10 Questions with ... Craig Shemon

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

Worked at several central Indiana stations, including WTTS, WGCL, WJNZ, and WHJE; voice of The Citadel football, basketball, and baseball and PD at WQSC-A and WQNT-A/Charleston, SC; host at Fox Sports Radio, including the morning show; play-by-play for Fox TV (NFL), NFL Network (NFL Europe), Big Ten Network; work for NBA-TV, MLB StrikeZone on DirecTV, Dallas Mavericks Radio Network, FoxSports.com. Recently joined Sporting News Radio to co-host weekends with Bob Berger.

1. How and why did you get into radio? What drew you to the medium?

When I was about four years old I remember sitting in the back seat of my parent’s car, driving around the suburbs of southeast Michigan, listening to Ernie Harwell and Paul Carey call Tiger baseball on WJR. I quickly realized there were fun jobs out there. I would not have to grow up and sit behind an office desk for ten hours a day. I was also influenced by my father who saw my interest in memorizing stats from my extensive baseball card collection. He suggested I consider sportscasting as a future career. (Keep in mind 24-hour sports talk did not exist back then).

A few years later, I went to a high school where we had our own broadcast department complete with an FM radio station and cable TV station. Needless to say, I jumped right in and did everything from play-by-play, disc-jockeying, news, and production.

2. You've moved from Fox Sports Radio, where you were the last of the original crew, to Sporting News Radio, where you're working with Bob Berger. How, if at all, has working at SNR been different from your previous gig? What are the best and worst thing about working with Bob?

Well, I no longer have to get up at 4 am for the morning show! That's a big difference.

In my last job, I hosted Fox's weekday morning drive show. I partnered with former Dallas Cowboy James Washington, along with Eddie Garcia, Sam Betesh, and Jake Warner, and there was always an element of surprise. With J-Dub, especially in the early days, you never knew what kind of crazy stuff was going to happen each day.

At Sporting News Radio, I've been working with Bob Berger for about a year. He is a pro's pro in every way possible. I used to carry his show with the old Team Sports Network out of DC when I was a program director in Charleston, South Carolina. Years later, when I was working weekend shows at Fox, I would listen to him on Sports Saturday and Around the NFL on my way to work. Now I work with him on those shows.

The worst thing about Berger? He's a Yankees fan.

3. You've done play-by-play; what would be your dream play-by-play job and why?

I always thought the Monday Night Football gig was the crown jewel of sportscasting.

4. You were a program director in sports radio early on. How, if in any way, did being the boss influence what you do as a host? Is there a different perspective because you were the guy in charge?

As a program director you generally have two kinds of employees: The first kind is always professional and passionate about his work. You hire them and let them do their job. The other kind is the guy who's just there to collect a check and doesn't care much about the product. Obviously, I try to be the former.

5. Who are your mentors, influences, and heroes?

First of all, my wife, kids, and extended family are most important to me. I try to make Jesus Christ my biggest influence.

My heroes range from Ernie Harwell, Ronald Reagan, and Pope John Paul II. (Notice no sports figures are listed here, although I though Barry Sanders was pretty cool).

My mentors and/or people who influenced me are many:

• My parents: They taught me my work ethic and my Faith.
• Mitch Hyder: He's now the play-by-play announcer at the University of Denver. He gave me my first gig as a radio intern in Bloomington, Indiana.
• Ernie Harwell: Former play-by-play announcer for the Detroit Tigers. After listening to him during my childhood, I finally met him about 9 years ago. I secured a press pass for a Tigers-Angels game when I lived in Los Angeles and I had hoped to just meet him briefly before the game. Instead, he let me sit with him for the entire nine inning ballgame. That was cool.
• Don Fischer: Still the long-time play announcer at my alma mater, Indiana University. I used to call high school football and basketball games in Bloomington on Friday nights. I'd go home and listen to the tapes of my game. (On cassette!) Then I'd go to the IU football or basketball game the next day and sit in the press box with my Walkman radio and listen to Fischer and take notes on his style and description.
• The late Tom Hunt: He was the general manager at the Bloomington station I worked at. He eventually helped me get my first full-time play-by-play job at The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina. He became a great friend and somebody I wish was still around to talk shop with. We also had a mutual love of the Detroit Tigers.
• Mike Kendall and Chris Doran: Program Directors in Bloomington who were the first and only bosses I've had who sat down and really air-checked my work on a regular basis.
• Gil Kirkman: I like to say I received my non-official PhD in broadcasting working for Gil in Charleston. In addition to being the radio play-by-play announcer of The Citadel football, basketball, and baseball teams, I was the marketing director and affiliate relations guy for our 15 station state-wide network. I hosted the school's weekly TV and radio coaches-highlight shows. Plus I was the program director of Gil's two all-sports radio stations we put on the air from scratch. I was also air-talent on those stations.
• Tom Lee: He hired me at Fox Sports Radio in the summer of 2000. I jumped from Charleston, SC (market #91 to doing national radio in market #2!) I owe him a great deal of thanks for taking a chance on me.
• The late Andrew Ashwood: He later became the program director at FOX and made me his network's national morning host.
• Craig Larson: Craig was also an original hire at FOX in 2000. Soon afterward he became my producer and, drawing on his previous experience at One on One sports, showed me what national radio was really like. I went from interviewing local coaches and athletes in Charleston to interviewing Lou Holtz, Sparky Anderson, Mike Ditka, and Hank Aaron -- and that was just on our first day :) Craig eventually left FOX to go back to One on One/Sporting News Radio and is currently the network's program director, executive producer, and now he is my boss at the network. See... it all comes full circle!

6. What's your process -- how do you prepare for each show? What resources do you use?

I can't believe we used to prepare shows with day-old newspapers. Obviously, the internet is king for show prep. As a general rule of thumb, I probably spend three hours at home preparing for a three hour show. Plus I always have my eye on a computer. I hate hearing about a story an hour or two after it has happened.

7. About what are you most passionate these days?

My entire life outside of work is consumed with raising my two kids. I like to squeeze in a little golf. But my favorite passion is boating! I owned a boat in Charleston and would love to spend the day on Charleston Harbor! Someday I am going to get a 35-42 foot yacht and cruise the Caribbean.

8. Of what are you most proud?

Making it to the NFL as a play-by-play announcer. My first game was the 2005 season opener: Seattle at Jacksonville on FOX. About an hour before kick-off, all of my work and preparation was finished and I was alone in the press box. I remember standing there, watching the crowd arrive, and I thought to myself, I had finally made it in this business.

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

...the internet!

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

The best? Former LSU basketball coach Dale Brown, who I used to work with at FOX, said, "Craig, always try to do your best, never give up and God will take care of everything else."

The worst? In college, I had two people tell me broadcasting was too tough and competitive to get into.