Homecoming for a Voice of Generations: Bob Costas ’74 Returns to Newhouse.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Legendary sports broadcaster Bob Costas ’74 will return to the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications on Wednesday, Apr. 16, to speak with students about his illustrious career in sports broadcasting and commentary.

Costas has hosted 12 Olympic Games, the Kentucky Derby, the U.S. Open Golf Championship, and HBO shows. He’s called games for the MLB, NFL, NBA, and college basketball and football.

The Newhouse Sports Media Center will host the event in the Joyce Hergenhan Auditorium in Room 140 of Newhouse 3.

Costas attended Newhouse and gained radio experience at WAER as a freshman. He also called minor league hockey games for the Syracuse Blazers of the Eastern Hockey League.

Costas began his professional career with KMOX radio in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1974. While at KMOX, Costas covered games for the Spirits of St. Louis of the American Basketball Association (ABA) and called Missouri Tigers basketball. He also co-hosted KMOX’s Open Line call-in program. From 1976 to 1979, he broadcast NFL games on CBS. During the 1979-1980 NBA season, Costas provided play-by-play for Chicago Bulls broadcasts on WGN-TV.

NBC hired Costas in 1980. He did play-by-play for NBA, NFL, and MLB games on NBC. He also anchored NBC’s pre- and post-game shows for NFL broadcasts, MLB All-Star Games, and numerous World Series.

Costas spent four decades with NBC. He was the Summer Olympics primetime host from 1992 to 2016 and the Winter Olympics primetime host from 2002 to 2014. Costas also hosted the NHL Winter Classic, the U.S. Open, Thursday Night Football, the NFL on NBC, and Thoroughbred Racing for NBC.

Costas has won many awards throughout his career. He is a 29-time Emmy Award winner. Costas is the only person in television history to win Emmys for sports, news, and entertainment. He is an eight-time National Sports Media Association National Sportscaster of the Year and a four-time American Sportscasters Association Sportscaster of the Year. Costas also has a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame.

In 1999, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame presented Costas with the Curt Gowdy Media Award. In 2017, the National Baseball Hall of Fame honored Costas with the Ford C. Frick Award. He was named a Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame inductee in 2018.

Syracuse University has recognized Costas with three awards. In 2001, Costas won the George Arents Award for excellence in sports broadcasting. He received the Marty Glickman Award for Leadership in Sports Media in 2013 and was inducted into the WAER Hall of Fame in 2015.

Costas has been behind the mic for numerous unforgettable games in sports history. One of Costas’ most memorable broadcasts was in 1984 when he called the Saturday baseball Game of the Week for NBC. The game became known as “The Sandberg Game.” Chicago Cubs second baseman Ryne Sandberg hit home runs in the 9th and 10th innings against St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Bruce Sutter to tie the game.

Costas contributed to the Ken Burns PBS miniseries Baseball in 1994 and called game six of the 1995 World Series when the Atlanta Braves won their first championship since moving to Atlanta in 1966. He also called Derek Jeter’s final game at Yankee Stadium for MLB Network in 2014.

Costas called Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson’s final game with the Chicago Bulls in 1998. Jordan hit the game-winner to give the Bulls an 87-86 lead with 5.2 seconds remaining in game six of the NBA Finals. Costas was also the pregame and postgame host for NBC for the 1994 NBA Finals between the Houston Rockets and the New York Knicks, which included the O.J. Simpson car chase in Los Angeles that interrupted game five. Costas broadcast game seven of the 2000 Western Conference Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Portland Trailblazers. Fans remember Kobe Bryant throwing an alley-oop pass to Shaquille O’Neal to give the Lakers a six-point lead with under a minute to play in regulation.

In the mid-1980s, he established the Robert Costas Scholarship at the Newhouse School, and sports broadcaster Mike Tirico was the first recipient in 1987.

Senior producer for NEP Group Mackenzie Pearce ‘21 talks with Newhouse students about her journey

Syracuse, NY – Mackenzie Pearce calls it the Girls’ Room. Pearce, the producer of NWSL on ION’s Saturday Night Soccer doubleheader wants her weekly production meetings with a coach or a player to feel like safe spaces. 

“Those are the types of things that you want people to be really comfortable,” Pearce said. “Showing that you put in the work, and show that you did the research on them, they start to open up more. And I think that is really how you get to it, is putting in the research ahead of time.”

Pearce spoke with Newhouse students on Thursday evening in a session moderated by Professor Olivia Stomski, the director of the Newhouse Sports Media Center.

Pearce was one of the initial three students working for Newhouse’s ACC Network. She was a freshman with two seniors working under the direction of Professor Stomski.

“I was literally ready to transfer after my first semester,” Pearce said. “I found my own family and I think also it’s really special because you get to, I think it makes you a better person.”

Pearce started her career as a broadcast associate for MLB Network. She then got a job as a studio producer for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pearce and her dad bonded over Steelers games as she was growing up, so the job was particularly meaningful to her. 

Working for NEP producing NWSL games has been the perfect fit for her. She sees herself as a human-centered producer. Women’s soccer gives her the opportunity to tell stories that haven’t been told before, because there are less eyes on the sport. 

Pearce sees being a woman in sports, particularly being a woman covering women’s sports, as an advantage.

“You understand what people want and not how to tokenize women in this sport and how to treat them as their own athletes,” Pearce said. “A lot of them have partners that play in other major leagues in this country and abroad. So I just think that giving them their flowers and not tying them to other people’s accomplishments is a really big part of it.”

Pearce still values the connections she made at Newhouse. Her classmates from Newhouse have a group chat to give each other advice and encouragement. 

“Everyone’s opinion is valued and you can, you know, get your foot in the door pretty fast and, you know, learn from people who’ve already done it,” Pearce said. “I think it’s a really special thing that we have here.”

Syracuse Program Equips Athletes for Global Lacrosse

By: Jillian Schumacher

Lacrosse at Syracuse University is a long-standing tradition dating back to 1916.

Since then, the Orange have won 15 national championship titles and have made 39 tournament appearances.

That tradition has led various players to become professional athletes, and many compete in World Lacrosse field and box championships.

Twenty-five percent of this year’s Haudenosaunee team in the World Lacrosse Box Championships are either former or current players for the Syracuse Orange.

Syracuse’s Jeremy Thompson, Randy Staats, Cody Jamieson, Warren Hill, Trey Deere, and Brendan Bomberry are all competing for the Haudenosaunee box lacrosse team.

The World Lacrosse Box Championship has been held in 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, and 2024.

In those first five meetings, the Haudenosaunee team earned a spot to compete in the gold medal game.

Trey Deere, a Syracuse lacrosse sophomore on the Haudenosaunee team, says Syracuse has prepared him to play with professional athletes in games like these.

“This is a great testament to what we do at Syracuse and how we handle ourselves, and it just gets us ready,” Deere said.

Since being in Utica, Deere says he has learned a lot from other players on his team and is excited to translate what he has learned here to his spring season at Syracuse.

“Playing against the best, playing with the best, you know, it all translates over, and I hopefully take that, I look to take that to the spring,” Deere said.

His team will compete in the bronze medal game against England after falling short by one goal to Team USA in the semifinals.

Sixteen of the Haudenosaunee goals leading up to this bronze medal match have come from Staats, Deere, and Jamieson.

