Play-by-Playcast

Quint Kessenich is the lead lacrosse analyst for ESPN but in his time with the network he has expanded that role to include sideline reporting and, more recently, play-by-play itself.  He gives a great perspective on the craft this week, diving into preparation, teamwork and more.

John Walters always wanted to be in play-by-play, working his way up through television and as the radio voice of the Drake Bulldogs.  When he took over for the Cyclones he replaced his longtime friend and mentor who had passed away suddenly.  On this episode we talk about he relationship with Pete Taylor, being humble, working in TV and radio simultaneously and operating Cyclones.tv.

Sam Farber is one of the most respected names in PxP in Los Angeles covering high school sports and college athletics across a variety of TV platforms.  Sam and I met through broadcasting the CrossFit Games in 2018 after years of knowing his name.  On this pod he'll detail his rise through the ranks out west, how he calls a high school game, his prep in general, watching games back and more.

Tony Castricone just completed his second season as the voice of a Pac-12 team, years after being laid off from a job and traveling the country playing open mic nights.  He talks his journey to the pinnacle of college sports and what makes a great broadcast on this week's pod.

What is a Sod Poodle? Sam Levitt knows...no, seriously, the guy went out onto the prairie this week and met some.  You can find it on social media.  The AA Padres voice is very active on social media both on and off the air and is super creative in ways he covers his team.  We dive into that, his voice, not becoming a doctor and more!    

The late Auburn Tigers PxP voice Rod Bramblett lived for his team.  His passion oozed through every word he announced.  Recently Rod tragically passed away in an automobile accident and many of you have tweeted or emailed that you'd like us to repost the Rod Bramblett episode ... and here it is, Episode 108 with Auburn's Rod Bramblett.  He was so enthusiastic about coming on the pod, and I was exc...

Deene Ehlis is one of the deans of Triple-A baseball, having served with the Iowa Cubs since 1990.  He's seen everybody from Mark Prior to Kerry Wood and Rod Beck's RV in the parking lot.  Deane talks about his career and his approach to calling games throughout his career.  We also play some name association with players he's seen throughout his career.

So this week's episode needs very little introduction...Kevin Harlan is simply one of the best play-by-play announcers in the business.  On this week's episode he breaks down how he calls a football game, a little look into how he prepares a story arc going into a game, big calls about LeBron having no regard for human life and more.

Ben Wagner was my first boss in broadcasting when I worked for the Buffalo Bisons in 2009. Ten years later he's in the Major Leagues. Coincidence? I think not. But seriously, Ben spent more than a decade as one of the most well respected voices in MiLB before he got his break at the Major League level. On this episode we talk about his climb, if he thought the break would ever come, what makes a g...

Harry Donahue is the voice of the Temple Owls, but he's also so much more. A fixture of KYW news radio in Philadelphia for almost four decades, Donahue covered the biggest sports and news in Philly and also served as PxP voice of the USFL's Stars for their two year stint in the city...which in a roundabout way earned him a Hollywood movie credit later in life.

Tom Hart began his career in Minor League Baseball before working his way into television and with the Atlanta Braves.  Hart's now the lead voice for college football on Saturday nights for the SEC Network.

Mike Crispino is in his first voice as the voice of the UConn Huskies, but he's no stranger to big time airwaves. A former voice of the New York Knicks and face on MSG Networks for two decades, Crispino is a well known voice around the metro New York market.

For two decades Joe Fisher has been the voice of the Vanderbilt Commodores, but before that he was out of the business and working in PR.  He loved the gig, but the 'Dores came calling and the rest is history.

Paul Keels has spent the last two decades as the voice of the Ohio State.  A Buckeye state native, Keels has worked in his hometown of Cincinnati for the Bengals and UC along with stints covering Michigan and the Detroit Pistons.  Keels talks about his deep pipes, his game prep, calling national finals and more.

Clay Matvick is a second generation broadcaster, following in his father's footsteps as a well known voice in Minnesota ... after first starting out as a dairy farmer (Clay's father, not Clay). He climbed the ranks from radio to TV and eventually to CNN-SI and ESPN.

Robert Lee became a famous name when he didn't call a UVa football game.  And that's something we actually don't talk about on the podcast.  What we do dive into his his career in broadcasting, climbing the ranks to ESPN and what makes a good show on TV.  Follow Robert online @RobertLeePxP.

Rich Waltz spent more than a decade as the TV voice of the Florida Marlins.  He now works for various national outlets including MLB Network, CBS Sports Network and others.  This week we take a deep dive into the X's and O's of calling baseball on TV.

Karl Ravech is one of ESPN's main baseball play-by-play voices and, in recent years, has branched out into college basketball and other events.  He's also well known for his coverage of the Little League World Series.

Ted Leitner has, for 40 years, been the voice of the San Diego Padres on radio.  Well traveled from and to the east coast and back he's covered the NFL, NBA, MLB and college athletics.  Know for his distinct approach and personalty and his love for "My Padres," Leitner is this week's guest on PxPCast!

Jason Horowitz was first introduced to sports media consumers as a contestant on the second season of ESPN's Dream Job.  Since then he's been all over the place, namely in the studio with Westwood One for the NFL and Olympics coverage ... but he's also tackled play-by-play with CBS SN and Big Ten Network.  It's one of the more entertaining episodes we've had, this week with Jason Horowitz!

Mike Reis has been the voice of the SIU Salukis since he was, well, in college. Still in school when he called the 1977 College World Series, Reis has never left Carbondale more than four decades later.  Beloved across Illinois and the midwest, Reis is one of the best college voices in the country.

Donny Baarns had a huge 2018.  The veteran MiLB broadcaster made his MLB debut, filling in for the A's in the fall. For several years he's called spring training games for the A's and currently calls middle innings for the Omaha Storm Chasers.  Donny talks about his ascent through the minors, taking a leap of faith in moving to Omaha, making his MLB debut and more.

The title of this episode is a little misleading.  Leah Secondo does indeed work for CBS Sports Network.  It's where she and I call women's basketball from time to time.  But she does so much else for so many sports in so many chairs and on so many networks.  And she's a pioneer when it comes to women in the industry.  Follow along on episode #137 with Leah Secondo.

Brendan Burke is one of the brightest young broadcasters in pro hockey, and he's still only in his mid-30's.  Also a voice of hockey on NBC and football on FOX, Burke climbed his way up the ranks before he took over for Howie Rose on Islanders broadcasts.

Anne Marie Anderson didn't start in play-by-play ... actually, she didn't even start her career on-air.  A former producer at ESPN and Emmy winner as part of SportsCenter, Anne Marie continued to pursue the next challenge each step of her career.  She eventually climbed her way to sideline reporting, analyst work and the play-by-play chair.