories as well.
- Follow Adam on Twitter -> @adamamin. The interview starts at the 5:17 mark.
– In the interview, we discuss:
When he knew he wanted to get into broadcasting and what steps were done to go about it (5:36), starting from the bottom and how the early grind helped prepare for the future (8:09), working in Minor League Baseball (11:34), getting a job at ESPN at 24 (14:10), if there was any added pressure to prove himself for his age, race or beliefs (18:23), becoming comfortable and confident in his voice (23:04), how much preparation goes into his broadcasts and the difference between radio and television (26:19), an anecdote from his game prep that he didn’t get to use (32:21), calling the Notre Dame women’s basketball game winners en route to them winning the National Championship and pronouncing “Ogunbowale” (35:36), doing the NCAA Tournament broadcast with Kara Lawson, Rebecca Lobo and Holly Rowe (40:33) and going back to work just days after his father passed away (43:14).
Eazy (or) Pass, featuring some quick-hitting questions (50:01)
* If his older brothers ever bust him about his first name (50:16)
* If he still gets confused with other ESPN personalities (51:15)
* If he corrects those that say Ian Eagle’s name incorrectly (52:01)
* Being tied with friend Joe Davis and Ryan Ruocco at 23rd in 40 under 40 list (52:23)
* Most important accessory during a broadcast (54:39)
* A night out with Bill Raftery (55:27)
- “Five Minutes in the Film Room” with Joe Baress, former star of the prestigious John and Joe Sports Show, faces his fears of horror and breaks down “Hereditary,” which Rotten Tomatoes describes as: When Ellen, the matriarch of the Graham family, passes away, her daughter’s family begins to unravel cryptic and increasingly terrifying secrets about their ancestry. The more they discover, the more they find themselves trying to outrun the sinister fate they seem to have inherited. Making his feature debut, writer-director Ari Aster unleashes a nightmare vision of a domestic breakdown that exhibits the craft and precision of a nascent auteur, transforming a familial tragedy into something ominous and deeply disquieting, and pushing the horror movie into chilling new terrain with its shattering portrait of heritage gone to hell (1:02:38). You can follow Joe on Twitter @dukemich and read his movie reviews, previews and ratings at cupof-joe.com.
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Show music: ‘Actionable’ and ‘Epic,’ courtesy of www.bensound.com.
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