“Anytime I can represent my people on a world stage is amazing, and there’s really no words to describe that feeling,” Deere said.

Guest Speaker Series: Tim Schlittner

September 20th, the Newhouse Sports Media Center was joined by Tim Schlittner, a director for the National Football League’s (NFL) Communications Department and Syracuse Alumni (’03). Kay Racine, a graduate student studying BDJ, was our host for the day.

To open the conversation, Schlittner discussed his thoughts on Syracuse and snippets from his time here. He recalls the draw he had to the university almost instantly, a feeling that was only further emphasized the very first time he laid eyes on the Carrier Dome (now JMA Wireless).

As he walked through campus this afternoon he thought to himself, “I could do this again, now. This is great. My time at Syracuse was so great.”

One of his favorite memories from his time at the university was attending every football and basketball game. Prior to working at the NFL, he considered sports to be his “unpaid passion” in life, and to this day, it is a central element of who he is as a person.

He credits much of his personal growth and success to the influence of John Nicholson, whom he had as a professor while at Newhouse. Nicholson was the founder and director of the Newhouse Sports Media Center until his retirement in 2017, and his legacy within Newhouse and the university as a whole cannot be understated. Schlittner recounts the time he spent in Nicholson’s office hours every Friday and continuously expressed the gratitude he has for the professor emeritus.

When Schlittner first arrived at Newhouse he was pursuing a degree in BDJ but quickly realized writing was his strongest skill. After a semester taking a television class, he recalls Professor Michael Cremedas saying, “Tim, you went from rough to damn decent.”

“That’s why I’m now in PR,” Tim said.

However, getting to where he is now was no easy feat. He recalls a period in his career when he felt lost and in need of guidance. A friend close to him advised him to write down his three dream jobs, to which he listed the NFL, the NBA, and Whitehouse speechwriter. He told the students, “I made that list of dream jobs… the next morning, I open my email and there is a listing for Director of Communications at the NFL”.

As a leader in the industry, Schlittner had some incredible insights to offer the students in attendance. He emphasized the importance of learning to take a pause and the value of embracing chill. Looking into the crowd of students he noted, “what’s going to make you stand out is not the stuff on paper”, and told them to embrace the things they were passionate about and to specialize in those things.

Throughout his conversation with the students, one theme was the most clear, and it came from one of his first messages to the group: “I let go of who I thought I needed to be and leaned into who I was”. Overall, he highlighted the importance of honoring the truest version of yourself and using what makes you unique to create a life you love to live.

Ford Shares Baseball Journey With Newhouse Students

SYRACUSE, N.Y- Robert Ford made time to answer questions from current Newhouse students Friday afternoon during his weekend trip back to Central New York. Ford has risen through the ranks in professional baseball as a play-by-play broadcaster since he graduated from Newhouse in 2001. The two-time World Series Champion is entering his 12th season as the radio voice of the Houston Astros and gave students insight into his career journey.

Ford grew up subway stops away from Yankee Stadium in the Bronx but gravitated towards the Mets and Darryl Strawberry during their rise in the mid-80s. Even though baseball was his favorite sport, Ford admitted playing wasn’t working for him on the diamond at Bronx High School of Science. 

“I had a teacher in my sophomore year of high school who told me that I should write for the student paper. I decided well, they have a sports section, and I like sports. So, I wrote for this school paper at my high school covering the sports teams, and that got me interested in journalism,” Ford said.  

When Ford started his college search, he remembered his father mentioning years prior how Syracuse is known for sports broadcasters after seeing Bob Costas on TV. After four years at SU with Newhouse Sports Media Center Director Olivia Stomski, Ford got his first job with the Yakima Bears in the Northwest League. A grueling schedule of 76 games in 80 days for the Arizona Diamondbacks Class A-Short Season affiliate resulted in an opportunity in Kalamazoo, Michigan. 

Ford spent two seasons with the Kalamazoo Kings, an independent organization in the Frontier League. He transitioned back into affiliated baseball with the nearby Double-A Binghamton Mets at the start of the 2005 season. The reasoning for the opening in Binghamton was due to “Voice of the Orange” Matt Park accepting his current position at Syracuse.

Four years later, Ford’s program director from Kalamazoo offered him a job at an all-sports radio station in Kansas City. 610 AM KCSP recently bought the rights for Kansas City Royals broadcasts, and Ford became their new pregame and postgame host. Still eager to return to the booth, Ford jumped at every chance he could to do freelance play-by-play gigs in the region. He also did mock play-by-play at Royals games when he wasn’t doing his normal duties. 

“I would watch games in Kansas City and think about how I would be talking about certain situations in a game. I would call games into a recorder a few games every year to always have updated demo material. That’s what I sent to the Astros when they had their opening,” Ford said.  

In 2013, Ford got his big break as an MLB play-by-play broadcaster with the Houston Astros off two innings of a Kansas City Royals game that he called into a recorder. Even though his new prominent position was uncharted territory, Ford felt ready for the challenge. 

“That transition to Houston was fantastic. Not only was it a big league play-by-play job, but I really missed doing baseball play-by-play. I enjoyed my time in Kansas City, and it made me better as a broadcaster to do something different because I’d never done sports radio. Kansas City also helped in the sense that I already knew about how it worked being around a major league team, and that’s what the Royals helped me with was just understanding the ins and outs of the job,” Ford said. 

Houston had their third consecutive 100-loss season in Ford’s first with the organization, but the Astros were building one of the best young cores in baseball. As the ‘Stros improved to 70-92 in 2014, Ford learned even more in the beginning stages of his tenure. 

“I realized that you can’t read everything. You come from the minor leagues where you’re struggling to find any sort of kernel of information. Then you go to major leagues where you’re drinking out of a firehose, and I think that was one of the first things I had to learn is you can’t read everything. It’s impossible,” Ford said. 

With Major League Baseball continuing to evolve, Ford has had to adapt to the times in recent years. New rule changes and an influx of advanced analytics create a shift in his preparation in comparison to when he started with the Astros. However, when it comes to Ford’s process of compiling information, that won’t change any time soon.  

“I have a page on every single player on every single team in Microsoft OneNote. I also have information on each team and a bunch of other stuff. I’m reading something at lunch, or if I’m reading something today that I think is interesting about a certain player, I’ll cut and paste that into OneNote, and so it’ll be there on that player’s page,” Ford said.  

Ford likes to think that broadcasting is similar to continuing your education by continuously studying and searching for information. He’s built a solid connection with his fellow MLB broadcasters who love to help one another in any way possible. Before the pandemic, information was kept much closer to the chest until remote broadcasts. Collectively, they realized it would be more beneficial to remain in close contact to create a more collaborative environment. 

“We really are like a fraternity. Like a brotherhood. I’ve actually had this conversation with a couple of other broadcasters about how it wasn’t always like this. It used to be way more cutthroat and competitive, and not that it’s not competitive now, but I think there’s more of an appreciation for what everybody else brings to the table,” Ford said. 

Be sure to listen to Ford all season long with the Houston Astros during the 2024 season. Follow @Raford03 on X to see what college basketball games he is calling on ESPN during the offseason.  

Also, be on the lookout for other alumni guest speakers throughout the academic year by following the Newhouse Sports Media Center on social media.

