It's hard to say if sportscasters as a group are more interested in promoting themselves or their stories' subjects. I'd guess the latter, simply because I tend the change the channel when the other type comes on my television. But there are a few that certainly like to hear their own voice ... loudly.
That makes me predisposed to like Chris Myers, someone who has been on my TV set for more than 30 years. And that means a book by him is going to be pleasant to read.
That's the obvious reaction to his book, "That Deserves a Wow," which covers his broadcasting career to date in an easy-going way. And if you're wondering, the title is taking from one of the catch-phrases that he used when he was anchoring SportsCenters back in his days with ESPN in the 1990s.
Myers starts at the beginning, which was almost when he was a tyke. He used to call into talk shows in the Miami area as a teen, and turned that into some part-time work. Myers even had the chance to ask Muhammad Ali a question at a news conference in one of his first assignments, and he's still thrilled by that idea. One thing led to another, and Chris found himself on the air regularly. You probably know someone from high school that you said to yourself, "I know what he's going to be doing with the rest of his life." It's rare that such predictions come true, but it worked for Myers. Many years later you can tell he's more than happy about the way things turned out for him.
With that, we're off on a series of adventures. Myers landed a TV job in New Orleans, and then took a position with ESPN in 1988. That's where most of us were introduced to him. He did some work in California, and the network liked him enough to bring him to headquarters in Connecticut. That's where we got to know and like him as a viewer. He replaced Roy Firestone on the interview program, "Up Close," where his best moment might have been a long interview with O.J. Simpson shortly after the football player was involved in a couple of famous court trials. Interviewing challenges don't get much bigger than that.
The chance to move back to California proved too tempting for Myers to refuse in 1998, so he accepted an offer to work with Fox Sports. He's been there for more than a quarter of a century. Chris has filled in a variety of roles with Fox, with play-by-play and sideline duties on NFL games, and some other duties concerning baseball and auto racing.
The best part of the book are the areas that we know nothing about, which isn't surprising. Who knew that Myers was actually a friend of Bill Murray, to the point where they'd see each other on occasion socially? Charles Barkley also is in that category. Myers also writes about an unimaginable tragedy in his family, as his son died in an accident at a young age.
Other sections of the book don't work quite as well. When Myers is recounting what it was like to be at certain famous events like the Super Bowl, the earthquake at the 1989 World Series, and the bombing at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, he's fine. Other portions consist of what feels like transcriptions of interviews from the past. There aren't many surprises disclosed that way, and that might cause some people to turn the pages a little quickly.
Put it together, and "That Deserves a Wow" probably doesn't deserve a wow. But that's all right. It's an interesting look back at a solid career done in the right way.
Three stars
Learn more about this book from Amazon.com. (As an Amazon affiliate, I earn money from qualified purchases.)
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