Florida International University’s decision to tap former CNN anchor Rick Sanchez as an analyst for their football radio broadcasts has already been ridiculed in this space, though full credit to the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson, who actually endured Sanchez’ debut, one that he characterized as “so unspeakably bad and unintentionally amusing that it sounded, at times, like a Saturday Night Live skit.”
He seemed determined to sabotage play-by-play man Tony Calatayud’s call of last week’s opener against North Texas by interrupting him repeatedly or shouting childbirth-type sounds over him. Even more galling: Several times Sanchez shouted over Calatayud to give an inaccurate description.
On an FIU fumble, Sanchez yelled, “Wesley Carroll gets it back! Wesley Carroll gets it back! No, he didn’t!” Or this one: “What a catch! It appears to be a no catch!”
A few times, Sanchez said “wait until you see the replay” or “watch the replay,” which suggested he forgot he was broadcasting on radio.
He enlightened us that the running back’s “mission there was make sure you get the yardage.” (As opposed to all the other plays.) And North Texas giving up large chunks of yards “is not what you want to do.” You don’t say?
I have heard that Barry Jackson was supposedly in the running for the same gig that Sanchez eventually got. Not confirmed, but why doesn’t anyone ask Barry this?
It makes a bit of difference if someone who didn’t get the job goes after the guy who did. They call it sour grapes.
I can’t imagine Jackson’s editor would be happy with this. They also call it a massive conflict of interest. Where’d you hear this from?
I heard it from a friend of mine who works at FIU. FIU hasn’t disclosed who had approached them or submitted demos for the gig, but he tells me Barry was interested. No idea on whether he did a demo or how interested he was exactly. But you’re right. It’s a conflict and should be disclosed. Thing is that I don’t think his editors at the Herald know about this and so they didn’t make him disclose it.