Pasch Fits in Newhouse Visit Prior to Syracuse Football Broadcast

SYRACUSE, N.Y- Dave Pasch came back to visit his alma mater Wednesday night before his first Syracuse Football broadcast inside the JMA Wireless Dome since 2001. The 1994 Newhouse grad found out earlier this week that his weekly play-by-play assignment with ESPN would be for the Orange against Clemson on Saturday. Pasch has done other Cuse games on the road over the years, but knows it’ll be a special feeling returning to the “Loud House.”

“I’ve done some Syracuse Basketball games since I started at ESPN, but not as many football. They’ve all been on the road, and funny enough I actually did a Cuse game against Clemson back in 2016… Saturday will be pretty cool for me,” Pasch said.

On top of his college football duties, Pasch also calls NBA and college basketball games for ESPN. While somehow balancing those other duties, he also is the longtime radio voice of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals.

The Madison, Wisconsin native has come a long way from his humble beginnings at Newhouse. During his undergrad, Pasch wrote for The Daily Orange newspaper and made regular appearances on WAER to gain on-air radio reps. Following graduation, Pasch decided to take his first job in Morgantown, West Virginia because of a “pipeline” of WAER kids going to that market. Even though he was only there for 10 months, Pasch proclaimed it to be the most important job he’s ever had (maybe meeting his wife Hallie there also had a role in that feeling).

“During my time in Morgantown, it was important for me to get out of my Syracuse bubble where I was comfortable. My mindset was I needed to be willing to do anything and everything for that first job. I covered city council meetings and did high school play-by-play gigs for $25 a game. I even went up to Pittsburgh to run the Pirates scoreboard in the press box,” Pasch said.

Pasch moved to Detroit in 1995 for his first job in a large market when sports talk radio was all the rave in the industry. Two years later, Pasch landed in Chicago and spent the majority of his time covering Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls during their “Last Dance” season. When a coveted job opened up to return to Syracuse, it was just too good for Pasch to pass up.

“In 1999 when the radio job opened up here, I knew that if I got the chance I would come back. Getting the job as a 26-year-old and having to fill the shoes of a legendary figure like Doug Logan was a little daunting. Early on some of my broadcast partners were alums like Mike Tricio, Marv Albert, and Bob Costas because I had to earn the trust of my bosses being so young,” Pasch said.

On top of his duties with the Orange Football and Men’s Basketball teams, Pasch also did preseason TV broadcasts for the Buffalo Bills in 2001. Former General Manager John Bulter and Executive Russ Brandon formulated a plan that Pasch would slide into the full-time radio spot after a few seasons. That all changed during the Spring of 2002 when the NFL had three teams with radio jobs open. Pasch was offered the job with the Arizona Cardinals, and he’s been with the organization ever since.

“It was a difficult decision leaving my job at Syracuse because I really loved it and knowing that I could’ve stayed and also been with the Bills. I just couldn’t wait only longer when I had an opportunity like that on the table,” Pasch said.

Pasch has been full-time with ESPN since 2003 after doing regional Big East basketball games to get his foot in the door. Since then, he’s risen the ranks of the Worldwide Leader and worked alongside some of the most notable analysts in the business. Some of his partners have included Bill Walton, Hubie Brown, Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson, Jay Bilas, and Doris Burke. Pasch believes the main reason he’s able to have a great rapport with everyone he works with is by building genuine relationships with them.

“It may not win you an award, but it matters so much to put your analyst in the best place to succeed. You have to get to know them on a personal level, not just during those few hours together in the booth. I know when I’m doing a game with Bill [Walton] he will want the game to be more focused on storytelling, instead of with Hubie [Brown] there’s more emphasis on numbers and stats,” Pasch said.

It took time for Pasch to get accustomed to his hectic lifestyle. Most weeks for a Saturday game he travels into the cities on Thursday and immediately leaves to go wherever the Cardinals are playing. His traditional plans went by the wayside this week because of Hubie Brown’s 90th birthday celebration on Tuesday, giving him time to come to Newhouse. Pasch related this dynamic to a golf swing that living this way is just second nature at this point.

“It just took a little bit to get used to it, getting into that mode of I’m doing a TV game today, but radio tomorrow. Like this week I’ll call the Syracuse game and immediately go to the airport to fly to San Francisco because that’s where the Cardinals are playing Sunday. I think it’s much more common now for play-by-play guys to have more than one job in comparison to when I first started doing this. It’s just something that takes time,” Pasch said.

Make sure to listen to Pasch’s first broadcast back with Syracuse Football on ABC Saturday at Noon. Follow @DavePasch on X, to see where his next broadcast is for ESPN. Also, be on the lookout for other alumni guest speakers throughout the academic year by following the Newhouse Sports Media Center on social media.

Skalla & Traczuk Return Home to Newhouse

SYRACUSE, N.Y- Biko Skalla and Ivan Traczuk made a pit stop Wednesday evening to talk with current Newhouse students before the Savannah Bananas game on Thursday in Syracuse as part of their “2023 World Tour.” It was the first time since graduating in 2018 that either of them were on campus, as the duo spoke about their rise to finding their niche with the Bananas organization. 

“Rather than telling people that I graduated from Syracuse University, I tell them that I graduated from Newhouse because that’s how much pride I have in this place. I got emotional when I was walking the halls and remembering my struggles during my time here. From staying here till 3 a.m. for a news package edit or making a podcast for the first time and having no idea what I was doing,” Traczuk said. 

The two hit it off in the fall of 2017 even though Skalla was a Broadcast & Digital Journalism major and Traczuk was in Television, Radio & Film as a graduate student. They were a package deal in their first jobs out of college at MLB Network as broadcast associates, producing content around the clock. 

Even though Skalla and Traczuk were baseball enthusiasts, they felt unfulfilled and aspired to have more creativity in the sports media landscape. Traczuk decided to leave MLB Network and strived to connect his love of sports and comedy by moving out to Hollywood. Shortly after earning an Emmy for his role as an Associate Producer at MLB Network, Skalla took a position with the Savannah Bananas as a “Broadcast Entertainer” in 2020.

“My dream was always to get in an MLB Broadcast booth, but I know that I’d never have the same amount of fun that I have now with the Bananas. We really embrace that we are an entertainment company above anything else related to the baseball played on the field,” Skalla said.      

If you’ve never heard of the Savannah Bananas, they’re not your typical baseball team. Owner Jesse Cole set out to create “The Greatest Show in Sports,” after purchasing the franchise back in 2016. Formerly the Bananas were a member of the Coastal Plains League, a wooden bat league for collegiate players across the country to take part in during the summer. That was until Cole had an idea to break away from the mold and play by their own set of rules called “Banana Ball” that would speed up the game and put the fans first. 

Owner Jesse Cole decided instead of staying in Savannah they could bring excitement and entertainment to a wider audience by traveling to cities across the country. Following the first-ever “Banana Ball World Tour” in 2022, Cole expanded the tour to 33 different cities for 87 total games. The tour wraps up in Cooperstown at the Baseball Hall of Fame on Saturday, September 16th, following their game at NBT Bank Stadium in Syracuse. 

As the Bananas continued to gain traction on social media, Skalla invited Traczuk down to Savannah to see what all the hype was about in “Bananaland.” After being skeptical at first, Traczuk visited his college buddy and accepted an offer at the beginning of 2022 to become the Banana’s Director of Creative Content. 

