Brad Sham Interview

I hope that you’ve been enjoying all of the great interviews we’ve been able to bring you here on PBP Stories so far, because we’ve got another one for you today in the voice of the Dallas Cowboys Brad Sham. Growing up I was (and still am) a HUGE Dallas fan, so being able to get to interview the voice of America’s Team and a man I have the utmost respect for in Mr. Sham is a true honor for me. Mr. Sham will be one of the guest speakers at the STAA Sportscasting Seminar that is taking place in Salisbury, North Carolina on Monday, June 10th.

Brad Sham

How long have you been in broadcasting?

The first broadcasting work I ever did was as a sophomore in high school on my school radio station, doing a football scoreboard show. So I guess I started in 1963. The first professional work I did for money would have been for a commercial radio station while I was in college, probably 1969.

When did you know that it was what you wanted to do?

Before I ever did it. I was in high school. I realized the announcers went to all the games. I knew I wanted to do that.

How much time do you spend preparing for a broadcast?

Depends on what it is. For a Cowboys game, there’s some every day. Interviews and stats review of all games on Monday, watching tape of the next opponent starts Tuesday, internet research every day. There’s a few hours of work every day. Some days more than others.

What sports do you currently broadcast?

Varies year to year, but the last couple it’s been pro football, college football and college basketball. 

Who are/were the people you look/looked up to in broadcasting?

I was a Chicago kid, so my first hero was Jack Brickhouse, who did the Cubs and White Sox TV and the Bears radio, among other things. And I always admired the smoothness and versatility of Jack Buck, and becoming friends with him before he died was a huge thrill. Frank Glieber and Verne Lundquist were role models and teachers while I worked with them starting in the mid 70s. And certainly Pat Summerall, whom I was lucky enough to call friend. And I look up to Vin Scully with no hope of ever being anything like him.

Is there anyone you emulate, and if so in what way?

There’s no one I emulate, because I think we have to be ourselves. But I listen to everyone to try to get tips. The Rangers’ voice, Eric Nadel, is a good friend. If every radio play by play person in every sport could pay attention to detail and relate it as effortlessly and seamlessly as Eric makes it sound, the industry would be a lot better.

In 1977 you started with the Cowboys and spent 7 seasons alongside the legendary Verne Lundquist, how did that come about and what was that like for a young broadcaster?

I started with Cowboys’ broadcasts in the middle of the 1976 season. Wikipedia has it wrong. I worked with Verne 8 years. I was hired to work at KRLD in Dallas, and working on the Cowboys broadcasts with Verne and occasionally Frank Glieber and Bob Lilly was one of several duties I had. It was an enormous break and I tried to learn from Verne every time I sat next to him. We’re still great friends today.

Which sport that you’ve called would you say is your favorite?

I got into the business to become a baseball broadcaster. The first sport I did play by play was basketball. And at this point I’ve done more football than anything, and I’m more identified with it. But I don’t know if any of them is a favorite.

What do you enjoy most about broadcasting games for a living?

There’s no one thing. I’m just passionate about the whole process. I love the preparation and the challenge of the live broadcast. There’s nothing about the job I don’t love.

I read a piece on ESPN Dallas after the passing of Pat Summerall where you said  “Professionally, he should have been the model for every television play-by-play person”, how big of an influence was he on your career?

When I do anything on television, I still see his face and hear his voice. What Pat did on tv doesn’t translate to what anyone does on radio, but on tv, a lot. And the way he carried himself and the person he was is something I try to emulate every day.

I’m sure that there have been many in your illustrious career, but are there any memorable stories from the booth you can share with us that stick out to you?

There have been a lot. One of the first that comes to mind is being part of the only game John Madden ever did on radio. Cowboys-Raiders preseason the year Aikman retired. Babe was doing tv and Rich Dalrymple, the Cowboys’ p-r man, got John to do it. John will tell you today it was one of the most fun days he’s had in broadcasting.

What do you make of catchphrases and gimmicks used by younger broadcasters to get noticed nowadays?

Hate ’em. I’m a big believer in letting the game come to you. They don’t work for me.

What advice would you give to someone trying to make a living in this business?

You need to love it. You need to work harder than everyone and don’t be primarily concerned with the money. And know that YOU control your attitude. No one else does. Don’t obsess over what you can’t control and worry about what you can. Be honest.

Be sure to follow Mr. Sham on twitter @Boys_Vox and get registered for the STAA One Day Ticket to Sportscasting Success if you have yet to do so.

Until next time, have a great day and an even better tomorrow.

