Episode #3
What Rod Black Learned From Decades Behind the Microphone in Every Sport You Can Think Of
What does it take to stay curious, versatile, and ready for the moment across decades in sports broadcasting? Canadian broadcasting legend Rod Black joins Nick Elam to share stories from a career that has taken him across baseball, basketball, hockey, football, golf, the Olympics, and more. He looks back at the chaos surrounding Joe Carter’s World Series-winning home run in 1993, explains why broadcasters still need to be at the venue, and talks about learning to find his own voice, treating every assignment like it could be his last, and constantly trying to get better. Then Nick turns to innovations in sports with his own proposed change to baseball’s automatic-double rule: with two outs, should a runner starting on first be allowed to score? He also goes Unlayered on when fans are justified in booing a home player and revisits Dont’a Hightower’s overlooked tackle of Marshawn Lynch just before Malcolm Butler’s famous Super Bowl XLIX interception. What You'll Learn: Why Rod Black believes great broadcasters never stop learning What happened behind the scenes during Joe Carter’s 1993 World Series home run Why calling games remotely changes the feel of a sports broadcast How the Elam Ending creates a different kind of drama for broadcasters Why Nick gives his proposed automatic-double rule change a positive 7 Timestamps & Chapters: 00:00 A Dreamer’s Finish Line 00:38 Introduction 02:38 Rod Black on iconic sports venues 08:30 What makes a great sports broadcast 16:30 Finding your own broadcasting voice 25:00 Joe Carter and the 1993 World Series 34:30 Olympic stories, 9/11, and celebrity encounters 45:00 Broadcasting the Elam Ending 52:30 Family, Tyler Black and what comes next 58:30 Changing baseball’s automatic-double rule 01:05:00 When should fans boo? 01:10:30 The tackle before the interception About The Guest: Rod Black is a longtime Canadian sports broadcaster whose career has included baseball, basketball, hockey, football, golf, tennis, Olympic sports, and more. He is also the author of Cut to Black: A Legendary Life in Sports (and Maybe a Few Beers) . Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsRulePod Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.podpage.com/sports-rule-pod-with-nick-elam/ Got a rule change you want to see implemented? Tell us about it here, and vote on other suggested rule changes: http://sportsrule.net
