FOCO, a powerhouse in the realm of officially licensed sports collectibles, has once again set the bar high with its latest announcement: the release of the highly anticipated Jayson Tatum Boston Celtics 2024 City Jersey Edition Bobblehead. As a frontrunner in crafting exquisite sports merchandise, FOCO continues to excite fans and collectors alike with their dedication to detail and innovation.

This limited-edition gem showcases the Celtics’ star player, Jayson Tatum, adorned in the dynamic 2024 Celtics City Edition uniform. Frozen in a dunking action pose, Tatum is captured mid-flight, a ball poised in his right hand, ready to unleash a thunderous slam over any challenger. This meticulously crafted bobblehead is not just a tribute to the player but an electrifying homage to the team and its legacy.

Standing proudly on a vivid green Celtics court base, Tatum’s figure is set against the iconic team name backdrop, invoking the essence of the Celtics’ storied history. A standout feature of this collectible is the prominent display of Jayson Tatum’s name on the front decal, accompanied by a plaque that holds special significance. Etched with “Springfield Mass, 1891,” it pays homage to Dr. James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, who birthed the sport in Springfield in the late 19th century.

This carefully curated bobblehead not only celebrates Tatum’s prowess on the court but also honors the roots and history of basketball itself, making it a must-have for ardent collectors and Celtics faithful alike. The thoughtful incorporation of details, from Tatum’s dunking pose to the acknowledgment of basketball’s birthplace, amplifies the significance of this limited-edition masterpiece.

FOCO doesn’t stop there, adding further excitement with the release of bobbleheads featuring other basketball sensations—Luka Dončić and Jalen Brunson—cementing their commitment to delivering diverse and captivating collectibles for sports enthusiasts.

For fans eager to elevate their collection or capture the essence of the Celtics’ legacy, the Jayson Tatum Boston Celtics 2024 City Jersey Edition Bobblehead stands as a testament to FOCO’s dedication to quality, innovation, and paying tribute to basketball’s rich history. Prepare to witness Tatum’s dunking prowess immortalized in this intricately designed collectible, capturing the essence of Celtics pride and basketball heritage in a stunning display.

As FOCO continues to redefine the landscape of sports collectibles, this limited-edition Jayson Tatum bobblehead serves as a shining example of their commitment to excellence, precision, and celebrating the sports legends who inspire us all.

The post FOCO Releasing a Jayson Tatum Boston Celtics 2024 City Jersey Bobblehead appeared first on Back Sports Page.

“As technology evolves, customers want to do more with their wireless technology at games, concerts and other events,” said Lynn Cox, SVP of Access Engineering and Operations for Verizon. “When large crowds of people gather in a place like a football stadium, network resources can be strained.  So we are very intentional about upgrading technology and infrastructure in places like MetLife Stadium to accommodate our customers’ needs.”

MetLife Stadium is having its busiest summer ever with over 1.2 million guests and a record 18 concerts. The excitement continues as the Stadium heads into the NFL season with back-to-back national night games – Giants-Cowboys on Sunday Night Football, Sept. 10 and Jets-Bills on Monday Night Football, Sept. 11.

“Creating a memorable, positive experience for everyone who comes to MetLife Stadium is a critical part of our mission,” said Ron VanDeVeen, President and CEO of MetLife Stadium. “Verizon was a founding Cornerstone partner when the stadium opened in 2010 and we are excited to extend and expand on that partnership with this renewal. The Verizon upgrades will enhance the overall fan experience and our stadium operations, and are integral to attracting future major events such as FIFA World Cup 26.”

The unprecedented investment and network improvements at MetLife Stadium will be anchored by Verizon’s new Distributed Antenna System (DAS), a wireless network of antennas throughout the stadium allowing for better performance and greater capacity to accommodate fans’ needs.

