Tyler’s Takes

I had the opportunity to interview MLS content creator and fellow Play by Play Sports Broadcasting Camps alum Eli Lesser! Lesser is a recent graduate of Newhouse School at Syracuse University and now fully focuses on his MLS media career. Through the popularity of his content, Lesser earned the role as an MLS Ambassador for Body Armor, allowing him to better explore the MLS landscape and take his account even higher. In our interview, we discuss why he chose MLS to focus on, the creation of ThisWeekInMLS through Play by Play Camps, the pros and cons to Lionel Messi's move to Inter Miami (and more broadly MLS), what the future may hold for American soccer, and more! I would like to give a huge thanks to Eli for joining my podcast and all the knowledge he shared! You can find Eli's MLS account, @thisweekinmls, on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, or YouTube! Please follow for more interviews on Tyler's Takes!

I had the privilege of interviewing Clippers television play-by-play broadcaster Brian Sieman! Sieman grew up in Des Moines, Iowa, falling in love with basketball from an early age. He attended the University of Kansas, which he credits with helping him to truly understand the sportscasting industry and exposing him to what professional journalism looks like. To get to his goal of doing play-by-play in the NBA, Sieman made his way up the ladder, including gigs with the Continental Basketball Association and WNBA. He got his opportunity in the NBA on radio with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Then, his career led him to the Los Angeles Clippers where he eventually transitioned from radio to television play-by-play. In our interview, we discuss his NBA broadcasting debut, the differences of radio versus television, how he prepares for and works to improve with each game, the development of the Clippers organization, and more! I would like to give a huge thanks to Brian for joining my podcast and all the insight he shared! Please follow for more interviews on Tyler's Takes!

I had the privilege of interviewing versatile and accomplished sportscaster Chris Rose! Throughout his career, Rose has occupied the positions of commentator, anchor, podcaster, and more. He most notably covers football and baseball, and has done so on Fox Sports, MLB Network, NFL Network, and Jomboy Media. Currently, among other gigs, Rose works as a studio host on shows such as NFL GameDay Highlights and has his podcasts, The Chris Rose Rotation and Baseball Today, on Jomboy. He also does play-by-play broadcasts for his favorite Cleveland sports teams' preseason games, like with the Browns right now. In our interview, we discuss how his passion for sports has driven his career, how working for his college radio station helped him gain early experience, why he joined Jomboy Media and his time so far with the company, the importance and work of preparation in the sportscasting industry (which he put on display), expecting the unexpected when on-air, and more! I would like to give a huge thanks to Chris for joining my podcast and all the insight and advice he shared! Please follow for more interviews on Tyler's Takes!

I had the privilege of interviewing former United States men's national soccer team soccer John O'Brien! O'Brien became one of the first Americans to play at a household European club when he went to Ajax as a teenager. He played at the Dutch club's academy and amateur levels before earning a spot on the first team. While midfielder was his preferred position, O'Brien spent most of his time playing left back on an Ajax team that saw much success. He made 32 appearances for his country, including in two World Cups and an Olympic Games. In the 2002 World Cup, he played every minute of the United States' run to the quarterfinals and scored the opening goal in their first game, which was an upset win over Portugal. In our interview, we discuss his transition to life in the Netherlands, his experience going on loan, playing with Zlatan Ibrahimović, his USMNT debut in the lead up to the 1998 World Cup, the 2002 World Cup, the “dos a cero” legacy, and more! I would like to give a huge thanks to Mr. O'Brien for joining my podcast and all the insight he shared! Please follow for more interviews on Tyler's Takes!

