10 Questions with ... Robert Buan

NAME:Robert Buan TITLE:Announcer/Broadcasting Manager MARKET:Oakland-San Francisco and 20 stations on the A's Radio Network COMPANY:Oakland A's BORN:11/6/71 Ft. Riley, KS RAISED:Spokane, WA

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

While still in high school, I started doing college radio in at KWRS in Spokane WA. Continued college radio at KSCU while at Santa Clara University. After graduating from there, was an associate producer at KNBR San Francisco before joining the front office of the Oakland A's. Began working in broadcasting as manager of the A's Radio Network, assistant producer, and a feature reporter. After some occasional work at KATD Concord and KHTK Sacramento, I began hosting the A's Post-Game show in 2000. In 2006, I headed up a small group that started up GT2 Entertainment, a production company that produces the syndicated Country music show "Country Fastball."

1. How did you get into sportscasting? How did you decide that broadcasting sports on the radio was what you wanted to do?

The short answer: Steve Nash happened.

While in college at Santa Clara, I did mostly talk radio. Kind of Larry King-esque as the range of topics was wide. Then in 1993, we had the unexpected fortune of getting our college basketball team into the NCAA Tournament. I invited a few of the guys from the team onto my show, one of whom was the spunky freshman point guard named Steve Nash. We had a great show previewing their upcoming matchup against the #2 seeded Arizona Wildcats. When they won that game, there was a buzz about sports and radio like I had never been around. So it got me thinking "well, maybe I'll give this whole sports broadcasting thing a go." And while Steve's career seems to have worked out OK for him (2 NBA MVPs later), I'd say the same for me - at the very least, a pretty decent fallback for not getting into the law schools of my choice.

2. About what are you most passionate?

Probably a little of too much about a lot of things... it's the Scorpio in me. But besides my family, most passionate - I'd say watching amazing performances. That could be a lot of different things. Live coverage of a no-hitter in progress. Tim McGraw rocking a sold out stadium crowd that sings his songs back to him. The possible game tying 3-pointer in the air at the buzzer. The production of "Jersey Boys" that came to San Francisco last Summer. The video of Dr. Martin Luther King speaking from the Lincoln Memorial steps. There's something captivating about those who perform in the moment they're called on.

3. How difficult is it to ride that line between team employee and non-homer broadcaster? How do you find the right balance?

A flattering presumption, but there are many who swear I never found any such balance.

I asked the late, great Bill King about that very topic while I was starting out. He said that no matter what I do or say, there will always be some degree of that "homer" perception because I work for the club. Accordingly, his thought was that while I can't control that perception, I can control what I know, what I learn and what I say.

That said, I benefit from 3 key conditions conducive to a "balanced" approach:

1) The management above me lets me do my job. I've never had Ken Pries (my VP of Broadcasting) say "hey, don't rip this guy" or "don't take any calls about that guy". In nine seasons, Mike Crowley (President of the team) has not once put any kind of kibosh on any topic or direction.

2) The market demands that balance. In the Bay Area, phonies don't survive. They sniff out BSers pretty well, so I've always strived to maintain a very honest approach to everything. Being able to answer a question by saying "I don't know" -- turns out to be an ok thing. Certainly better than making up an answer.

3) Accountable players. About 95% of the guys who I've been around are accountable. They'll admit they got beat. They'll tell you how they messed up and why. They'll cite their own shortcomings when another teammate's gaffe was more glaring. When a guy calls himself out, there's nothing more I can add nor do I need to.

4. You have a unique syndicated country-and-baseball show -- how did that come about? Whose idea was it, and why? Who's been your favorite guest on that show so far?

I've been listening to Country for about 14-15 years now. During my time around the A's, I had started to naturally befriend a lot of the guys who were also Country music fans. Then about two years ago, I'd about had it with every newspaper and SportsCenter lead talking about who was being busted for steroids. My guess was for every one of those guys mentioned, I knew of 10 or 15 other guys who were doing something to make the world around them a little better place. Spending time visiting troops, supporting local schools for children with disabilities, helping Special Olympics, raising money for Alzheimer's, granting a Make-A-Wish request. And I knew that most of those stories would never be revealed. It then occurred to me that with my background with the A's - both on-air as well as managing our network - that I could do something about if I really wanted to.

I approached the Braves' Tim Hudson about it, who I had been friends with since his rookie year with the A's in 1999. I explained my idea and it took him about a half-second to agree to be part of it. Then with the help of a couple other really good friends and blessings from the A's and Major League Baseball, we got "Country Fastball" on the air in March of 2007. We started it on 6 stations in California, and now we're up to 19 stations in 7 states!