The new DAS system will provide 4G LTE service and 5G Ultra Wideband service using Verizon’s C-band spectrum designed for high capacity and wide coverage in addition to the 5G service it already offers in the stadium using its premium millimeter wave spectrum. It will cover the field, bowl, concourse (including the four gate entrances), all clubs/suites, and the ticketing areas. As part of the new design, engineers are also adding a performance enhancement technology that divides crowds into sectors like pieces of a pie.  Each sector can be adjusted individually to handle wireless traffic. This technology gives Verizon engineers more leeway to adjust performance based on where customers move and how they use data inside the stadium.

With these network enhancements, customers will be able to do many more things on their mobile phones during games and events.  From sharing their experience in the stadium to using their phones for getting refreshments, navigating the stadium, participating in fan experiences like sports betting, fantasy leagues and looking up players’ stats, gaining entrance to the stadium and more, customers need a robust and reliable experience. That exponential increase in data carried into and out of the stadium will require upgraded fiber optic cable links.  Fiber optic cables are used to connect the stadium to the rest of the network.  Verizon is also increasing the capacity on the fiber connections in and out of MetLife so they can carry 10 times the amount of data.

NFL Sunday Ticket on Verizon

Verizon’s long standing partnership with the NFL is only getting stronger, from delivering the best in-stadium fan experiences with our 5G Network to transforming on-the-field coach-to-coach communications. Now, Verizon is the only wireless carrier giving customers a limited time, exclusive “on us” promotion with an eligible phone purchase and Unlimited Plus plan, for every out-of-market Sunday afternoon game on YouTube and YouTube TV this season – that’s up to $449 in savings. New Verizon mobile and home internet customers can qualify for NFL Sunday Ticket¹ from YouTube and YouTube TV – the League’s subscription package that includes out-of-market Sunday afternoon regular-season NFL games (based on viewer’s location) broadcast on FOX and CBS – on us.

The post Verizon extends partnership with MetLife Stadium, New York Jets, New York Giants appeared first on Back Sports Page.

“The Swirsk” graciously gave some of his time to have a discussion with me on life, basketball, and how the heck he came up with his catchphrase, “Get out the salami & cheese.” The enthusiasm Chuck has for basketball shines through even when there’s no game in front of him to call. Swirsky recalled tales of his times at DePaul University in the 1980s just as vividly as his interactions with Vince Carter & Tracy McGrady on the 2000s Toronto Raptors. He recently authored a book, “Always a Pleasure,” detailing the dedication to his craft and all the experiences that led the Bulls play-by-play announcer to where he sits today. Chuck and I had a great time diving into his past, his present, and why the hell the Big 10 conference has so many teams these days.

Getting His Start & the Three-Ball

I began the conversation by asking how he decided that broadcasting sports was for him and what his ultimate goal was. Swirsky said he always dreamt of calling NBA games for a living. From the olden days of Oscar Robertson to the bitter rivalry of the New York Knicks and Baltimore Bullets, a young Charles Swirsky had nothing but admiration for the art of basketball. The sport was a huge aspect of his upbringing in Bellevue, Washington.

Swirsky adds, “I love the league. There was a friend of mine who was a grade behind me in school, and his dad was the high school basketball coach, so we went to all these games, whether it be high school or college… then the Seattle SuperSonics became an expansion team, so it was like to me I had died and gone to heaven.”

Ask anyone to describe Swirsky in a sentence or two, and they’re almost certain to talk about truly how enthusiastic he is about the game. After I mentioned how he seems to call games the same way he would have as a youngster, Swirsky couldn’t agree more.

“I still have the same enthusiasm I did 40, 50, even 60 years ago. I love what I do, I love the sport, and why the sport was created by James Naismith himself.”

The mention of Naismith goes to show how long Swirsky’s been in the business, yet also reveals his beliefs as a basketball purist. Three-pointers? Chuck thinks it’s gone a bit overboard with the three-ball. Creative dribble moves, athletic drives to the basket, and inside-the-arc passing are more his style.