I had the privilege of interviewing Yale Bulldogs men's soccer head coach Kylie Stannard! Stannard played Division 1 college soccer at Creighton University, where he was part of teams that made the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight and Final Four. In his coaching career, Stannard has worked at Northern Illinois University and Michigan State University as an assistant, which led to his hiring as the head coach at Yale. Earning the job in 2014, he has returned the program to success, the 2019 season especially standing out as Yale became outright Ivy League champions for the first time since 1996. In our interview, we discuss how his playing career impacts the way he coaches, his recruiting habits and priorities, that 2019 season, the challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic brought to his program, his work as a United States soccer scout, and more! I would like to give a huge thanks to Mr. Stannard for joining my podcast and all the information he shared! Please follow for more interviews on Tyler's Takes!

I had the privilege of interviewing accomplished sports broadcaster Bob Rathbun! Rathbun has been the Atlanta Hawks' TV play-by-play announcer since 1996, his broadcast partner being franchise legend Dominque Wilkins. Throughout his career, Rathbun has covered baseball, basketball, and football on-air at both the college and professional levels. He grew up in a small town in North Carolina and went to nearby Catawba College; Rathbun was able to get involved with sports journalism early and continued to gain experience through his teenage and college years that prepared him well for his future career. In our interview, we discussed the importance of practice and preparation (especially in his field), where his professional path has taken him, his challenging period as an announcer for the Detroit Tigers, what led him to Atlanta, his work with the Hawks, and more! I would like to give a huge thanks to Mr. Rathbun for coming onto my podcast and all the knowledge and advice he shared! Please follow for more interviews on Tyler's Takes!

I had the privilege of interviewing accomplished actor, comedian, and writer Robert Wuhl! Wuhl is the star, creator, and co-executive producer of Arli$$, an HBO show that told the stories of sports agent Arliss Michaels. Wuhl also played a part in popular sports movies Bull Durham, Blue Chips, and Cobb. In our interview, we discussed his creation of the show Arli$$ and his character, the many athlete cameos that he met on the show, his enjoyment of sports films, the basis behind his sports fandom, his alma mater's recent move to the Big 12, and more! I would like to give a huge thanks to Mr. Wuhl for coming onto my podcast and all the expertise he shared! Please follow for more interviews on Tyler's Takes!

I had the privilege of interviewing NCAA analyst, NBA contributor, and iHeart Sports Radio Anchor Bill Herenda! Stemming from his collegiate playing days at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, Herenda has become a reliable and intelligent source of basketball knowledge in the world of sports broadcasting. Throughout his career, he has worked as an analyst in NCAA college basketball while also getting involved in the NBA game as an insider on the Sacramento Kings for NBC Sports in addition to as an anchor for iHeart Sports Radio. In our interview, we discussed the increasing presence of retired high-level athletes in the broadcasting booth, the many routes of getting to the NBA, the upcoming NBA Draft, the NBA Finals, the resurgence of the Kings, and more. I would like to give a huge thanks to Mr. Herenda for doing this interview and all the advice and expertise he provided! Please follow for more interviews on Tyler's Takes!

I had the privilege of interviewing the Chief Growth and Strategy Officer at Elevate Sports Ventures, Ben Gumpert! Mr. Gumpert has excelled throughout his career in the sports industry when working at the San Fransisco Giants, Sacramento Kings, National Basketball Association, Sacramento Republic FC, and more. In addition to his professional pursuits, he has also become involved in sports as an investor, such as with Angel City FC and League One Volleyball. In our interview, we discuss his Kings fandom, the business and marketing side of sports, the meaning behind his investments, his success at Sacramento Republic FC, his role with Elevate, and, through it all, the power of sports. A huge thanks to Mr. Gumpert for doing this interview and all the advice and expertise he provided! Please follow for more interviews on Tyler's Takes!

I had the privilege of interviewing Paralympian and my very good friend Ezra Frech! As a 16-year old, Ezra was part of the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, competing in the high jump and long jump. Born with a birth defect that led to his left leg being amputated, Frech has become one of the faces of the Paralympic movement and a role model for so many. In our interview, we discuss the work he does on and off the track in order to prepare for the biggest moments, his goals for the future, his experiences on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, his favorite place that he has traveled for competitions or events, and more! Enjoy!

