Where They Were Then: Sportscasters

Candid, personal glimpses into the unique, sometimes difficult, always challenging career paths of some of our most recognizable American sports broadcasting cultural icons. I figured this compelling compilation of background tapestries would make for a tremendous holiday "advent calendar", with a different story to surprise the reader every day - except that I never put it down - reading the entire volume start-to-finish. We think of these folks as well-paid, well-spoken, and well-dressed, with remarkably regular haircuts, but we find out that they had been grinding, groveling and fighting tooth and nail almost every step of the way. Carrying their own equipment, cutting their own highlights, and swallowing their pride on the way to the pinnacle of the profession. It may "look" easy, but it is always hard. A career path not for the weak of spirit or those without an abundance of patience, humility, resilience, and resolve.

This collection of biographical stories about the sportscasters' "roads to success" is an absolute treasure. Each selection is both lighthearted and informative concerning what it takes to achieve prominence in the sportscasting arena. Simply, I couldn't put this book down. The conversational style drew me right into each person's story, and I found myself laughing aloud while reading. Now, when I view these personalities on air, I know some of what they put forth to get where they are today. The book deserves a second and third reading, and that's what I'm going to do.

This is a great book and if you could give it 6 stars, I would. The book is composed of numerous sports broadcasters - some you likely know, others maybe not - who have risen to the top of their profession. Each broadcaster overcame the odds and faced numerous obstacles to achieve their unique stories of success. The stories are often humorous and all are inspiring. Each of these individuals had myriad career options, yet they chose to weather poor pay, long hours and difficult working conditions for the chance to achieve their dreams. If you enjoy sports, you will enjoy reading about broadcasters you are familiar with. But knowing or caring about sports is far from essential to enjoying these stories. In fact, the book is really intended for readers who long for stories about people who achieved greatness despite the odds. Scott Reiss does a great job compiling these stories and adding his insightful and humorous anecdotes about these various broadcasters. He is clearly someone who has been there and holds great esteem within the industry. Again, can’t go wrong with this read!

Super compelling look into a world I knew little about, written and compiled in a very entertaining manner. Will be purchasing copies for several sports fans in my life.

Scott has so many entertaining stories about what it's really like being a sports broadcaster. The unique aspect of this book, though, is the focus on what it was like for so many now-famous broadcasters as they worked in the shadows hoping to make it big one day.

It's easy to forget that the polished people on TV started out at the bottom of the totem pole. These are great stories of what the big names saw, the dedication and the good fortune that turned them into household names. Great inspiration for anyone looking to make it in broadcasting and a new perspective for the rest of us couch potatoes. Thanks Scott Reiss for making this happen!

Fun, humorous, inspiring read! Great stories of the humble beginnings from some of our most beloved tv sports personalities. This book is both inspirational and entertaining. Loved the variety of narratives but also the common thread of luck, persistence and sense of enjoying the journey that came through in all of the stories.

This turned out to be a delightfully fun glimpse into what many sportscasting personalities went through before they became the well-known figures that we know today. Thanks to Mr. Reiss for working with his peers to share these amusing and sometimes poignant moments!