“You know the dribble weave hand-off, where a player comes from the elbow with a handoff to clear on a side screen for a three? Really doesn’t do much for me. But I get it…this is the way the game is being coached everywhere, from high school to AAU to college to now the pros, and you have to adjust. Not only as a broadcaster and as somebody who loves the game, you’re gonna have to adjust as a fan too.”

Swirsky mentioned how a 3-on-1 fastbreak used to result in a shot at the basket almost 100% of the time, but now you’ll get a kick-out pass to the corner instead. “Like when a guy hits the three, it’s like, alright, I get it. When the guy misses the three, you say to yourself, I’d like to have those two points back.”

Had an amazing conversation with the legendary Chuck Swirsky (@ctsbulls) this morning. Here’s us both demonstrating a kick out pass to the corner on a fast break

Full interview to come soon! pic.twitter.com/aW2RVSdZ2T

— Andy (@ndyDiederich) August 22, 2023

Pressing further, I wanted to see if even a great commentator like him has had trouble adjusting to the game-changing so drastically:

“I wouldn’t say trouble adjusting. I would say that as a basketball purist, I had to work through the beauty and the artistry of a dribble drive and then the kick out.”

Swirsky mentions the beauty of how James Harden‘s Houston Rockets operated with such a scheme and compares the strategy of the present to what he saw years ago. Like the true sports nut he is, he equates the change to moving the game further from the hoop to the diminishing value of the running back in today’s NFL. A true student of the game indeed.

The College Experience

We then dove into some of his experiences from long ago. Swirsky’s very first game at DePaul University saw him calling the matchup between John Stockton‘s Gonzaga Bulldogs against Mark Aguirre and the Blue Demons. That was the golden age of DePaul basketball, during which Swirsky admits that “DePaul owned this town.” After 14 years with DePaul, Swirsky’s next big gig was broadcasting both football and basketball games at the University of Michigan, coming in at the very end of the “Fab 5” era of Wolverine basketball.

“The thing that I took away from Michigan is how big the program is, not only business-wise but on the field and with the alums across the country. The four years I’ve spent at Michigan calling their games were four of the best years professionally I have ever experienced. I’ve never seen such intensity in a game than I have during football games in the Big House against other Big 10 opponents.”

Never one to be behind on the news, Swirsky also voiced his concern regarding conference realignment in the NCAA. “I don’t know if they’re going to keep the name of the Big 10 conference because how many teams are there now in the Big 10? Maybe 18? That would be like if you were to bring on three or four more people in your household, and someone asked you how many people you have in your family, and you responded with four,” he joked. “And I mean, I don’t think anyone’s going to get really excited over a USC vs. Rutgers football game.”

Calling The Pros

Next, I finally prodded Swirsky into talking about his time at the professional level. He began in Toronto, where he had a courtside seat in the tandem of Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady. When I asked what he remembered most of that time in Canada, he, of course, spoke about his relationship with the fans and organization, but the players as well.

“I had a relationship with Vince (Carter). We kind of had a falling out when he got traded because he wanted out. He was frustrated with management. I get that. But he had a great career, Tracy ended up having a great career, and (Chris) Bosh had a great career, and I love Chris, so that’s what I take out of that period of time is my relations with all of those guys.”

Swirsky even became close with several non-Raptor players, including his good friend Kobe Bryant. Swirsky was courtside when Kobe scored 81. “The game, of course, that I recall the most was Kobe (Bryant) scoring 81. That, to me, is the single most reflective game I’ve ever witnessed in my life.” He went on to reflect upon the impact of the late Kobe Bryant and his incredible legacy both on and off the court. It’s truly amazing to see how deep of a relationship Chuck developed with so many players who never played on a team he commentated for.

Toronto Raptors’ Matt Bonner can’t stop Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant from getting to the basket in the first half of NBA basketball action on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2006, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Matt A. Brown)

Final Thoughts From Swirsky

We finished on a more light-hearted note, discussing some of the broadcast analysts sitting beside him when he is wearing the headset. He’s had Rob Pelinka at Michigan, Jack Armstrong with the Raptors, and now Bill Wennington with the Bulls. Swirsky couldn’t have been more fond of his partners over the years and laid out how despite talking almost the entire time, the most important aspect of his calls is the ability to listen.

