From the Broadcast Booth - by Mike Hall (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

In Mike Hall's more than two decades in the field he's worked at ESPN, Fox Sports, and the Big Ten Network and he's been lucky enough to make good friends in the industry, many of whose names will resonate with even the most casual sports fan. In over twenty one-on-one interviews with notable sportscasters, Hall elicits the behind-the scenes vignettes of how their careers developed, as well as the challenges of being live on air where when the unexpected occurs. What were the on-air mistakes they made, the coaches they've upset, the unique access they've been granted that no one at home would ever know? From the Broadcast Booth encapsulates all these different tales about what it is like to be a sportscaster, how to get into the field, how to succeed (and for that matter how to fail) as well as sharing the joyful, wild, unpredictable tales that come from doing so much live broadcasting. What times in Bob Costas's career did he actually struggle and have doubt he would make it? What happened the time Sean McDonough accidentally swore on live television? How did Lisa Byington go from anonymous local reporter to the first ever female play-by-play person for the men's NCAA Tournament on CBS? How did Dan "Big Cat" Katz create his own broadcasting empire at Barstool Sports without any background in journalism? From the Broadcast Booth showcases some of the most successful sportscasters in the industry discussing their process, influences, likes and dislikes, why things went well for them, as well as the times things went terribly wrong. Among those interviewed for this book, are Costas, McDonagh, Mike Tirico, Taylor Rooks, Jim Nantz, Kevin Harlan, Colin Cowherd, Ian Eagle, Lisa Salter, Bob Ley, Brent Mussberger, and Ahmad Rashad.

About the Author

Mike Hall has been on the national level of sportscasting since 2004. At the age of 22 he was offered a one-year contract to anchor SportsCenter, instantly becoming the youngest ever person to anchor the famed program. His time at the ESPN headquarters included assignments like traveling to Tokyo, Sydney, and more for an around-the-world series of feature stories on top of his daily SportsCenter and ESPNEWS anchoring shifts. In March of 2005 ESPN created a new network called ESPNU- entirely focused on college sports, and signed Hall to a new multi-year contract making him the channel's signature host. In 2007 Hall moved back home to Chicago to help launch the Big Ten Network. There he again hosted studio shows of all kinds while increasing his basketball play-by-play assignments. In recent years he added Fox Sports play-by-play assignments for Big Ten and Big East men's and women's basketball. Hall lives in Lake Forest, Illinois, with his wife of eleven years and three children.