Interview with Jay Stickney

BeStoryDriven

He shoots, he scores! It was awesome chatting with the play-by-play sportscaster of DU Pioneer Hockey, Jay Stickney. He has been with DU for 16 years now and takes us through his time starting out to announcing the NCAA championship games in 2004 and 2005 and all of his crazy experiences along the way. Jay also talks about using the secrets of improv to engage his audience, the best and worst hockey towns and his brush with greatness on the set of Diagnosis Murder with Dick Van Dyke. He also gives us spot on impressions of sportscaster greats Keith Jackson, Harry Caray and Marv Albert (hint, Marv comes in at the end). I met Jay from doing improv at Denver's Bovine Metropolis Theatre. In fact, it was Jay's comedic background that got him the job with DU, citing that they wanted someone more like Dennis Miller than just another broadcaster. Sometimes that his humor gets him in trouble with fans though: "One time, four or five DU players were called for penalties at the end of a game and a couple guys had to sit on laps in the penalty box because the box only holds about three players at a time. So I made a joke about there being a lap dance going on in the penalty box. I got a call from an unhappy listener the next day. That was several years ago and I have not had any upset calls since. Maybe no one is listening to me anymore." Jay also spends time helping people find their dream homes, staying amongst the Top 20% Producers among all Denver Metro Realtors. Let's face it, buying a home is stressful, why not pick a realtor who is entertaining? You can contact him through Brix Real Estate in Denver. Please enjoy my talk with Jay Stickney. Thanks for listening! Takeaways -Know yourself and know your audience. -It always sounds better saying it as it comes rather than scripting it out. -Be prepared to adjust. -Too many stats can overwhelm. -Learn the importance of silence. -Is there exaggeration in broadcasting? Absolutely.