“It was honestly terrifying moving to Savannah and back to the East Coast. I thought at the time that I was giving up my dream of working in Los Angeles. But if something is scaring you, it’s worth doing,” Traczuk said. 

In the first three months that Traczuk was with the organization, their TikTok following went from 845,000 to 3 million followers. The Banana’s creative team started to do “over-the-top meetings,” brainstorming what crazy ideas they could come up with next. Fans across the country craved content of the player’s choreographed dances by putting their own twist on the most current social media trends. 

Skalla and Traczuk learned the importance of listening to the fans to hear what they wanted to see the players do. Thinking outside of the box has always come naturally to the Newhouse products, but the opportunity to be authentically themselves is something that they don’t take for granted. 

“My first ever media credential was for a Syracuse Mets game towards the end of summer boot camp. Instead of doing a game recap like my other classmates, I gravitated towards doing my assignment on the mascot. I’ve always wanted to do the story that wasn’t going to be on the 6 p.m. SportsCenter, but instead show the viewer why this mattered,” Trackzuk said. 

“I think my job is probably 98 percent similar to other professional broadcasters. I just have more emphasis on making the fans feel a part of the action from home. My style is unique because I took everything that I learned here at Newhouse, while also having my personality shine through with my excitement or by saying funny phrases,” Skalla said. 

Make sure to follow the Savannah Bananas on social media to see what tricks they have up their sleeve during their game in Syracuse. Also, be on the lookout for other alumni guest speakers throughout the academic year by following the Newhouse Sports Media Center on social media.

Konner Kicks Off 2023-24 Newhouse SMC Guest Speakers

Michael Konner was the first Newhouse alumni guest speaker for the 2023-24 school year on Friday afternoon to speak with current students about his experience in the television industry. The 1995 SU graduate is currently the Senior Coordinating Producer for NFL Media, compiling over 20 years of experience in sports media production and operations. 

Konner was a producer for Fox Sports from 1998-2005 and then went on to have vital roles in the launches of both the NFL and MLB Networks. The seven-time Emmy Award winner began his career in the entertainment industry as an assignment editor for the shows “Access Hollywood” and “A Current Affair.”

As a Newhouse student, Konner was involved with WJPZ radio, wrote for The Daily Orange newspaper, and interned at local CBS affiliate WTVH. Konner reminisced about his time at Syracuse and emphasized the importance of taking full advantage of everything that Newhouse students have at their disposal. 

“I wish that I could be in your seat right now with how much I’ve learned over the years, but that’s what makes it so cool to come back here is to share that knowledge with all of you. Make sure to enjoy the journey along the way because you’re going to blink and be up here like I am in 28 years talking to students thinking how fast it went,” Konner said. 

Konner encouraged students to get involved with organizations on campus and experience multiple different internships in the market. He treated his internship entering his senior year with “A Current Affair” like he was a full-time employee. That mindset paid off as Konner was offered a job during spring break that would be waiting for him after he graduated. 

“The toughest job you’re going to get is your first one. If you treat an internship as that first job, then the bosses won’t be able to envision their newsroom without you,” Konner said.  

Even though Konner landed his first job in entertainment television, he knew that he wanted to transfer to a career in sports media. After spending over two years at “Access Hollywood,” one of his coworkers put him in contact with FOX Sports, who just purchased the NFL’s media rights from CBS in 1998. Konner moved back to the East Coast to oversee operations in their New York City division. 

In 2003 he received a call about joining the start of NFL Network as a News Producer. After a few years, he became Manager of Remote and Studio Operations. Over the next five years, Konner traveled 28 weeks per year to coordinate events like Thursday Night Football, the NFL Draft, and the Super Bowl. For a change of pace from the hectic lifestyle at NFL Network, he decided to take a position with the newly created MLB Network where Konner spent the next eight years as a Coordinating Producer. 

When the opportunity presented itself to return to NFL Network in 2017 as the Senior Coordinating Producer, it was just too good to pass up. Konner’s current role oversees how the network covers the NFL offseason from Super Bowl week to the end of training camp. 

“My experiences are a different road map than everyone else’s, and the same will be for you. If you have a passion in the industry whether it’s being on air or producing, just go for it and make your own path,” Konner said. 

Konner shared what network executives, like himself are looking for in new hires and offered other meaningful pieces of advice. The main takeaway was to be accountable and a nice person that others want to be around. 

“I say it to the people at NFL Network all the time that you are in control of two things every single day, your work ethic and your attitude. That alone will help you stand out from your peers,” Konner said. 

Be on the lookout for other alumni guest speakers throughout the academic year by following the Newhouse Sports Media Center on social media. 

“Run Your Own Race”

Whistles blow, cleats click, chinstraps buckle and mouth pieces go in around this time throughout the country. With less than a month away, Syracuse Football is back and ready for a strong season yet again. 

For Syracuse University Newhouse BDJ Master’s alum Carl Jones, this time of year brings back a unique moment he will never forget from his time on the Syracuse Football team. 

“That was the first time in my life I looked down the field and the vibrations off of the field, because the sound was so great and so strong, I couldn’t see the kickoff returner,” Jones said. 

In September of 2018, the undefeated Syracuse football team traveled to Death Valley to face a young freshman quarterback in his first first career start for Clemson. The man who is now the Jacksonville Jaguars franchise leader, Trevor Lawrence.  

“I legit couldn’t see 70 yards in front of me, that’s how strong the vibrations were.” 

Though with the intensity high and energy pumping to this day, the Orange came up short 27-23. Just three years into his student-athlete career, how did Syracuse University Football become the destination for Carl Jones?

Jones was a late recruit. He didn’t receive his first division one offer until December of his senior season. It was Coach Babers departure from Bowling Green University and arrival at Syracuse, when Jones received interest from the Orange. He later visited and accepted the offer to play football for Syracuse University.  

“To be able to play on that stage, ESPN weekly in a Dome… that intrigued me, and I wanted to be a part of it,” Jones said. “I fell in love with the campus, the people, and a strong academic institution in which my Mom enjoyed most.” 

Upon Jones’ undergraduate career at Syracuse, journalism became his calling as he joined the Broadcast and Digital Journalism Master’s program in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Growing up without the intention of becoming a journalist, Jones gravitated toward sports.

“I was that kid six, seven years old, reading newspapers looking at box scores, how did Lebron do?,” Jones said. “I would get to school early arguing in the lunchroom, Lebron or Kobe. Brady or Manning. I wanted to be Stuart Scott, Stephen A. Smith, but I didn’t know what that looked like.”

Jones said it became a pipe dream. Another passion of his was criminal justice which was the route he took in undergrad. He didn’t know the power of the Newhouse school until his sophomore year when he took notice of the media coverage throughout his football season.

Since his education and knowledge of sports, Jones has become a lead sports reporter for the News 8 Sports Team in Rochester since September 2021, covering national teams such as the Buffalo Bills. 

Jones’ is currently striving for greatness working for an even bigger network in sports such as ESPN or NFL Network continuing the goal-oriented process that he has fostered from his parents. Waking up everyday, pushing toward that goal because Jones can’t see it turning out any other way. 

Jones believes running your own race is pivotal in excelling at the next level, especially for the next generation of Master’s students who come through the Newhouse doors.  

