What’s your dream job?
“Three-and-two count, bases loaded, tie ballgame, bottom of the ninth inning, Game Seven of 2023 World Series, Crawford on his final at-bat of his baseball career,” the crowd became even more rowdy as Houston closer was getting ready to deliver with his arms are in position, “he throws and it’s a WILD PITCH, BALL FOUR! The Giants are World Champions once again as Lamond Wade scores the game-winning run. In the most anticlimactic moment, the Astros imploded at the worst moment during a tie game and the last pitch went JUST A BIT OUSIDE into the backstop wide outside. What an improbable moment it was!” That is how I would provide my baseball commentary had I not been rudely interrupted by life and things in between during my studies in junior college back in the day. So how long have I had this dream to do such impossible feat and why have I left such ambition behind? Let’s take a dive into what had transpired to switch my trajectory.
For those who have read my blog over the past few years can clearly tell how much I love following sports on both television and radio, but those who are not familiar with my background, let me give you a deep dive as to why I have long desired to be a sportscaster as my dream job: If I remember correctly, while I was never the best in anything even in school, my observations on sports began when I watched pro wrestling on Hong Kong’s TVB and local association football on Asia Television, alongside education television on weekday afternoons and weekend horse racing on television occasionally, if not otherwise watching cooking segments as well. Since I came to the stateside in late June 1989, my horizons in sports watching expanded exponentially from watching the usuals to the American sports culture, i.e., baseball, American football, tennis, golf, NASCAR, IndyCar, IMSA, lacrosse, NHL, Canadian football, and so forth.
I must have witnessed some of the greatest moments in sports television over the past three decades, and others on radio in the midst of my personal tragedy and mishaps (excluding the 1989 World Series since I was unfamiliar with baseball when I first came). Last to first by Minnesota Twins to 1991 World Series Championship that was highlighted by Jack Buck’s call on Kirby Puckett’s 10th inning home run off Charlie Leibrandt in the form of “we will see you tomorrow night;” the end of Joe Montana era with the San Francisco 49ers in 1991-92, back-to-back World Series winning Toronto Blue Jays between 1992-93 seasons, the infamous OJ Simpson slow-speed chase (although I was one of the unfortunate victims of his stunt on the other side of freeway initially), the 1994 MLB seasonal home run chase between Matt Williams, Ken Griffey Jr., and Barry Bonds that was rudely interrupted by the infamous players strike; Roberto Baggio lost his touch and sailed his penalty kicks into parts unknown in the 1994 FIFA World Cup final; the retirement and return of Michael Jordan in 1995 by not being a “replacement player” during the 1995 season; the return of the “Yankees Dynasty” between 1995 and 2010 that included five World Series championships; the death of Dale Earnhardt Sr.; the Malice at the Palace; the HISTORIC victory of the Cubs’ first World Series in 108 years; and many more than I can ever recall at this moment.
To that point, I must have listened to the likes of many announcers from the past and since, allow me to try remember who they are: Hank Greenwald, Jon Miller, Jack Buck, Pete Franklin, Paul Page, Gordon Solie, Tony Schiavone, Jim Ross, Ted Robinson, John Madden, Pat Summerall, Bobby Heenan, Dick Stockton, Jim Rome, Vin Scully, Marc Albert, Bob Costas, Mike Goldberg, Joe Rogan, Stephen Quattros, Bas Rutten, Mauro Ranallo, Michael Cole, Al Michaels, Dick Enberg, Frank Gifford, Tim McCarver, Dan Fouts, Bob Fitzgerald, Tim Roye, Greg Papa, Wayne Walker, Larry Beal, Mike Schumann, Gary Radnich, Tom Tolbert, Ralph Barbieri, Gorilla Monsoon (Robert Morella), Martin Tyler, Ian Darke, Spencer Lam Sheung-Yee (林尚義), and, of all people, Vincent Kennedy McMahon when he was an announcer on WWE television back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and many more. All of them have influenced me greatly into my communication with others, as well as forming my own opinions on various subjects in the years since, resulting into my creation of this blog and the prospect of creating my own podcast – if and when I feel that is the right time to do so some time in the near future, though still struggle with my nerves for doing it myself in its entirety.
So why have I instead become an amateur blogger rather than becoming a sportscaster? In retrospect, whether it has to do with my own ineptitude in learning the deeper meaning of English language or I might have overplayed my abilities, I have a difficulty of understanding the theories of the methodology in the basis of audio production, yet I had no problem of functioning the audio control panel during my lab time in school. Unfortunately, I took the audio production class in the aftermath of the death of my classmate due to an automobile accident in May 1998, and I think that his death might have an effect in my long term psyche. Then I joined the workforce and forego my studies soon after, and stayed away from school for the long haul, despite such interest was still in my blood in the years soon after, it wasn’t until 2011 that I bought my own audio mixer and hooked into my desktop and began experiment. However, upon my first test into doing my own recording, I was overwhelmed with various ideas yet terrified with my own voice, something that has been an issue from all those years ago. As such, I opted not to pursue audio production until I could manage my stress tolerance, in the meantime, I ventured into blogging to express my opinions and perspectives toward historical events, as well as exploring the inner meaning of my deepest traumatization and fear. In a time of over-saturation of audio podcasts and presentation, what would I approach the prospect of fulfilling my dream in such uncertainty? While I have yet to make a final decision, I would be tempted into making a voiceover on a certain video for a test run, if the reaction reach my satisfaction, then I would finally make my push to finally produce my own podcast for the first time ever, although nothing is certain as of yet. As such, I am keeping my publishing and would explore the possibility of redeveloping the design to better fits my ideas.
Dear Readers of JCN GokaiNet,
As a sole operation of a self-funded blog for the longest time, making such a difficult decision to request donation was not easy; however, for the sakes of allowing to create more contents and perhaps hiring a research staff for assistance, as little as $1.00, you would be able to sustain this project in the years to come as not only to supplement the operating expense, but also for donations to a charity of my choosing at a designated time and method. With that said, I have established a PayPal donation button at the top right corner of the start page for an easy access for readers like you to make donation, if you are willing to do so, I sincerely and eternally grateful for your efforts and assistance. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Jeff Ng, aka JCN Gokai
January 23, 2022
I have my fun talking about it, now have your say, but keep it civil, not trolling.