“This isn’t about me, this is about the game, and while I get passionate about the game and get excited and all this stuff, it’s about the game. But I would be doing a disservice to the person sitting next to me if I just had them sit there and not contribute… the only way that can happen is by listening.”

Finally, I asked about some of his famous catchphrases, most notably, “Get out the salami and cheese, mama, this one’s over!” You’ll have to check out the full interview to hear it explained by the mind of Swirsky himself.

I thoroughly enjoyed my conversation with one of the all-time legends in sports media. Chuck Swirsky is a gift to not just the team he calls for but the sport of basketball itself. I would like to thank Mr. Swirsky one last time for taking the time to have this discussion. I’m sure I won’t be the only one ready to hear him on the call come October.

Check out the full interview with Chuck Swirsky here!

*********************************************************

Andy Diederich is a contributor on Back Sports Page. He received a degree from The Ohio State University and now resides in Chicago, covering the Bulls and all things NBA. You can find Andy on Instagram at @tryspellingdiederich and on Twitter at @ndyDiederich.

The post A 30 Minute Sit-down with Chicago Bulls’ Chuck Swirsky appeared first on Back Sports Page.

Padel for Dummies

Though Padel has taken Europe and Africa by storm, the sport has not yet found its footing in the United States. Many have not even heard of the sport much less watch the matches or follow the tournaments. If this sounds like you, enjoy this brief description:

Padel is often called ‘tennis with walls’, and like tennis, is typically played in doubles. The playing area is typically a shade smaller than a traditional doubles tennis court. Unlike tennis, there are door-like openings on either side of the net through which players can run or hit the ball through.

Scoring runs much like tennis – hit the opponent’s side in bounds and don’t let the ball bounce twice on your side of the net. Gain four points before your opponent and you win a game. The first team to win six games will win the set. The first team to win two sets wins the entire match.

When asked what he thinks is responsible for Padel’s sudden boom in popularity, A1 Padel founder Fabrice Pastor had this to say:

“The sport has become the most successful sport in the history of sports, behind soccer, because it is easy to play and to learn so people have fun very quickly.”

The Yankees and A1 Padel

The New York Yankees relationship with A1 Padel goes back to October of 2022, when the Yankees bought a minority stake in the team. One October later, the Yankees will introduce Padel to the United States at Wollman Rink in New York City.

This tournament marks just the beginning of A1 Padel’s presence in the United States. In the minds of the Yankees and Pastor himself, the future holds so much more.

“Tournaments are going to happen in the U.S. This year there will be three tournaments, and next year I think we are going to hit five in major cities. We are also going to build academies to build the grassroots to have people learn the sport and become professional or semi-professional.” – Fabrice Pastor

The Yankees may have found themselves a winner in A1 Padel. If the sports catches on stateside as the Yankees and Pastor expect, that minority stake purchased last October could prove to be one of the savvier investments the Yankees have made in recent memory. Believing in the growth of smaller sports is part of the organization’s broader outreach efforts, in a different vain from their charity work with HOPE.

“For us it is a dream come true, to be with an operation like the Yankees. We are gonna storm the US and the shield of padel is going to be A1 padel.” – Fabrice Pastor

The tournament will run October 9-15, and Wollman Rink’s 4,000 capacity courts will undoubtedly be bursting at the seams come game time.

The post A1 Padel Set to Make Historic United States Debut appeared first on Back Sports Page.

EA also announced its new soccer video game called EA Sports F.C. It will have the same gameplay as the previous games but will not have access to the FIFA licenses.  

FIFA also plans to still come out with FIFA 24, FIFA 25, etc, however it will be with another developer and the gameplay will be different than gamers are used to.  

