Brian Sandler's farewell to viewers
It’s funny, for the past couple years I’d wondered what kind of big goodbye letter I’d eventually write when I finally left WKTV since I’d been here for so long, but since my next destination is News 10 Now in Syracuse and you’ll therefore still be able to watch me here, a big goodbye isn’t really needed. However, I’m writing one anyway because I think spending five-plus years at a place deserves an epilogue.
A year or two ago I was told upon signing a new contract that WKTV had never had a weekend sports person work here for that long, and just recently someone here told me some people are meant to stay and some are meant to move on, and I’m one of the ones meant for the latter. Even the No. 1 question I’ve gotten from viewers over the past few years has been some variation of “What are you still doing here? Why haven’t you moved on yet?” Well, simply put, TV sportscasting is a very difficult field to move up in, and when the economy tanked it got even more difficult to find something worth leaving for since I was treated very well here. There were many times I could have pursued an opening just for the sake of moving on, but I never wanted to compromise on my career path, and thankfully the patience paid off. Of course that doesn’t mean it was always easy to keep staying here, as small-market news operations have their own special challenges (like covering more than 40 high schools, nine colleges and everything else with only two full-time sports people). But adversity has a way of providing experiences you need even if they’re not always experiences you want, and as long as you learn from them you’re gaining something positive. Let’s just say between work and life experiences, I definitely learned a lot. One thing I debated when thinking about this letter was whether or not to list some of the best games/events I covered during my time here, with the only dissuasion being that I’ve covered so many great ones and I wouldn’t want to leave anything out. But for those who are interested, I’ll choose a few, starting with the one I always bring up whenever I talk about the greatest things I’ve witnessed here: Westmoreland vs. Sidney in the 2006 state Class C football quarterfinals. Quick recap: Westmoreland fell behind 20-0 to the defending state champion, came back to lead 27-20, fell behind again 34-27, then scored a touchdown with 22 seconds left and decided to go for two instead of the tie--and made it on a jump-pass to win 35-34. Close second: Hamilton boys soccer coming back from a 3-0 deficit with 18 minutes left against top-ranked defending champion Chazy in the 2008 state Class D championship and winning in overtime. The best part of this job is when you capture something that you just can’t wait to get on the air and share with everyone, and those are the ultimate examples of that in terms of teams coming back from the deadest of dead against opponents that couldn’t possibly allow it. Favorite non-game moments would be covering the Cal Ripkin, Jr./Tony Gwynn Hall of Fame press conference in New York City and being in Lake Placid when Erin Hamlin qualified for the Turin Olympics (which was made more unforgettable thanks to driving through two snow storms to get there). Seeing the look in someone’s eyes when he or she reaches a career pinnacle like those is simply awesome. At the same time, for all the great moments I’ve covered I’ve had to cover some gut-wrenching heartbreak, as well; that’s the downside of having what you do result in a winner and a loser (except in the case of New Hartford boys soccer’s state co-championship in 2004, but that’s a separate issue). I’ll spare listing some of the biggest heartbreaks I’ve seen to protect those teams and their fans, but trust me when I say I felt your pain. In conclusion, working in a public field like broadcasting is a unique experience. By putting your work out there for thousands of people to see each night, you’re inherently opening yourself up to be judged. Some might see that as a downside or a necessary evil, but I’ve always used it as a challenge to deliver a quality above what’s expected. The biggest compliment a sportscaster can get is having someone who is NOT a sports fan say he or she enjoys watching you, and as long as those of you who have given me that compliment—as well as the many other kind words—weren’t just being polite, I’ll say I met that challenge. (Cue the orchestra to shut me up already.) Okay, big thanks to the people who brought me on board and kept me here year after year, to the coworkers and people who are more than just Facebook links and are actual friends, to all of the athletic departments, coaches, athletes and staffers who helped me by making time for interviews, calling in scores or just saying hello on the sidelines, to the other media members here (few as there may be) who were always kind enough to share a stat I may have missed, and to all of you for watching. Many of you I’ll see again in person, and for the rest of you, hopefully I’ll see you a few channels up the dial. Oh and by the way, it’s BRIAN Sandler, not Adam, and no, there is no relation. Just wanted to clear that up on my way out (don’t lie, half of you out there are laughing right now because you know you’ve called me Adam at least once!). Sincerely in sports, Brian |
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