Chuck Cooperstein Interview

Today’s interview brings us the words and wisdom of Chuck Cooperstein, the radio PBP voice of the Dallas Mavericks. Mr. Cooperstein is in his eighth season as the radio play-by-play voice of the Mavericks on ESPN 103.3 FM. Cooperstein has been a regular on the Dallas/Fort Worth sports scene since 1984 and has been an anchor on ESPN 103.3 FM since the station’s inception in 2001. He also co-hosts the “Coop and Nate” show with former Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowl guard Nate Newton on weekday afternoons.

How long have you been in broadcasting?

If you take it back to college at the University of Florida (where we had, and still have, a fully commercial radio operation) 34 years.


When did you know that it was what you wanted to do?

Pretty much from the time I was 15 and I knew I wasn’t going to grow to be 7 feet tall, and knew my golf skills were not going to make me the next Jack Nicklaus. But I loved sports and knew how to talk.

What is your favorite sport to call and why?

I love basketball because of its intimacy, even if now, in many NBA arenas, we’re no longer broadcasting from the floor. I’ve been exposed more to basketball than any other sport and thus feel more comfortable with it. But I love the challenge of football because you are so much farther away, there are so many more moving parts, and the game is longer so you need to keep your focus that much longer. I find I can do four basketball games in a day and not feel as wiped out as I do at the end of a football game.



How much time do you spend preparing for a broadcast?

It’s really hard to say because I feel like the prep never stops. Even after producing my game notes/spotting charts, You’re always reading, always looking for something that you can add into the broadcast.



What sports do you currently broadcast?

I broadcast the NBA as the voice of the Mavericks, and also work some NFL and College Football for Dial Global.



Who are/were the people you look/looked up to in broadcasting? Growing up in New York, I was a Marv Albert guy. Any one of us who is now in the business, of my age, who grew up listening to Marv will tell you that. His passion and emotion was what it was (and still is) all about. But I was a Jets fan and I loved Merle Harmon, and I was a Mets fan and loved Lindsey Nelson and Bob Murphy too. As far as today, I’m a huge Dick Enberg and Mike Emrick fan for their passion and the way they use the language. Dan Shulman is just so smooth, Brad Sham, the voice of the Cowboys (And the man who brought me to Dallas in 1984) taught me the art of preparation, and Kevin Calabro, and my TV counterpart with the Mavericks, Mark Followill have baritones that I would just KILL for.



Is there anyone you emulate, and if so in what way?

I would like to think that I take enough from everyone and make it my own style. But the bottom line for me is to bring passion, emotion, and enthusiasm to every game. If I’m not going to sound excited about the game then why would anyone take the time to listen to me? The biggest criticism I get is that I can get as excited about a play in the first two minutes of the game as I can about a game winning shot. But what if that play is simply otherworldly, and is the best play of the entire game? You don’t know what is going to follow, so you have to be in the moment.

You’ve gotten to call an NBA finals, what was that experience like?

It was the highlight of my career. I highly recommend it . Seriously, to watch someone like Dirk Nowitzki, who had been so unfairly criticized, rise to an even higher level than he had already achieved to win a championship was amazing. And really, for a bunch of guys, who had achieved a lot in their careers, to be able to cap all of it with a championship was wonderful. And then to be able to ride in the parade with 250,000 people lining the streets, and co-emcee the rally at the American Airlines Center with 20,000 people just delirious weigh joy. No, it does NOT get better than that.

What advice do you have for young broadcasters trying to make it in the industry?

1. Get out and meet as many people as you can. This is a “Who you know” business. You never know where your next opportunity will come from.

2. Be willing to be critical of yourself. People may tell you were great. Only you will really know if it’s true. Listen to yourself. Frankly, its something I hate to do because we never sound the way we think we sound but it’s something I HAVE to do. There are folks like Vin Scully, who may have had the perfect broadcast, that is something I have yet to achieve.

3. Be prepared to be disappointed. You can do the best job in the world, but it might not matter because your future is always in the hands of someone else. But that leads back to the first point. When one door closes, inevitably, if you’ve handled your business right, another door opens.



What is your favorite on air story you can share with us?

Too many to count, but recently, my favorite was when we had Delonte West on our post game show in Orlando. The broadcast location in their new building is the highest in the NBA, and the broadcast drop was on the floor. He put the headset on, but couldn’t find us. We were waving down to him and finally after about 45 seconds, after answering our first question, he spotted us, and as only he could do say “What the &$%$ are you doing up there?” Fortunately, there was a delay on the broadcast, so it never made it on the air, but suffice to say the rest of the interview was a total scream.

Make sure to follow Chuck on twitter @coopmavs