Deehan Dreams of Success Across the Pond.

By:  Joshua Carney 

Aspiring to be the next Bob Costas, Robin Deehan picked the right school to help her reach her goals as a broadcast digital journalist.

A 2010 graduate of The College of New Jersey where she played lacrosse, Deehan comes to Syracuse University's Newhouse School of Public Communications – the only place she applied – after working in ad sales for CNN for the past three years. 

"I knew that if I didn't get out of ad sales, I wouldn't get where I wanted to go," Deehan said.

Getting where she wants to go happens to be NBC Sports, where she hopes to be based in London covering the Barclays Premier League, as well as the Winter and Summer Olympics. 

"I want to be a news anchor for TV," Deehan said. "I watch a lot of [Bob] Costas because he is the face of NBC Sports when it comes to the Olympics. 

"That’s what I want to do. That’s what I have to do."

Having lived here entire life in the state of New Jersey, a life filled with success across the pond is a tall task for Deehan, but it's something that she's up for.

"I'm not a traveler or anything like that," she said. "But, i'm the type of person that will prove people wrong. That's who I am. That's how it's going to be."

Preferring television over radio, Deehan likes having a large platform to tell stories while expressing her passion.

"I like telling stories to people," she said. "What I love about sports in general is the passion behind it, obviously. I think those people abroad in England...soccer is their religion. They live and breathe it. So, that's the atmosphere that I want to be around because I'm a very passionate person.  I feel that it makes my passion grow."

I interviewed Robin Deehan, Friday, July 11 in food.com around 5:15 p.m. Robin is in the Broadcast Digital Journalism program Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. A graduate of The College of New Jersey where she played lacrosse, Deehan hopes to one day work for NBC Sports based in London covering the Barclays Premier League and the Olympics.

Q:  What role did sports play in your life growing up?

A:  “Sports played a huge role in my life. I was an athlete growing up, so I played my entire life. I played Division III field hockey and lacrosse at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), so I always liked being on a team. I always liked the competitive aspect. Being an athlete in the BDJ (Broadcast Digital Journalism) program gives me an advantage because everything is so fast-paced and deadline driven. You work with a team and you have to get it done. I think it's going to help me.”

Q:  How difficult it in college to balance the athletics part and the schoolwork?

A:   It was difficult. I actually went into school as a Pre-Med student. I was originally recruited to play lacrosse at TCNJ. The lacrosse coach is also the head coach for the field hockey program, so he was like ‘why don't you play field hockey? You're good at it, and you'll stay in shape for lacrosse season.’ So I was like, ‘yeah, no big deal.’ I was a three-sport high school athlete, so I can be a two-sport college athlete on top of my Pre-Med coursework. I did not work out. After that, I ended up switching from Pre-Med to communications, and after two years doing both sports, fall and spring, I was like, ‘I want a life. I want to enjoy my college years.’ So, I dropped field hockey and stuck with lacrosse all four years. It was difficult off the field, but...”

Q:  What did you do off of the field in terms of organizations or activities? Or, was it just the daily class-practice-sleep routine?

A:  It was an a.m. morning workout, class, practice, video, and then sleep. You're probably thinking, ‘Oh, it's just a DIII program.’ Well, we were the best program in the country. I made one Final Four appearance, and three Elite Eights appearances, so it wasn't like we were just some place where anybody can play.”

Q:  No time for organizations at all?

A:  Not at all.

Q:  Where did you go after graduation from TCNJ?

A:  I went to CNN.

Q:   What did you do there?

A:  I did account management. I worked in the ad sales department. We were responsible for running all of CNN's multi-million dollar advertising campaigns. So, all of the advertisements you see on CNN? I was basically putting them there. Not all of them, but a lot of them.

Q:  What pushed you to Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications?

A: I met with a couple of producers from CNN because I did always wanted to go to the broadcasting side of the business, but at a place like CNN where journalism is...you have to be good at it, you have to know how to do it. They're not going to take someone who's...just because you're in the company and you want to do this doesn't mean they're going to pull you into the business, so I needed to gain the experience. That's why I'm at Newhouse.

