Exclusive Interview with ESPN anchor John Buccigross
- Author: Min-Q Kim
- Posted on: Wednesday September 2, 2009 at 12:00 PM
- Filed under: sports, espn, john buccigross, sports anchor, exclusive
There is no denying that SportsCenter has become an institution. Justin has said on this very site that it is his favorite television show, and President Obama admits to unwinding at the end of a long day with a beer and some SportsCenter. One of my favorite anchors from the show is John Buccigross. I emailed him once because he quoted the UK band Editors in a hockey column he wrote, and I happened to be working with the band at the time (Editorial Note: Editors are worth checking out if you haven't already.) It turns out John's a pretty cool guy - funny - and knows a ton about music, so I asked if he'd answer a few questions for this site. He graciously agreed. I hope you enjoy his answers as much as I did.
Exclusive Interview with ESPN's John Buccigross
What sport was your first love?
Baseball, for sure. I knew every lineup of every team, read boxscores, imitated batting stances and pitching windups and collected baseball cards. It is the sport most connected to my youth.
(Editor's Note: Research tells me John was born in Pittsburgh. Given that he will not reveal to me the team he roots for, I decided to go with a picture of his hometown team: the '76 Pirates, to be exact, whether he rooted for them or not. It was either this or a weird, disembodied hand holding a baseball, or a non-descript empty baseball field. Look at those caps!)
You once told me over email that you love all baseball teams equally. But I was just emailing you as a curious outsider… Do you try to stay objective? Or is that a decree from above, to not show your preferences?
There are anchors here who don’t mask their passions for their sports teams. I’m not comfortable doing that but I also don’t think it’s a huge deal. It is just sports. I’ve never heard of any anchor being told to hide their feelings. That’s part of what makes ESPN, ESPN.
Did you play any sports growing up? Highest level you got to?
I lettered in high school basketball, golf and baseball. I played Division 3 college golf at Heidelberg University in Tiffin, Ohio. Golf has become my first love. I love to play it and read about it. In 2007, I was lucky enough to get a hole in one on a Par 4 at Newport Country Club in Newport Rhode Island. Newport CC is where Tiger Woods won his second straight U.S. Amateur. What this clearly states is I am obviously a better golfer than Tiger Woods. Next question.
Newport Country Club, sight of the Buccigross par-four ace. That's not him in that picture, though. It's Annika Sorenstam.
You’re the ESPN anchor known for references to bands and their lead singers (e.g. “Michael Jordan is to the Bulls as Mick Jagger is to the Rolling Stones…”) So you’re a music lover… How did that get all tangled into your sports gig?
When I was 13 ESPN came on the air and when I saw Chris Berman do Sportscenter I knew that’s what I wanted to do. I loved how he mixed music into his highlights. Music has always been a big part of my life, maybe even bigger than sports, because music has never let me down. Chris Berman was the most influential sports anchor in the history of television. No one else is even close.
Chris Berman, back in the day
You’re also the espn.com hockey guy. If I may make an analogy, hockey in the US is a little bit like that show “Friday Night Lights” – it’s so great to watch, but for whatever reason it only does JUST ok… but their fans are very loyal and borderline rabid. Sort of like Wendy’s to McDonald’s and Burger King? (that’s 2 analogies!) Do you think that’s accurate? And is hockey ok with that?
You are on fire. Or flame broiled. Popularity does not affect my love of something whether it’s Ben Folds, The Shins, clam chowder, or Dion Phaneuf. Society is more splintered than it ever has been. Cable and satellite television began that trend and the internet obliterated mass pop culture. Hockey is a great sport. For my money it is the most entertaining television sport as well. I don’t buy the argument that it doesn’t televise well. Hockey would like to grow but I don’t care if it does. Owners want their franchise values to rise and player want higher salaries so they can buy more Tragically Hip CD’s.
MSG
Wham!
The Onion recently printed the headline: “SportsCenter Takes A Little Too Close Of A Look At Play.” And blogs like Deadspin and Awful Announcing grill you guys constantly. There is a certain weight to bear, being the Sports Leader, which you undoubtedly are. Do you ever feel over analyzed? Or even a target?
I have written a hockey column on ESPN.Com since 2001. I have probably received, conservatively, 10,000 emails. Some love me and some hate me. As a result, negative emails don’t affect me and sadly, gushing emails don’t move me either. All I can say is that we are a full fledged corporation and that 99% of the people in this building LOVE sports. That clearly shows, I think.
(screenshot of http://www.theonion.com/content/sports)
I have always, always wondered: When the broadcast goes to commercial, and you guys look down and start writing on your notes – what are you guys writing down?
I return letters I receive from Jessica Biel. Just good manners.
What was your alma mater? What’s it take to get into sports anchoring / broadcast journalism?
Heidelberg University in Tiffin, Ohio. I’m not sure what it takes. I broke in before the internet and before corporations completely ruled the world. I suppose it’s still a lot like making any team. It takes talent, and heart, and courage, and belief, and luck, and help, and, in my case, devastatingly handsome looks.
Do you all hang out after work, and get into each other’s lives, like on that Aaron Sorken show Sports Night? Tell me you’ve seen that show…
Of course I have! We don’t. When I first got here we had great camaraderie. A large number of us golfed together, played basketball, went over each other’s houses, took steam baths together, the whole thing. I would like to get back to that. I genuinely like just about everyone I work with. They are a great group of people. ESPN is an outstanding place to work. I really feel lucky to work here.
(Editor's note: if you haven't seen Sports Night, I strongly, strongly suggest you do)
Give me your ultimate [athlete] is to [team] as [lead singer] is to [band].
What Michael Stipe is to REM, Larry Bird is the Boston Celtics. Bird will always be my all time sports hero, Stipe my lyrical hero, and George Carlin my humorist hero. Sports, music, and laughter. That’s the stuff that dreams are made of for me. And my wife’s booty.
(L-R: Michael Stipe, Larry Bird)
Watch our man Bucci in action on this video promoting Guster's shows at the Boston Opera House in '07.
Thanks again to John Buccigross for crushing this interview. You can watch Mr. Buccigross on ESPN's SportsCenter, on nightly. For specific times, check your local listings.
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