Ted Pogorelov: Cold Hard Sports Talk

Cold Hard Sports Talk

By Julianne Dellorso

In the warmth of the Syracuse sun, sunglasses on his head and pulling at the end of a red hot cigarette, Fedor “Ted” Pogorelov is reminiscing about a numbingly cold winter day spent on a sports field in Russia.

He recounts a time when, as a radio sports talk show host, he ended up doing play-by-play commentary in the freezing cold because there were too many journalists at the event to fit inside. “I wasn’t dressed enough to spend two hours sitting outdoors and commenting the game. Twenty minutes before the end of the game, I realized that my jaw was shaking because I freeze to death,” Pogorelov said.

That was in November, the warmest month of the winter in Russia, when the highest temperatures reach a biter -2 degrees Celsius. “I bited my lips in order to get the control of my face” Pogorelov said. “Yeah, it was fun.”

Aside from the weather, growing up in Saint Petersburg wasn't all that bad, said Pogorelov. "Still, it's one of the most beautiful cities in the world."

He finds himself in sitting on the bench in Syracuse as the result of earning a Fulbright Scholarship. Pogorelov said that studying abroad was more important than working, which he was fed up with, so he packed his bags. And now here he sits, in another notoriously cold-climate city, working on his future as a sports journalist.

Here is a link to video of the interview (YouTube)

Follow-up Interview

Full transcript:

Julianne: This is Ted.

Ted: Yup. Let it be Ted.

Julianne: Alright. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself growing up?

Ted: Oof all my childhood I spent reading books actually usually I wear huge glasses (makes image of glasses) and I always used to hate sports generally because my older brother is a sport guy. He played basketball almost professionally he was the captain of the team and uh, in my childhood I always used to think that all sport people like my older brother aren’t very smart and I prefer to read books.

Julianne: Why did you think sports people were not smart?

Ted: Because, probably because of the fact that I had a tough relationship with my older brother. Which luckily changed afterwards. But the idea of pushing up weights or running was just unnatural for me.

Julianne: What can you tell me about the difference between American sports and Russian sports?

Ted: Actually, the issue is not most part of sports which are so crazy but absolutely its unusual in Russia.

For example I know that lacrosse exists, but most part of Russian people doesn’t know nothing. Not know nothing about lacrosse. And Basketball is like very unpopular sports in back in Russia. So its figure skating, and soccer. Once a year hockey when there is a world cup. In May.

Julianne: Now soccer is your favorite sport. Did you play growing up?

Ted: I started playing soccer when I turned 20. Actually I would say all my life changed when at the age of 21, 20 my university friends took me to the soccer game and it was like probably the biggest adventure in my life. And I realized that its very interesting. I actually turned into a sport fan. And after that I start playing soccer with them and of course the first 5 years I was like always playing on the pitch.

Julianne: So you didn’t get into sports until you were 20. How old are you now?

Ted: 31.

Julianne: And you did play by play for a sports talk radio. Was that mostly soccer?

Ted: Yeah. Actually only soccer. Once I was invited to play-by-play hockey But I still don’t know the rules.

Julianne: What was your favorite memory from your time doing sports talk radio?

Ted: Once we had very tough game in champions league in sport. I was commenting this game at the radio and when I came to stadium I found out there is no room for us because many journalists came and that’s why the management of the club provided rooms for them. And I had to comment the game outdoors. And it was November. And actually I wasn’t dressed enough to spend 2 hours sitting outdoors and commenting the game and probably before 20 minutes, 20 minutes before the end of the game I realized that my how do you call it? jaw, my jaw was shaking because I freeze to death and I had 20 more minutes comment the game. Like okay yeah. I bited my lips in order to get the control of my face. Yeah, it was fun.

Julianne: Wow. What is your ultimate goal to do after Newhouse and the Sports Communications Emphasis?

Ted: Ultimate goal I would say I have to go because of my academic Fullbright scholarship. I have to go back to Russia for 2 more years and spend them there. I can’t stay herein the US  so even in the Europe to work here but speaking about ultimate goal I would say that it would be very interesting to get work in the US in 3 years.

Julianne: Alright that’s a wrap! Thanks Ted.

Ted: Okay, thank you.