EA and FIFA began their partnership with their first game back in 1993. This will be over three decades of games EA and FIFA have produced together that will come to an end.  

According to EA, FIFA were not only demanding double the amount for their license, but they wanted to include their name in other brands, in which EA thought they were taking a step too far.  

EA spoke out and they said they are fully confident in their games in the future moving forward. 

Gareth Sutcliffe, senior analyst specializing at Enders Analysis spoke out about their video games moving forward to the NY Times.  

“If you’re breaking a relationship that goes back over 20 years there will be consequences. EA will continue to motor on: They have got all the technological smarts, the creative implementation of an absolutely fantastic football game, and it really is fantastic. But what do FIFA have? Their name. And then what?” 

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said their FIFA games will continue to be the best, regardless of their new partners are. 

“I can assure you that the only authentic, real game that has the FIFA name will be the best one available for gamers and football fans” said Infantino. “The FIFA name is the only global, original title. FIFA 23, FIFA 24, FIFA 25, and FIFA 26, and so on-the constant is the FIFA name and it will remain forever and remain the best.” 

Gamers will now get to choose from two games starting next year. The infamous EA FIFA games will come to an end, but it’s new beginnings for both video game companies. 

The post EA and FIFA Will End Their Partnership after FIFA 23 is Released appeared first on Back Sports Page.

Back Sports Page presents a new episode of The Zero Technique Football Podcast with your host Ryan Stern.

Ryan was joined by one third of the immensely popular, award winning Fantasy Footballers Podcast, Mike “The Fantasy Hitman” Wright. Mike, along with Andy Holloway and Jason Moore, have become the #1 fantasy football podcast. They provide an amazing combination of accurate fantasy analysis and entertainment.

Ryan and Mike discuss having to deal with the curve ball that 2020 dealt the podcast, as well as what it meant for their rankings. They also talked about their musical backgrounds and favorite old school video games.

Follow the show and the archives at www.backsportspage.com and on the Back Sports Page social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram). You can follow the guys on Twitter. Ryan is @rstern33, Evan is @e_schenker, and Ian is @IansSportsTakes, and follow the show @zerotechpod.

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Zenni Joins The Tour

“It’s an honor for us to join forces with the No Hate Tour to help promote a message that continues to need attention, that there’s no place for bullying in our schools or anywhere,” said Sean Pate, Zenni’s Brand Marketing & Communications Officer. “Zenni continues to be an advocate against bullying, and we’re proud to partner with an organization and program that provide students with knowledge and resources to help eradicate it for good.”

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle and Chicago Bulls point guard Coby White, brand ambassadors for Zenni, are two of the celebrity guests the assemblies are set to feature. Both Kittle and White will share their own experiences with bullying and inclusion.

No Hate Goes Virtual

Although the pandemic shifted the 21^st year of the No Hate Tour from a live experience to a virtual one, that will not stop the initiative from moving forward. In fact, it has given ASA Entertainment, as the producers of the tour, an opportunity to expand in new, creative ways—including their partnership with Zenni.

“As a brand with significant exposure to the gaming and esports world, Zenni is cognizant of the types of bullying that can often occur within those spaces, which we know many students occupy,” said Rick Bratman, CEO of ASA Entertainment, producers of the No Hate Tour. “It’s so vital for us to find as many allies as we can across all industries to join our effort to combat prejudice and address these issues in our classrooms and communities, and we’re grateful to have a partner like Zenni in our corner.”

In addition to Kittle and White, other celebrity guests include Magic Johnson, Tony Hawk, Anthony Anderson, Tim Tebow, Dixie D’Amelio, Steve Aoki, Von Miller, Richard Sherman, Bethany Hamilton, FaZe Jarvis, Ally Brooke, and Travis Pastrana.

The assemblies will begin this spring.

The post No Hate Tour and Zenni Join Forces for High School Anti-Bullying Initiative appeared first on Back Sports Page.