There are a lot of favorite guests, and that's not just a convenient deflection - I really mean that. Turns out most of the guys who listen to Country around the game are just genuinely good guys. So applying some qualifiers - say, 5 or 6 guys who have been on or will be within the course of this season. I'd go Joba Chamberlain and Johnny Damon from the New York Yankees, Jeff Francoeur from the Braves, Sean Casey from the Red Sox, Nick Swisher from the White Sox, and Luis Gonzalez from the Marlins. But then I still left out Kevin Millar, Kelly Shoppach and John Lackey... let alone everybody on my team! A great problem to have, I suppose.

5. How does working on a daily basis on the A's broadcast affect your fandom? Are you still excited about the games and going to the ballpark? Does the job make a difference in that?

For me, "Fandom" in baseball is gone. Or at the very least, it's nothing like I remember it. While I still like it when the A's win, I almost prefer seeing a loss if it's a better plotline. Down by one in the 9th, a leadoff walk, then a line drive to get runners at 1st and 3rd. Now, there's some drama. Win or lose from there, somebody's going to do something amazing. Somebody has to come up big, be it the guy on the mound, one of the next hitters, or somebody else coming into the game. Watching that unfold is what does it for me.

I do still get excited about games and going to the ballpark, but for different reasons. For me it's because I have a fun, challenging job that rewards creativity, accurate analysis, and hard work. Doesn't every motivated professional want that? The kicker is that in order to make that happen I get to watch a baseball game.

What is unique about what I do though is that the success or failure of our show isn't correlated to the A's fortune on a given night. We can have extremely entertaining shows if the A's lose by 3. But if the A's are up 11-1 after 5 innings, you can only do the back-slappin'-yippee routine for about 10 minutes tops before that loses originality.

6. You worked with a real sportscasting legend and unique guy, Bill King. What's your most vivid memory of him?

Through the magic of digital storage and archiving, I can still hear his voice anytime I want to. However, my greatest memories of him never happened on the air, which is good because the FCC would frown on much of the language and subject matter.

But my most vivid memory of Bill King was just the man himself. Put it this way: Take your beloved grandpa, your supportive dad, and your most embarrassing uncle. Then get your funniest college buddy, your most influential high-school teacher, and that coach you had that took things way too seriously. Finally add in the US President you admired the most and that neighbor who shoveled the snow off his driveway then started in on yours because he knew it'd pile up too high before you got home.

Get all those guys together, and roll 'em all up into one: For me, that's my lasting memory of Bill King.

7. Besides King, who are your influences, mentors, and inspirations in radio?

From before I even thought about doing this stuff, Dave Niehaus (newest broadcaster in the Hall of Fame) has been my benchmark of "making it big-time in radio". Growing up in Washington State, he has always been The Man, so becoming part of the industry where I get to be around him 10-20 times a year is in many ways a dream come true.

As for the guys who have been mentors since I've been doing this, I'm proud to say that I still work with most of them. From his nagging perfectionism to his comparably twisted humor, Ken Korach's friendship and tutelage have been invaluable. More recently, Vince Cotroneo has been really great about sharing his experiences from performing this same job with the Rangers and Astros. And Ray Fosse -- ever since he got me the job interview with the team, he's been nothing but supportive.

The other guy who's been tremendously supportive is the Raiders' Greg Papa, who I had met while he was still the radio voice of the Warriors and doing A's TV. He's one of the very best to work a radio mic and one of my best friends in the industry.

8. What do you like to do most on your off days?

Play with my kids, if Mom doesn't have them booked doing something else! Ideally speaking though, show me where to find the ski runs with freshest snow or the best-carved lines between the moguls!!!

9. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without _____________.

...coffee. I've had days when I've tried to go without and, well, I... I don't like to be THAT guy!!!!

10. What's the best advice you ever got? The worst?

Best: About 11 or 12 years ago, I was talking to an ad exec from KRLD (can't remember her name). I was telling her about a producer job I thought about leaving the A's for. Unimpressed with the description of this supposedly great job, she just looked at me and said "Choose your stepping stones wisely." In other words, if you have the option, don't just take a new job for the sake of taking a new job. Turns out that job wouldn't have lasted more than about 4 months after format and jock changes.

Worst: In the first round of your fantasy football draft, take Shaun Alexander. He's money!!! Loved him for my Seahawks in '05-'06, but last year... ugh.