Note: this will be our final podcast guest interview until after the Thanksgiving holiday. It’s a busy time of year for everyone, but especially so for those in the college sports space who have football and basketball crossing over at this time. We will resume with our normal podcast interviews in December.
On today’s episode, we talk to Joey McMurry, voice of Oregon Ducks men’s basketball about the following:
(04:22) Career path began after injuring his arm in high school, ending his athletic pursuits
(05:15) Secured internship at KSEO radio in Santa Cruz through a teacher's connection
(06:11) Received prophetic advice from "Engineer Bill" about catching the broadcasting bug and career challenges
(08:12) Details journey to University of Oregon and early career development
(09:37) Started gaining experience at student radio station KWVA, calling multiple sports
(10:23) Landed football sideline reporter role under coach Mark Helfrich, becoming youngest FBS reporter
(19:33) Discusses evolution of modern broadcasting requirements:
(20:15) Emphasizes need for broadcasters to master multiple technical and creative skills
(20:55) Explains importance of being versatile in today's media landscape
(22:17) Balances value of hands-on experience with formal education in broadcasting
(29:20) Shares key play-by-play insights developed over career:
(30:34) Discusses importance of managing emotional levels throughout different points in season
(31:58) Explains how context should influence the intensity of game calls
(32:51) Shares voice care techniques, including preference for honey lemon and green tea
(33:57) Details importance of building authentic connections:
(34:57) Emphasizes value of learning team history and tradition
(36:11) Describes impact of building genuine relationships with coaches and players
(37:36) Explains importance of understanding and connecting with the fan base
(46:35) Provides insights on solo broadcasting:
(46:51) Announces Luke Jackson joining as first-ever analyst for Oregon home games
(47:25) Details challenges of calling games alone, including voice preservation
(48:57) Offers comprehensive tips for solo broadcasting:
(49:26) Emphasizes maintaining focus on time and score as primary responsibility
(49:27) Stresses importance of tracking statistics independently
(50:26) Advises keeping play calls simple and focused on ball location
(51:31) Warns against trying to over-analyze while calling play-by-play alone
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