“In my master’s year and first year in the industry, I kept comparing myself to those who may have had five, six, seven years of journalism classes and taken internships which was discouraging,” Jones said. “I didn’t know what a VOSOT was or a PKG. I felt as if this wasn’t the career path for me.” 

Jones said, if you get around enough people who have faith in you, like Professor Stomski and Professor Park, you will run your fastest looking straight ahead, focusing on what you can control.

“The Best is Yet To Come”

Monday night, February 24th, 2020. Before the COVID-19 pandemic was in sight, the Colgate Women’s Lacrosse team traveled from Hamilton, New York to the Syracuse University Carrier Dome to face the number four ranked Orange Women’s Lacrosse team. 

The undefeated Colgate Raiders were excited for the test, according to senior goalie and team captain Samantha Croston. “When I found out we were playing Syracuse, I was hyped up,” said Croston. “I was excited to play harder competition than what we were used to.”

The dominant attack of the Orange were as advertised. Megan Carney, Sam Swart, and Emily Hawryschuk were too talented to handle as each scored hat tricks in the convincing 21-4 win over Colgate. Little did Raider goalie Samantha Croston know, this would not be her last time in the Carrier Dome.

Fast forward four months, Croston began her journey at Syracuse University in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications earning her Master’s Degree in Broadcast and Digital Journalism. A former division one student athlete handed her helmet and lacrosse stick in for a microphone and camera to document local news and sports stories in Central New York. 

Currently a Professional Multimedia Journalist for CNY Central, Croston is also a sports broadcaster for ESPN+ and ACC Network studio shows as an analyst for women’s lacrosse. It’s a career she takes deep pride in as it was something she didn’t expect.

“I didn’t even know I wanted to be a broadcaster until I applied,” Croston said. With the help of perspective, empathy and love, Croston says she has embraced the role. “People don’t tell you how many tough parts there are about the job, but I am continuing to do what I love,” Croston said.

The chase and pursuit of something greater than yourself, similar to coming together as one like the lacrosse team at Colgate, yet this time in the studio for all of Central New York to see.  

Croston says, continuing to create and establish relationships are what make the world go round which allow the industry to appreciate each other even more. “If you can understand other people, you can understand life,” Croston said.

“The best is yet to come,” montra keeps Croston’s mindset pushing forward following the motto in how she lives her life. Maintaining the positive attitude through long days, continuing the pursuit of her intuition telling her a profession in broadcasting and digital journalism will be successful. 

To the next generation of Master’s Students, Croston says it’s okay if you don’t know what you want to do. “You need to be willing to sit in the uncomfortable of figuring that out,” Croston said. “Whether that’s redefining yourself from an athlete to a broadcaster, focus on you and be okay sitting in the uncomfortable of figuring out who you want to be.”

“Newhouse Definitely Prepared Us”

Several Newhouse Master’s students upon finishing their Broadcast and Digital Journalism graduate program have been accepted to take their talents to local news stations across the country to report on NFL training camp for their respective city. 

Of the ten that were selected, one was a division one student-athlete. Excelling on the field and in the classroom for the Lehigh Mountain Hawks, Sydney Staples arrived on the campus of Syracuse University in July of 2022 to embark on her S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications journey. 

As a four year-letter winner for the Lehigh University Women’s soccer team, Staples decided to pursue her soccer career from a different lens.

It was difficult when the season rolled around to not be doing a preseason especially being at a different school than her undergrad, Staples said. “I’ll always think what if, but I also know I’m very happy. I’m very happy that I fully committed myself to the academic side of things.” 

Being a student-athlete taught Staples how to juggle and take on an incredible schedule, she said. From live reporting for NCC News to calling division one men’s and women’s soccer games for ACC network, Staples has grown throughout her one year on the hill to where she is now.   

Currently covering the Green Bay Packers for WFRV Local 5 News, serving Green Bay, Fox Valley, Lake Shore, and the Northwoods, Wisconsin, Staples has noticed many similarities from Newhouse to the professional setting. 

“Newhouse definitely prepared us,” Staples said. “Everything that Professor Axe taught us, yup, I can definitely notice a difference now between a good question and a not so great question.” It’s Staples’ connection with the athlete in how she can relate to the type of interview the media conducts, specifically at camp.

Staples says, at Syracuse the sports information director picked two to three people, brought them to the podium post practice or postgame for interviews. In Green Bay, media scrums include microphones from other outlets pressed against each other with camera lights pointed toward the interviewee, ready to ask and answer questions from both sides. 

Seeing the sweat on athletes’ faces from practice just before, Staples can remind herself it’s more than football. “I can relate to asking questions knowing that there are so much more than that to x’s and o’s,” Staples said. “I love going to the practices, interacting with players and I like the grind. Working with professional athletes has been amazing.”

Having the experience thus far of covering NFL football has made Staples appreciate the sport even more. She said it’s been really cool to get out of her comfort zone and cover a different sport.

For the future, Staples says being around soccer on the media side of the ball is a goal of hers. “If there is one thing I know about whatever job I take moving forward and for life, I want to be involved in soccer as much as possible,” Staples said.

Whether that is continuing to call games at the collegiate level, or pursuing an opportunity with the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Staples said she would love to be around the sport for years to come. 

“Enjoy Every Minute”

Less than three weeks after classes came to a close for the 2023 Newhouse Master’s Broadcast and Digital Journalism Graduate students, one student began his career as a professional.

Karl Winter, the multimedia journalist, is the NBC 26 Neighborhood reporter covering Titletown and the Green Bay suburbs of De Pere, Allouez, Ashwaubenon and Bellevue, Wisconsin. Raised in a household that prided itself on kindness, integrity and having parents as role models in the way they interacted with others, has left a mark on Winter, he said. Without hesitation, the traits he has mastered from Newhouse have carried over into his day to day work.

As a student-athlete at Pepperdine University earning a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism before attending Syracuse to pursue his Master’s degree, Winter continues to bring an energy and spirit that remains to be an edge of competitiveness as a reporter. Winter says being flexible and curious, working around others in thinking ahead is important at the next level.   

“We’ve got some good competition in the size market that I’m in,” Winter said. “Watching what they do drives us to be better and make sure we present something unique to the audience that makes them want to watch us over our competitors.”

The drive comes by no surprise for the former Orange Track and Field star who headlined Syracuse University Athletics this past year for becoming the eighth man in program history to break four minutes in the mile. Winter crossed the line at 3:59.25 at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational in Boston. An incredible accomplishment that keeps Winter’s feet moving, running as much as possible without competing collegiately.

“To now be done is abrupt, but thankfully, I have found good places to run here,” Winter said. “I have reached out to some people to try and find training partners, being somewhat consistent. I have been able to get out the door and run either every morning or in the afternoon.”

Winter has kept up with the mileage in case he wants to race. He may not be in the same shape of training if he were competing at the division one level, but has maintained a strong foundation of fitness working through the next stages of his running career. 

However with Winter’s innate background on both sides of the track and news studio, his skill set has the potential to be used for a different type of talent. 

“One opportunity that I do have is calling the WCC Cross Country Championships in California in October,” Winter said. “I have called a lot of sports in my broadcast career but running is not one of them. To be able to call my own sport at my alma mater (Pepperdine University) where the WCC Championships are this year, would be fun and hopefully that opportunity comes through.”   