“I left my high paid corporate job just to build something from scratch,” Cortenraede said. “That was a little bit scary to be honest.”

The timing made it scarier. His father and his grandfather had both been entrepreneurs. The pull toward independence and innovation was strong. But Cortenraede’s wife was expecting their first child, and Cortenraede himself had never created a business before. Still, he never looked back.

“I always think the timing is never right,” Cortenraede explained. “It’s preparing, thinking about your business model, and just going for it.”

And go for it he did.

The Beginning

Originally from Amsterdam, Cortenraede worked for Sony and T-Mobile before transitioning out of the corporate world.  In the years since, Cortenraede created several successful international businesses, and he became a “serial entrepreneur and investor.”

After finding success founding a production company called Enterprise Media and a liquid screen protector venture, he merged his two passions—sports and technology. That led to his co-founding of the business Wannahaves, which includes 433. Now, Cortenraede runs a multi-faceted investment model and his most recent project, InStudio Ventures- venture studio.

“I love it,” Cortenraede said of his new projects. “It is really difficult to build a successful company. So why aren’t we combining the expertise we have in building several successful companies and leveraging all our contacts and the things we did in the past? You do it together as a team.”

A Team Player

Being a team player is a defining feature of Cortenraede’s ethic—both as a businessman and as an innovator.

“It’s just like in a soccer team, it’s about the team and everything in the right place,” Cortenraede explained. “People say the five people you work with or who your friends are, that’s the average of yourself. And I think that’s true. I think it’s about connecting with and working with the right people and not being the smartest in the room and see how you can build yourself by working with them.”

So far, that collaboration is paying off. 433, Cortenraede’s social media marketing project, grew into the largest soccer community in the world, boasting 55 million followers and 5 billion views per month across all of its platforms. Soccer legends like Cristiano Ronaldo, Richarlison Andrade, and Kylian Mbappe follow the channel.

InStudio Ventures

Cortenraede’s emphasis on collaboration has created relationships between the content, the fans, and the players, and those connections are already boosting his newest company, InStudio Ventures.

“Especially now with COVID, a lot changed in the whole sports industry,” Cortenraede said. “So they’re looking to say ‘what can we do,’ and so I think that’s an interesting space to look and see what can we solve in the industry.”

Although the demand for sport content has never been higher, COVID-19 cut off access to fans and revenue streams to businesses. InStudio Ventures aims to bridge that gap.

“There are a lot of super interesting, smart startups that can help, if you’re talking about fan engagement,” explained Cortenraede. “That’s where we come in. Connecting the dots between the corporate world and startups. Sometimes for those startups it’s super difficult to have access to the big companies. So that’s the role that we play.”

In addition to acting as a liaison and investor between startups and massive corporations, InStudio Ventures also helps established corporate companies find pathways into the sports industry.

The question Cortenraede asks himself, when approaching a corporation or professional club is simple—how can InStudio Ventures help?

“Can we play a role in this whole environment? How can you still connect with your fans?” Cortenraede said. “That’s super important.”

The Future of Danny Cortenraede

Cortenraede’s determination to ask—and to answer—those tough questions is no doubt a large part of his success. His philosophy hinges on focus. For now, his focus remains on the future. And the future, at least in part, is the digital transformation of the sports industry, beginning with soccer.

“We see soccer is growing, especially in the younger kids,” Cortenraede said. “It’s the perfect time to jump into it. We see the opportunity. And again, you will not beat very easily football and the NBA because it’s still a big gap.”

The gap, of course, is not stopping Cortenraede. Bridging gaps is what he does.

“For me, it’s great to be the challenger,” he said. “How can we help grow the soccer environment? The clubs and leagues are way behind and losing a lot of revenue (no ticket sales, games and fan engagement). We will help with innovation, fan engagement and creating new revenue models.”

Another avenue Cortenraede is eyeing to help digitize the sports industry? Esports.

