15 sportscasters who made it to the big leagues. 15 different paths to success. 15 unique, unbelievable, and previously untold stories.
"This is fascinating stuff." -Bob Costas, Hall of Fame broadcaster
"Hilarious... impossible-to-believe stories." -Darren Rovell, Sports Business Writer, ESPN, CNBC, The Action Network
"A fun and insightful read..." -Kristi Yamaguchi, Olympic gold medalist, author
Where They Were Then: Sportscasters features first-person narratives of the early career paths of some of America's most popular sports broadcasters, including Scott Van Pelt, Trey Wingo, Kenny Mayne, John Buccigross, Heidi Watney, and Stan Verrett.
Today, these broadcast stars cover the world's biggest sporting events. But when you read "Where They Were Then" you'll discover that their job descriptions used to be quite different. Instead of World Series and Super Bowls, they covered "events" like ostrich racing, mountainside furniture racing, and whatever was going on at the local rodeo.
You'll also be inspired and amazed by the lengths to which they had to go to begin - and advance - their respective careers in one of the most competitive businesses imaginable.
Each story promises to enlighten and entertain. Among the tidbits within:
*Which famous sportscaster...
-Did an entire TV segment with an IV in his arm?
-Was chased out of a Las Vegas hotel while working on an undercover prostitution story?
-Helped promote Shaquille O'Neal's rap career?
Author - and former ESPN anchor - Scott Reiss provides a unique backdrop to it all, having anchored sports at the national, regional, and local levels. He shares highly-entertaining, personal tales of life in the formative stages of TV sports, and ties together these individual accounts with commentary and additional insight.
Whether you simply love sports, want to learn more about your favorite sportscasters, or appreciate unlikely success stories, reading "Where They Were Then" will be time well spent.