Winter broadcasted multiple Syracuse University athletic events and hosted ACC Network studio shows throughout his time at Newhouse. “Talking about journalism and sports, both of those things are things where you need to be able to talk to people, to interact with people to understand people to be empathetic and I tried to do that when I was on a team and now in the industry,” Winter said. 

“The opportunities that you are given, the people you have the privilege to meet and the professors you have the privilege to learn from, it’s invaluable what you are able to do in one year,” Winter said. “While it seems like a challenge at times, as it is a challenging program especially as a student athlete, it builds character and it molds you into a great journalist and great person if you are willing to get out of it what you put in. Looking back now at a year at Newhouse, I wish I could do it all over again.”

“A New Vibe”

The 2023 Syracuse University Broadcast and Digital Journalism Graduate program included students who had very different backgrounds from one another. One student-athlete in particular, lit up the room, broke records, and is now giving back to the next generation of volleyball players at Syracuse in a sport where she can be considered the best to ever play for the Orange. 

A three-time captain, the Syracuse University Volleyball all-time career kills leader (1,845), and master in broadcast digital journalism from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Polina Shemanova can do it all. 

From St. Petersburg, Russia, Shemanova was a member of the Russian Junior National team who finished in third place at the U18 World Championships. She was the MVP of the Russian Championships and started her career for the Orange winning the 2018 ACC Volleyball Freshman of the Year, helping guide the Orange to their first NCAA Tournament appearance and win. 

In 2022, Shemanova was named First Team All-ACC and an AVCA Honorable Mention All-American all the while starting every set. She was drafted to the pro volleyball federation which will begin its inaugural season in February 2024. She currently serves as an Assistant Coach and Director of Operations for the Syracuse University Volleyball team.

At the highest level of academics and athletics, balancing both came down to time management, Shemanova said. “The further you go into your athletic career the harder it gets.” This past year, Shemanova says being a master’s student was hard to combine such a high level of academics and athletic competition, but time management helped continue on. 

Now in a new role as a coach, Shemanova said she feels like every student athlete should try to coach at some point because of all of the knowledge and experience they have gained throughout their time as a player. 

“I have the position and the power to direct the girls now,” Shemanova said. Applying her experience to the team in a positive way being a useful resource for the group. The new role has helped Shemanova prepare for the next step in her playing career for the Atlanta Vibe as a professional. 

For Shemanova, it was a much smaller margin to earn a spot in the league because of the two player limit for international players on each roster. “I’ve been blessed that the coach called me to be a part of the team,” Shemanova said. Shemanova has signed a contract with the Vibe but says nothing is guaranteed unless she makes the starting roster of 14 players. 

In the meantime, her playing experience will be bestowed on Syracuse University’s Volleyball team as well as any spot on the floor that is needed to be filled. Shemanova has tied in her undergraduate degree of earning a bachelor’s degree in communication & rhetorical studies as well as linguistic studies, with her Master’s Degree in Broadcast and Digital Journalism to coaching, directing and communicating with the team. Serving as a role model for all of the Syracuse University Volleyball community.  

Newhouse Alumni Profiles: Emily Parker – A Unique Path to Finding Her Dream Job with the Cincinnati Bengals

Every professional has a different path throughout their career. Some head to college knowing what their career desires are, while others find their way as they navigate their life interests. Emily Parker found herself on both paths, in a way.

As the Director of Communications for her hometown Cincinnati Bengals, Parker refers to her current position as her “dream job.” However, it took a while to find her way there despite being a lifelong fan of the team.

Enrolling at Syracuse in 1999 as a Broadcast Journalism major, Parker’s desire to tell stories and passion for sports fueled her ambitions of being a sports reporter. Through her program’s classes and with help from professors, she gained the necessary hands-on experience to earn two sports department internships at TV stations while still an undergrad.

Following graduation from Newhouse, Parker landed a full-time job as a news reporter and anchor at WLFI, a local news station in Layfette, Indiana. Roughly two years into that role, she decided it was time for a change. Accepting a position at Sloane & Company, a strategic communications firm, Parker moved to New York City.

“During that time, I just kept coming back to the fact that I really wanted to work in sports. So, I found a sports business graduate certificate program at NYU.”

Utilizing the knowledge gained in her classes, network connections and previous career experience, Parker began working for the Heisman Trophy Trust as a Public Relations and Social Media Coordinator. Upon receiving her graduate certificate, she was able to get her foot in the door at FOX Sports, where she’d go on to spend over five years.

“I wasn’t necessarily looking to leave FOX, wasn’t looking to leave New York but when the opportunity with the Cincinnati Bengals came up, it was in many ways a dream come true.”

Packing her bags and moving back home, Parker secured her dream opportunity and never looked back. Despite her unique path, Parker has zero regrets about the decisions she’s made.  

“The communications field is constantly evolving. If I knew what I wanted to do and where I’d be at today, I probably would have gone down a different path starting when I was at Syracuse, but a career is a journey and the different steps I’ve made along the way have helped me in this current job to be better at what I do.”

Life as the Director of Communications for an NFL Team

When looking to ask Parker what she does, perhaps it’s better to ask what she doesn’t do.

To put it simply, Parker oversees all internal and external communications efforts, with both football and business operations. In her role, there’s no such thing as day-to-day because there’s always something different going on. From the combine to free agency, then the draft to players returning, the season rolls around again before one would know it.

“Different times of the year bring up different responsibilities. I do everything from football communications to managing all of the media that goes around players, both proactively setting up interviews for them, as well as managing an open locker room. I serve as the point of contact person for our head coach, director of player personnel, our owner and key executives. And then on the business side, I do a lot with promoting our community relations efforts, our sponsorship deals and just making sure all staff knows what we’re doing and working on as an organization.”

With the various tasks that define her job responsibilities, Parker’s diverse career experiences such as reporting, strategic communications, social media management and public relations benefit her greatly.

“I learned so much as a reporter and my few years at a public relations agency outside of the sports world that really helped me in my job today. A lot of those things come into play on the business side of the organization. I also have a lot of impact on Bengals.com. I work very closely with our digital staff, so I do still get to put my journalism background to use when we’re making editorial decisions on the website. I still go back to the skills that I learned from the early days as a reporter on a day-to-day basis.”

Having her hand in so many different aspects of the organization, Parker finds her influence on her hometown Bengals fulfilling.

“Seeing the projects I work on and the ideas I have come to fruition is very rewarding. Also just being a part of a football team and seeing the behind-the-scenes standpoint is very exciting.”

But as with any important role in an organization, it comes with a cost, especially in the fast-paced environment of working in the NFL.

“Six or seven months of the year I work pretty much every single day. So, when you work in sports you have to understand there will be some sacrifices that you make to work in sports, but when you’re around great people it doesn’t feel like work.”

Working in a place with great people and fulfilling work can make the years seem as if they fly by, and finishing her seventh season as the Director of Communications, one would think Parker has become an expert in her role. However, as anyone knows in Communications, especially athletic communications, situations can arise that are unforeseen.

Communications When Crises Arise

Such an unforeseen situation arose during the past season when the Buffalo Bills travelled to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals late in the NFL season. Whether you’re a football fan or not, nearly everyone knows the story of Bills Safety Damar Hamlin suffering cardiac arrest just minutes into that game following a routine hit.

“I’m on the field for games, so I was down on the field when the injury happened, and it didn’t take long to realize that this was a different situation than a normal injury. I was able to witness the urgency first-hand that the medical staff on both sides of the field reacted with, as well as the personal side of things with players and coaches. Players who knew Damar and what they were going through.”

