I Knew It

Among the questions I'm often asked is, "Why don't you apply for ESPN/NBC/Insert Outlet Here?"

Been there. Done that.

I'm fairly realistic, and have a pretty good gauge for the "no-brainer" jobs.

I've poked around several places, including those where I have friends.

No dice.

Still when I saw the creation of a broadcasting job for the Fayetteville Woodpeckers baseball team in North Carolina, I thought I'd throw my hat in the ring.

See, I know Fayetteville. I know that market. I have family that has lived in Fayetteville, and still lives just outside of the city. I also have family near Raleigh who are constantly in Fayetteville.

I can tell you with detail about Skibo Road, NC 24, Rayford Road, Hay St, and Bragg Blvd. About Cape Fear High School and Jack Britt. About restaurants and museums.

I read the Fayetteville Observer consistently, and was obsessive with the newspaper and WFNC radio (640 am and wfnc640am.com) during their recent hurricanes.

I've visited there six times since 2014. In fact, I tried to get the Woodpeckers on Doubleheader, and messaged them about hosting the show in Fayetteville last summer. I got no response.

I also made a trip downtown to look at the progress of the new stadium.

I think I've made my point.

Oh, and I sort of know a thing or 1200 about broadcasting a baseball game, given the years of the Renegades, high school, and so on.

So with no fanfare, except to tell a few close friends, I filled out an application, and waited for the inevitable.

I got that this morning. Thanks, but no thanks.

Am I mad? No. Surprised? Not at all.

Maybe I'm not that good. I certainly recognize that.

Get ready for the announcement of some 22-year-old out of Alabaster State College for the Perpetually Entitled as the new hire. I wish that person well.

You see, a lot of teams don't want a 50-year-old with over 20 years experience. Instead of seeing Roy Hobbs -- the veteran guy who got sidetracked and just wants a chance -- they see dollar signs. The fresh out of college kid doesn't look for a big salary.

So it was with an eye roll that I saw the email.

Then I told my family. You know, the people who would have actually bought tickets if their uncle had moved to North Carolina.

Am I a little demoralized? Sure, but for more reasons than that.

Right now, everyone with a checkbook thinks they can be a broadcaster. They don't train. They don't practice and stink and try to learn.

It's a hobby to them. They don't care if they're bad. They don't drag bags of equipment and exhaust themselves and take it personally when their audio doesn't actually make it to air because of a some technical issue.

There is some hope though. I see the kids at Greens Farms Academy who created GSPN, for instance. They are at games, knowing they need practice, and remaining completely wide eyed. There's no entitlement, and they want the criticism to help them get better.

I see that at WWPT (Staples). I see it at Danbury. Trumbull. I see it elsewhere. I love that.

But I don't see it everywhere. They feel their birthright is attending Syracuse and will be on CBS in a few years. They know they're the next Jim Nantz.

Anyway, I realize this comes off as sounding bitter, and I get that. I'm actually not.

I expected it. It's a sad reality for broadcasters like me.

It's why I put a lot of thought to just walking away.