Analyst in the Booth

When you watch or listen to a sporting event, you are probably going to hear statistics being incorporated into the broadcast. Oner might wonder what is involved in doing the stats for a game and who comes up with that information. I have been doing stats at games since I was 15 years old and there is considerable prep work for a game by researching key stats, trends, and possible records. At the games I sit in the broadcast booth with the announcers who have also done their homework for the broadcast. There are many stats that I track during the game by utilizing worksheets, having “cheat sheets” of info I have gathered, and keeping a running play-by-play so I can provide the stats they want and need as well as back up what they have said on air. For me, keeping the stats is more than just the yardage of a play as I look for trends and possible records in real time. There are different ways to communicate information during actual game action, commercial breaks, halftime, and postgame. In essence, the statistician hopefully comes up with the numbers that help tell the story of why the game is going a certain way. I look forward to sharing some of the behind-the-scenes information that eventually helps you the listener be better informed about the game.