Being on the field for such a traumatic incident was difficult for everyone but being the professional that decision-makers and media turned to made both processing and managing the situation all the more challenging. As the already frightening event developed quickly, Parker was involved in the decision-making firsthand.

“When we were able to go back to the locker room, I was around the players when everyone was trying to process what we just saw. Our captains decided to go talk to the Buffalo captains and while I was over there, I was called over to talk with the league, just discussing how we were going to communicate that the game is being postponed.

“There were a lot of things going on in real-time. We had to make a lot of decisions on where media had access in the building because there were certain areas we did close off to the media to ensure that the players, coaches and the league had enough space to make the decisions that were needed to be made in those moments.”

Considering all aspects of the situation on that night was not only crucial for Parker, but it was also important to consider what was to follow for the players, coaches and staff who witnessed such an emotional event.

“You have to consider what makes the most sense at that moment, but what also makes sense over time. Damar was obviously top of mind for everybody, and his health was the most important thing that was taken into account in the days following, but how do you then resume normal football activities? We worked very closely with our players, with our coaches and with our media to discuss what made the most sense. The league was great as well, allowing each team to do what made sense for them versus following a normal weekly media schedule.”

“It’s interesting to look back on that situation because a lot of the decisions being made in real-time proved to be the right decisions and that’s what happens when you have smart people who are able to see the big picture in the face of uncertain times.”

And of course, a big part of working through uncertain times is trusting in the people alongside you as a professional.

Cuse Connections in the Industry

Throughout Parker’s experiences in the industry, she’s been fortunate to work alongside great people, but also many fellow Syracuse graduates.

“Just at the Bengals, we have quite the Syracuse connection. Geoff Hobson is our Bengals.com senior writer, Dan Hoard is our play-by-play announcer, as well as Dave Lapham who is our radio analyst. Many days we all talk about our time at Syracuse and through that, we all have different connections of people we have stayed in touch with.”

But the Syracuse connections go past just the Bengals for Parker. With all the media she interacts with, connections from other teams and contacts at the league office, the list is endless.

“Just recently one of my classmates from the broadcast journalism program, Tim Schlittner, joined the NFL Communications department so I was able to connect with him over the course of our playoff run. It’s also great to have a connection in the league office. Another person who’s called quite a few of our games and I’ve built a good connection with is Mike Tirico. With so many broadcasters out there, you cross paths with so many of them. I think that’s the thing about Syracuse, there are so many people in sports jobs in all different areas that it’s hard not to come across people when you’re working in this industry.”

It’s no secret that Syracuse, and in particular Newhouse, has an incredible list of alumni, unlike any other school. The connections between alumni are special and transcend eras of the school, but it’s also the connections between alumni and current students that make the university so extraordinary. Parker believes that connection comes from sports.

“I think it’s always fun to go back to campus and that is what makes sports great. A lot of the reasons we go back is to go to a football game or a basketball game and that’s what consistently keeps people united from an alumni standpoint.”

Advice for Current Students

Parker also touched on pride being a big part of alumni’s passion. A big part of pride is continuing the legacy that Newhouse has created. For the next era of Syracuse alumni, Parker shared her advice from her career experience.

“Sometimes that experience involves working in sports, but don’t be afraid to really step outside of sports and really learn the different opportunities that are out there. The sports world is so much bigger than working for a team or a league, those are obviously great opportunities, but there’s so many opportunities to work in sports on the sponsorship side, on the media side, agencies, brands, players representatives, it’s really important to think big picture.”

But with the competitive nature of sports and the industry itself, it can be difficult to find the opportunities that one desires. Parker had advice for those tough times as well, which nearly every young professional is sure to meet at least once in their career.

“It’s also important to understand that careers are a journey and where you start is not where you’re going to end. Really look at each opportunity as a learning experience and grow within that organization, but also leading to future opportunities as your career continues.”

Parker knows just how wonderful that journey can be.

‘Cuse Quick Hits:

• Memorable Classes or Professors: Tina Press and Dave Ryan
• Favorite Restaurant or Food: Pita Pit on Marshall
• What Does Parker Miss Most About Syracuse: The Campus Atmosphere – “I think every college has an energy on campus and every time I come back to Syracuse so do the memories from my time there. Syracuse provides a lifetime of memories, great friendships and pride within the school you went to.”
• Memorable ‘Cuse Moment: Being on campus for the 2003 National Championship win – “I can still picture what Marshall street looked like during the celebration. Looking back on that it’s one of my best sports memories and I’m so glad I got to be a part of it.

Alumni Profiles: Alex Brooks – From Newhouse to NFL Public Relations

Interning for the Buffalo Bills, working four Super Bowls, spending over eight years with the Jacksonville Jaguars, and even sometimes at a friend’s wedding, “Syracuse People” are all over according to Alex Brooks.

A 2014 graduate of the public relations bachelor’s program, Brooks spent four years at Newhouse, developing the skills necessary to be a successful young professional and establishing connections with peers. 

During his time at Newhouse, Brooks was able to intern for three years with the Syracuse Athletic Communications Department, learning the ins and outs of public relations in the field of sports. Helping with game day interviews, writing pregame and postgame notes, coordinating with broadcast crews and working games in the press box, he gained all the necessary technical skills to become a successful professional in sports. However, Brooks points to the leadership in the department, who guided him when he was just entering the industry.

“Working with Sue Edson and Pete Moore, who are still there, I had the opportunity to work alongside terrific people and great mentors. They really showed me the way. Not just professionally, but personally. How to treat people. How to be successful in the field and how to make a positive impact on others.”

Throughout his time at Syracuse and beyond, Brooks found that “Syracuse People” truly desire to help fellow Syracuse graduates achieve their dreams.

Needing a summer internship in 2013, Brooks reached out Kevin Kearns, a recent Newhouse graduate working with the Buffalo Bills. This connection that the two had established led Brooks to secure an internship with the team, marking the beginning of his career in the NFL.

Through his experience with the Bills, establishing connections and gaining more skills in the field of sports public relations, Brooks secured a position to work on the NFL’s Super Bowl XLVII public relations staff. As a senior, he worked on the world’s biggest stage, transcribing interviews, aiding the media with whatever was needed and coordinating with players for postgame media availability.

Just a month after graduation, Brooks continued his career in the NFL, starting as a Public Relations Assistant for the Jaguars. The Newhouse graduate worked his way up through the ranks of the Jaguars Communications Department, spending nearly nine years with the team and becoming the Director of Public Relations in April of 2021.

LIFE IN THE NFL

Through his time with Jacksonville, Brooks found the most rewarding aspect to be the relationships and shared experiences he had with co-workers.

“Working with like-minded people who wanted to become successful young professionals, they become like second family. Working Super Bowls, NFL Drafts and even games in London were cool experiences, especially when you’re doing it with people that you really care about. It’s not just work.”

And of course, throughout his career with the Jaguars, Brooks remembers running into several “Syracuse People” along the way.

In 2016, Syracuse alum and former Head Football Coach of the Orange Doug Marrone joined Brooks in Jacksonville. Just a year later, another Syracuse alum and former Syracuse coach joined the Jaguars staff, Tom Coughlin. Working alongside those two, Brooks remembers weekly meetings getting sidetracked, becoming conversations about Syracuse.

