Broadcasting Football on the Road

The calendar has reached November, it is time to gear up!

For radio sportscasters who have just one school in town, this challenge is every other weekend.  For some of us with multiple teams to cover—it isn’t an issue most of the year.  But when the post-season arrives, potential road games pose a challenge when trying to keep everyone somewhat comfortable.

This weekend is the first such road trip! broadcast for yours truly and the crew.  We actually didn’t get to do a game last week, thanks to a scheduled college game that bumped our prep broadcast off the air.  This past Friday night was filled with buckets of rain falling from the sky, so it was sort of a mixed blessing to avoid the weather.

This is not the forecast for our travel day on Friday.

This weekend, heavy rains are not in the forecast.  However, as forecasts are prone to do, they shift daily.  There is a slight chance of some showers—but that doesn’t matter—our crew still gets to sit OUTSIDE to provide live coverage of our playoff contest.

As can be the case—in Oregon and elsewhere—not all schools have great press boxes.  The first game we broadcast in the warmth of September involved an almost new school that has an elevator leading to the box (You read that right—an elevator). While we actually did ask to be outside (that’s another story)—it was apparent that care was put into designing and building the facilities there.

This is a spacious high school press box in Wisconsin

Other stadium set-ups aren’t always so well thought out—at least by the architects.  The school we will be traveling to this weekend for the first time ever was built in the 1990s.  The school itself looks palatial—with brick outer walls.  But when we inquired about press box space—we were told nicely that there is no room.  The three-part press box has room for the home and visiting coaches at each end, and space for five staff people to run the clock, keep the book, spot plays, and do the public address.

This isn’t an indictment of the athletic staff—they do what they can with what they have.  We were offered space in the adjacent softball field press box, peeking over the stadium stands—but after pondering it for a day, I politely declined the offer.  It was too far away and at an awkward viewing angle. Instead, we will be set up just outside the door of the visiting coaches, using press box power and a wireless hot spot to send our signal back to the radio station.

When I broadcast some games for a smaller school back in my early days—most press boxes didn’t have the space.  In fact, there was one rural location where we broadcast on top of the football field restrooms at the school. But this is a newer school (mid 1990s) at the highest (6A) level.  It is just general frustration coming out here—directed at no one beyond the darn architects and perhaps a school board that approved the plans with little review.

That brings me (in the eighth paragraph) to the point of this column: preparing for an outdoor football broadcast.

First, it is important that a cover be brought along to the stadium.  The chance of rain isn’t high on Friday, but this is Oregon.  And nothing screws up electronic equipment, and annoys broadcasters more than being wet during the game.  Fortunately, our station has a pop-up tent to protect us partially from the elements. Pro tip: a blue tarp to tape/zip tie to the tent can block the wind. Also packed in the extra bag: a utility cover for the equipment itself.

Actual tarp (L) and cover (R). Rope for just in case.

Even though the station has some items, they don’t have everything.  And the fact that I own my broadcast equipment makes me even more protective of it.

The school AD (who has been great, by the way) is setting up a table and chairs for our crew—which the tent will cover.  And underneath that tent, a shop light (or two) will be “installed” with duct tape.  Stadium lights can only provide so much illumination when keeping stats.

Note: this will take a bit of work to set up at the game site, so leaving late afternoon for the broadcast may still be pushing things, time-wise.  Fortunately, I have some handy folks on the crew.

The aforementioned lights.

If you think this story is done, sadly, you would be wrong.  The equipment may be ready to rock and roll---but the broadcasters themselves need to be properly outfitted for temperatures expected to hover just above freezing.

I will leave my partners in crime to dress themselves, but will carefully select a few things for myself. 

Number one is the proper head covering.  I have a wool hat that my lovely bride purchased for me roughly 40 years ago.  I don’t look very stunning with it on (no—no modeling photo, thanks), but it is very effective in keeping the heat in.  Also brought out the dresser drawer that they were unceremoniously stuffed into after our last stint of cold weather—long johns purchased on sale from a warehouse store.  Add in a scarf and some winter socks, and the ensemble will work well under the normal clothing used when INSIDE a press box.  Add in a couple of electric heaters to keep the chill away under the table, and everything is ready.

We need to be comfortable during an outside broadcast. Clothes and heaters.

So that’s about it.  It will take far longer to actually get everything ready for game time than it took me to write a feature about it.  But I look at this as dry run for the real thing.

For those of you who like to tune in our broadcasts on Salem radio, remember this column, pray for dry weather, and know that we go to a lot of trouble to bring you high school football.

When he isn’t writing columns, features and stories on Substack, Mark Gilman broadcasts prep football and basketball (in proper clothing) on KBZY Radio, 1490 AM in Salem, OR. Also available online at http://kbzy.com.