I had the opportunity to interview 5 time Paralympian Matt Scott! Scott, a member and leader of the United States' wheelchair basketball team, participated in his first Paralympic Games at only the age of 19 and has earned two gold medals in the past two. Competing in the NWBA during his youth years, Scott has gone on to play overseas in Turkey, Italy, and Germany as part of his professional wheelchair basketball career. In our interview, we talk about his rise to stardom in wheelchair basketball, the expansion of the Paralympic Games, the hope for a professional wheelchair basketball league held in the US, the effect of Angel City Sports on the adaptive sports community, his feature in Nike ad “No Excuses,” and more. A huge thanks to Matt for doing this interview and I hope you all enjoy!

I had the privilege of interviewing NFL Network Line Producer McEnroe Francis. Francis is the producer of shows such as NFL Redzone, NFL Now, NFL Total Access, and Inside Training Camp. We discuss topics such as: the challenges that come with having no stoppages/commercials throughout NFL Redzone, how the popularity of fantasy football has affected his producing style, the planning that goes into a single show, the importance of creating relationships and connections, the competitive landscape of NFL television, and more! Listen to find out about the behind the scenes at the NFL Network!

I had the privilege of interviewing Berkeley alum and current D.C. United captain Steven Birnbaum! After growing up in Southern California, Steven chose to move up the coastline to Northern Cal to play for the Golden Bears. He was later drafted by D.C. United with the second overall pick in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft. Since then, despite some rumors about a potential move to Europe or Israel, Birnbaum has been a key member of D.C. United. This MLS season, Steven has played every minute of every game for the Black and Red and leads the league in aerial duels won. In our interview, we discuss his experiences at every stage of his career. Topics include: why he chose to attend Cal Berkeley, the gaining popularity of MLS, new additions to D.C. United, the most difficult type of striker to face, representing his country on the field, his MLS Draft experience, what it means to be a captain, and more! A big thanks to Steven for doing this interview and I hope you all enjoy!

I had the privilege of interviewing UCLA alum and former professional basketball player Toby Bailey! As a highly ranked basketball player in middle school and high school, Bailey committed to play for his hometown school, UCLA, at an early age. As a freshman, he won the 1995 NCAA Men's National Championship and scored 26 points in the final against Arkansas. Bailey played all four years for the Bruins and was named to the All-Pac-10 first team three times. He went on to be a second round pick of the Los Angeles Lakers but was traded moments after being selected to the Phoenix Suns. After playing for two years in the NBA, Bailey moved his career to Europe, where he played in Italy, Greece, Belgium, Germany, and Spain. During his time overseas, he won two league championships (2004 - Greece, 2006 - Belgium), played in the Greek All-Star Game twice (2004, 2005), and won Greece's Slam Dunk Contest in 2005. Following his playing career, Bailey has gone on to be a basketball agent at Rival Sports Group. In our conversation, we cover everything! I asked Bailey about his experiences at all stages of his career, including his early commitment to UCLA, his experiences as a Bruin and in the NCAA Tournament, the NBA Draft process, and how informed he was on draft night about where he was going and then traded. We also discussed topics such as the pros and cons of the “one-and-done,” UCLA's move to the Big 10, the future of the NCAA, the alternative ways players are getting to the pros, and the competitive difference between the NBA and Europe's leagues! We concluded talking about his family of athletes and advice he has for young athletes looking to make it to the collegiate and professional levels. This interview was very fun and informative, and I want to give a big thanks to Toby for doing it. We had a blast and I hope you enjoy it!

I had the privilege of interviewing Co-President and Chief Business Officer of LAFC Larry Freedman and former professional soccer player Jordan Harvey!

I had the privilege of interviewing Senior Vice President of Community & Military Affairs for the San Diego Padres Tom Seidler!

I had the privilege of talking with current New York Giants defensive back and USC alum Adoree' Jackson!

I had the privilege of interviewing 3x Defensive Player of the Year and 2017 NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year J.J. Watt!