As for how to answer whatever questions come next, InStudio Ventures and Danny Cortenraede—now operating out of Los Angeles as well as Amsterdam and New York—are determined to find out.

The post Danny Cortenraede is Here to Play– But He isn’t Messing Around appeared first on Back Sports Page.

While the league has yet to publicly announce these terminations, many social creators have disclosed their departures via Twitter:

While the In-Game Social Media Content Coordinators were employed by Major League Baseball under the “IGC Program,” many clubs still retain their own individual social teams. Still, social media has undoubtedly become an integral component of enhancing the fan experience. Many teams have cultivated unique ways to connect with fans through their online platforms, like the Los Angeles Angels, who helped fans feel at home last summer with their “back to the ballpark” campaign. Lauren Pluim (@LoPluim), one of the social creators let go today, was credited with executing this idea.

While these positional cuts may be financially necessary in the short-term, it could have detrimental, long-term implications with regards to saturating new, diverse markets for baseball.

The post MLB Eliminates Majority of Social Media Content Creator Positions appeared first on Back Sports Page.

BackSportsPage.com was able to dive deep and explore some of his inspiring stories and career advice, as well as touch on a more serious note involving the hardships brought on by the pandemic. Here you will get an inside look into Rathbun’s career as well as some fun facts that you might have not known before. 

Q: Your collegiate resume and work within the NBA has landed you opportunities throughout numerous platforms ranging from college basketball, football, and baseball as well as being the voice for the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream and so much more. How have you been able to juggle all of these different sporting networks throughout your career? 

A: Well I don’t work for all of them at the same time. That’s an accumulation of my career over the years, but I was fortunate. I was able to do major league baseball, college sports and the NBA all at the same time. Basically for two networks, Fox Sports South and Raycom Sports out of Charlotte. So I am just very lucky and fortunate. 

Q: Was it hard to juggle between college basketball and NBA? 

A: No not really because the people at Raycom would use me on nights that I did not have an NBA game so I didn’t have to choose one or the other. They were kind enough to work with me on my schedule. I would give them my Hawks games and they would fill in around it. So it was able to work smoothly. 

Q: What has been your greatest challenge so far in your career? 

A: I would say the greatest challenge for any of us that do professional sports is just staying on top of it. There are so many games, so many players. So much is demanded of us on the air to not only broadcast the games, but to be on social media, do other shows and stuff like that. Probably the challenge is to just keep it all straight or fresh and to go into every game like it is the first time and don’t get caught up in the routine day to day of the team’s season. 

Q: Was sports broadcasting always the path you wanted to pursue? 

A: Yeah I’ve been in it my whole life. When I was 12 years old I got invited to go to a radio station and take a tour and that turned into an every week habit of going down and hanging out and one day the sports casting station showed up and invited me to help them broadcast a baseball game. So then I got to do half an inning of a game. I just got the chance to do that, but I’ve been with it ever since. I was full-time working at the radio station when I was 19. I was going to college full-time and I went to work full-time so it’s been a labor love. I’ve been at it ever since. I branched off into television probably 40 years ago. It’s been great and a lot of fun. 

Q: What is one sporting event you would love to announce for, but haven’t yet? 

A: I’ve always wanted to do an NFL game. I’ve never had the chance. I’ve done NHL, Major League Baseball, NBA, WNBA, but I’d really like to do an NFL game. I think that would be a lot of fun. 

Q: What has been your most memorable or favorite announcing experience so far? Whether it is because of a specific player, a colleague of yours or just an exciting game. 

A: I wouldn’t say one instance because things that meant a lot to me wouldn’t mean a lot to anyone else. The one moment I think that all Hawks Fans remember is when we won 19 straight and had the 60 win season 5 years ago. That was such a special time. They went to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in the history of the franchise and everybody in town was a Hawks fan. Everybody was excited about the games and everybody was watching all of the telecasts. So that was a very special time. We went unbeaten in the entire month of January, which has never been done before or since. So that was a very special time I always remember that fondly. 

