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Sean McDonough had no experience with bobsledding and luge when he was tasked with broadcasting the events of the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France, for CBS. So, the Syracuse University alumnus decided that a trip to the American training camp in Lake Placid, including a trial run on his own sled, was necessary for him to be fully prepared.
Despite receiving a series of bruises from hitting the ice walls throughout the course, McDonough realized the importance of learning and preparation.
“That’s the best way to prepare: Do it and learn it,” McDonough said.
McDonough returned to Syracuse on Sunday to talk to Newhouse School of Public Communications students about his experiences in sports broadcasting. The 1984 SU graduate was interviewed by Matt Park, Syracuse’s radio play-by-play voice, and fielded questions from students in attendance.
McDonough has broadcasted over 10 different sports throughout his career and has called the World Series, Monday Night Football and the Masters. He currently covers the NHL, along with college football and basketball for ESPN.
While attending SU, McDonough spent most of his time at the WAER sports department. McDonough attributes a lot of his success to the radio station, which allowed him to broadcast numerous sporting events and hone his play-by-play skills. At the time, WAER had broadcasting rights to Syracuse Chiefs Minor League Baseball games, giving McDonough invaluable experience.
“I was way ahead of most people who wanted to be a Major League Baseball broadcaster because I had 400 games one level below the major leagues,” McDonough said. “That’s just one of the many great benefits of going to school here — the opportunities that we get.”
With almost 40 years of professional broadcasting now under his belt, McDonough is one of the only commentators to call All-Star Games in three major American sports — the NHL, MLB and the NFL.
One of McDonough’s favorite calls in his career came during ESPN’s coverage of the 2015 football game between Michigan and Michigan State. McDonough touched on the difficulty of quickly recognizing different players and how his careful pregame preparation allowed him to correctly commentate over a botched Michigan punt play, resulting in a turnover and a walk-off victory for Michigan State.
“Smith runs it in for the touchdown, and they win the game … and then you’re like… ‘Oh crap, it’s Jalen Watts-Jackson,’” McDonough said. “There’s nothing worse than — ‘Oh, it’s the other guy.’”
McDonough added that proper research beforehand can help a play-by-play commentator during the few dull moments that undoubtedly happen within every sports game. Preparation doesn’t just help McDonough decipher who is who on the court, but instead transforms him into a storyteller.
Throughout his career, McDonough has asked questions that have led to the revelation of backstories of athletes like Jurrell Casey, whose nonprofit halfway house that helps individuals returning from incarceration helped Casey become the Tennessee Titans’ pick for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award in 2016.
“People may not have heard of Jurrell Casey, but now they’re like, ‘Really, wow, that’s amazing,’” McDonough said.“You should try to get to those places and use those stories.”
Park said McDonough’s traits of being a “people’s person” have helped him, citing his curiosity and ability to build relationships with sources. McDonough said his ability to shine in the booth during some of the most significant moments in sports seems to come naturally.
“I never even think about it. To me, good play-by-play is instinctive. We can all teach each other to be better play-by-play people, but at the end of the day, a lot of it is just instincts and feel,” McDonough said. “Just go with the moment, and don’t be afraid.”
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