The Newhouse graduate also remembers reaching out to Mike Tirico or “Mr. Syracuse” as he calls him. With Tirico being set to call one of the Jaguars’ games, Brooks reached out to extend a welcome and to let him know he was available for anything Tirico might need, mentioning he was also a Newhouse graduate. To Brooks surprise, Tirico sent back a long paragraph, letting him know he was excited to work alongside him in Jacksonville and how excited he was to work with a Newhouse graduate.

“I was a 22-year-old with little idea about what I was doing and knowing someone like Mike was in my corner was cool. And he’s been helpful ever since. I’ll go awhile without talking to him and I’ll send a text about a job or something and minutes later it’s “how can I help?”

Through all these experiences, Brooks has realized how special of a place Syracuse University truly is, for a few good reasons. First, working closely with other Newhouse students of all majors made him feel prepared for life after college.

“My role with the Athletic Communications Department as a junior and senior was being the primary contact for the men’s soccer team. With that, I worked with two peers who at the time worked for the Daily Orange, Matt Schneidman and Jesse Dougherty. Matt is now a beat writer for The Athletic, covering the Green Bay Packers, and Jesse is a beat writer for the Washington Post, covering the Washington Nationals.”

Working alongside other majors, especially future members of the media, gave Brooks insight into how they think and operate. But according to Brooks, Syracuse graduates no matter their major are not so different after all.

“There’s no one I met out in the real world that went to Syracuse and didn’t absolutely love it. We share stories and want to talk about it. Everyone’s working towards a common goal and rooting for the same thing.”

CHALLENGES IN SPORTS PR

Throughout Brooks time working in athletic communications and sports public relations, the Newhouse graduate had many valuable experiences. But just with any experience, there are challenges.

Long hours. Weekends. Holidays. Travel. In the world of sports and public relations, professionals always have to be on their toes according to Brooks.

“Overlooking and operating a high-status organization like an NFL team, the media presence can be constant and demanding. A smaller market like Jacksonville may have a smaller media core, but with social media, that doesn’t entirely matter nowadays. Every little thing can be magnified because it’s the NFL and you have to be on your guard at all times.”

The doubled-edge sword that comes with the NFL experience has Brooks feeling as if he’s prepared for any experience in the industry of public relations and communications. Through all of those experiences, Brooks has more to take with him than confidence in his own career. He also has advice for current Newhouse students.

“As a student I was always self-conscious about being annoying or a pest when asking about a resume or advice. All of these people have so many things going on, I don’t want to add to their plate. But you never know how people can help you. You don’t want to hang on to relationships just for that, but you never know how bonds could get you an interview or a position at some point. College is a crazy time. You’re focused on so many things at once. It’s easy to take for granted all the opportunities you have to meet people.”

WHAT’S NEXT FOR BROOKS

After nine years of working in the NFL, Brooks set his sights on new opportunities and new challenges. Now the Director of Communications for Clemson University, the Newhouse graduated transitioned out of sports.

“While I continue to cherish my time and relationships working in sports, it’s nice to have a little change of pace while still being around big-time college athletics at Clemson. My main duties include media relations, promoting the great things that our faculty, staff, alumni and students are doing inside and outside of the classroom. A huge bonus being that I get to see ‘Cuse when they play the Tigers.”

And although Brooks is deep in Orange enemy territory, he still finds the time to make trips back to Syracuse.

“In February 2022, my fiancé and I took a trip to Syracuse so I could show her a place that meant so much to me. The visit included a basketball game, a self-led campus tour and plenty of food at Varsity and Dinosaur BBQ.”

Through all of his unique experiences, Brooks recognizes that he’s just one of the many Newhouse graduates who built a career in sports, with the graduates being more than helpful when called upon. That is exactly why Syracuse and Newhouse are so special to Brooks.

“You just never know what “Syracuse person” is around the next corner.”

‘Cuse Quick Hits

• Memorable Teacher/Class – Donna Stein – Helped Brooks master AP Style and professional writing which helped him throughout his career
• Favorite Restaurant(s) – Varsity Pizza, Hungry Chucks, Dinosaur BBQ, the Dome concession stands and of course, Food.com
• What He Misses Most About Syracuse – Everything… well, not the weather

Amy Lawrence (’96) speaks about her career and new course

At 4:00 p.m. on Monday, February 20^th, Newhouse welcomed Amy Lawrence. She came to discuss her now over 20 year career in the sports media industry as well as her new title as Professor Lawrence for her new class SMC 500: The Art of Radio. The conversation was moderated by Professor Olivia Stomski.

Lawrence started by discussing her time before Syracuse and how she ended up as a graduate student in the program. Ever since she was 16 years old the decision on her future had been decided and that was to be in sports radio. She was halfway through applying for the naval academy but realized that sports radio was her dream in the process. Many people in her life at the time were skeptical and advised Lawrence to have a backup plan because women just had not broken into the sports radio world when she was beginning her path.

She went to Messiah University and earned two degrees in communications and accounting. While there she was planning her future, doing research and knew that Syracuse University was the only place for her graduate pursuits. What Amy Lawrence admitted was that she did not realize how challenging and intense it was going to be. At the end of that journey, it was worth it for many reasons, one of which is because being a Syracuse grad gives you credibility and a vast collection of connections in the industry. Some of her opportunities in the professional world even came from her Syracuse background.  She noticed a massive benefit of the school beyond the connections is the chance for reps which other students with the same goals at other universities do not have access to. The graduate program she went through at Newhouse was difficult but, “it was worth every day and every penny.”

Professor Lawrence takes those sentiments into the way she is going to design her class, creating a course that provides instruction but also the chance for those repetitions. Her passion for radio, an art that is about connecting with and entertaining an audience for immediate and portable medium. Sports add a unique excitement for her as someone who is live and one of the first voices you can hear discussing a given game. She added that she loves radio and even more than sports which was a sentiment hammered home by her audience during covid when there weren’t any sports to discuss. Professor Lawrence reflected on her favorite moment from her career, one that had little to do with sports. During Sunday Night Baseball in May 2011, she was the studio anchor cutting in to tell a national audience that the White House reported the death of Osama Bin Laden. The benefit of learning news, but also the adrenaline of delivering that impactful of a live update are two things she included in the story. She later said that the best classes are the ones you can take something with you and her course will provide ample opportunity for practice, to try and fail at times and to find your radio voice. One important lesson her students can look forward to is the importance of knowing when to listen.

Aside from the course Amy Lawrence also gave insight into her career. She spent nine years at ESPN before joining CBS Sports in 2013. Through her now over 20 years of experience she learned quite a bit including the importance that perfect is almost impossible to attain. Her job is live and when you are live you can’t expect perfect. She also added you need to choose your battles as not every one of them is worth fighting. Lawrence added further advice on social media, which is not her favorite aspect of the industry. It is important to understand what feedback and opinions about you or your work is worth listening, much of which does not come from twitter replies. She also discussed other standout moments for her like calling a game at Cameron Indoor Stadium and her return to call a game for the first time as a professional.

The event was attended by numerous students and was the final guest speaker of the semester. Many more will take place next semester through the end of the school year. For more information on the Sports Media Center, follow us on Twitter @NewhouseSports and visit us on the at Newhousesports.syr.edu.