Q: I am sure it was rewarding getting to see NBA talent emerge when announcing for college basketball. Is there any specific player you would say has been the most rewarding getting to watch their journey into the NBA? 

A: Well I’ve seen so many, you know it’s been fun to watch them grow and compete. To see, whether it’s Dominique Wilkins coming out of high school or James Worthy, Sleepy Floyd, the ACC teams of the past that I had a chance to do with Michael Jordan and David Thompson, and just the greats of the game. That’s been a lot of fun to watch over the years and then look back after they have retired to see what they’ve accomplished. The hall of fame careers, stuff like that. When you grow up in North Carolina you grow up on basketball and it was a lot of fun to watch those people compete. I grew up at a great time because there were a lot of high school stars in North Carolina to then go to the ACC and then cover them in the NBA later was really a lot of fun. 

Q: If you could go back and give yourself a piece of advice when you were first starting out in your career what would it be? 

A: If I had to go back and give myself a piece of advice I would value the networking a lot more than I did. Not that I didn’t find it important, but I always thought that if I did a good job and kept my nose clean and was a good guy that opportunities would come naturally. But that’s not how business works. To be able to cultivate working relationships with guys and ladies that I would meet along the way, if I could go back and do it over again I would have done a better job at networking. 

Q: How has Trae Young responded to recent criticism from his teammates?  

A: Yeah, I think it’s overblown to be honest with you. A lot of teams, every team, particularly in the NBA, go through something like this. It’s just part of the dynamic of a team. But to Trae’s credit and to John Collins’ credit it’s just not that big of deal. Trae handled it very well. You know when we are winning there’s no problem. I just think it got overblown. You know you have friends of yours that sometimes rub you the wrong way and you don’t mind telling them, but then the next day everything is fine.  

Q: How would you say the James Harden trade reshapes the East?

A: Well we are going to find out because we play him tonight, so we will get a chance to see first hand how it’s going to work. The one thing about it is you have three of the biggest scorers in the history of the league on one team, (referring to James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant), which is unheard of, but there is only one basketball. So it’s incumbent on those guys to make it work. The coaches can’t make it work, the teammates can’t make it work, it has to be those three. They have to come up with a way to be effective in close games and particularly in the end of close games. There 4-2 since the trade, Harden has been more of a facilitator than he certainly was in Houston. That has left Kyrie and KD to get most of the shots, so it’s something to watch to see how it all comes together. I don’t think they know quite yet how it’s all going to work out. It’s so new and practice time in the pandemic is so limited. It’s really hard for any team to work out their kinks. So I think they are kind of a work in progress. 

Q: Has your career been hard to adjust to since the pandemic with everything going on and not having fans?

A: Yes ma’am. We are broadcasting every game at the arena, home and away. For somebody like me who lives with the team everyday for practice, travel and all the games, I’m like a fish out of water. I have a sense of disconnect like I’ve never had before, but all of us are going through that. The fans can’t go to the game; the media can’t cover the games. Even if we were traveling it would be a miserable experience because you can’t leave your hotel room, you can’t visit your friends, you can’t go have dinner. All the things that we love about traveling you can’t do. So even if I were traveling it probably would just be miserable. I want this over. I am sick of the pandemic and I am tired of being forced to live like we are all forced to live. I want to be able to hug somebody. It’s getting old; I want this vaccine for all of us so that we can get our lives back to normal. This is ridiculous, it’s been going on for a year that we’ve been living like this. So it will be good to get back. 

Back Sports Page would like to thank Bob Rathbun for this look into the hard work and dedication he puts into being one of the best broadcasters in the business. It is truly inspiring to hear from someone who brings truth to the phrase, hard work pays off, and now gets to do something that he loves everyday. His accomplishments so far are already incredibly impressive, and I know there are just more to come. 

The post Bob Rathbun Talks Trey Young Comments, Hawks, His Journey And More With BSP appeared first on Back Sports Page.