Q:  What was the application process like for Newhouse?

A:  It was horrible! I graduated in 2010 from college, so it has been eight years since I had applied to a college. I forgot about all of the stuff that I had to do, like taking the GRE's and getting letters of recommendation. It was stressful. I just forgot what it was like.

Q:  What's it like getting back into school?

A: Oh, I love it. I'm so happy. I feel that this is the best decision I've ever made.  When I was quitting CNN, I was a supervisor. I had five people working for me, and I was making good money. I lived in the city, so I kept asking myself, ‘Am I making a huge mistake?’ But, now that I'm here it was the best decision I've ever made.

Q:  What was the motivation behind coming to Newhouse?

A:  I want to be a sports broadcaster. 

Q:  Did you look anywhere else other than Newhouse?

A:  No, it was here or nowhere, really.

Q:  If you didnt get in at Newhouse, what were you going to do?

A: I would have tried something else, but I don't know what though. I didn't put too much thought into that.

Q:  What was your reaction like when you got accepted into Newhouse?

A:   Oh, I cried. I didn't tell anybody at work because I didn't want anyone to get mad, or let me go early. So, I had to keep it a secret. I got the email when I was at the desk. My employees were around and my boss was over here (pointing to her left), so I saw the email. I opened it, then went running to the bathroom and silently cried in the stall. It was such a relief. I felt that I was ready to move on.

Q:  When you finish the program at Newhouse, where do you see yourself working?

A:  NBC Sports.

Q: Yeah? Here in the U.S., or abroad?

A:  Abroad. With NBC Sports, I want to be based in London covering the Barclays Premier League, and then every two years get to cover the Olympics.  That's really my dream.

Q:  Would you like to stay there for good?

A:  As long as they're covering the Olympics I'd like to stay there. Not to mention that they have the No. 1 sports program every week in Sunday Night Football. That's a great opportunity, too. For me at least, I think that NBC Sports is the best at what they do. They're better than ESPN, and anyone else. I think the production quality is way better. The talent is way better, and I think they cover the best events, personally. I think that's where I want to be.

Q:  Are you more interested in the television side of things, or radio?

A:  The TV side.

Q:  Do you want to be on TV?

A:  Yes. I don't want to be a play-by-play, or a sideline reporter. I want to tell stories. For me, I want to do the post...say, like the Michael Phelps package after the Beijing Olympics, or Brandi Chastain ripping off her shirt in 1996. Next to that, I think Phelps winning those eight gold medals is the single-greatest sports event I've ever seen. So, I'd want to talk to him and do a reflection on his journey. I want to tell stories.

Q:  You're saying you want to bring the human aspect into sports, correct?

A:  Yes.

Q:  What is the most intriguing thing to you about going across the ocean and living in a foreign country to cover sports?

A:  What I love about sports in general is the passion behind it, obviously. I think those people abroad in England...soccer is their religion. They live and breathe it. So, that's the atmosphere that I want to be around because I'm a very passionate person. That's why I  don't think I could cover the NBA. It's all about the money in that league. Where's the fun in that? Show a little pride. Be proud of who you're playing for, the people whom you're playing for – your fans. I think the Premier League especially...yes, the players get paid millions of dollars to play soccer, but when it comes to the fans? I love their passion. I feel that it makes my passion grow.

Q:  In TV is there someone that you model yourself after, or do you take bits and pieces from a bunch of people?

A:  Bits and pieces mostly, but I want to do the Olympics, so Bob Costas obviously. Even when we were talking with Dan D'Uva (play-by-play guy for the AHL's Syracuse Crunch) he said that Costas was the best at mastering the language, and that's what you have to do to get into the business. It was perfect for me because I want to be him, basically. How better to watch than the face of the Olympics?

Q: Do you find yourself having a hard time to master the language?

A:  Absolutely. Doing what I...first off, I'm from New Jersey. I've never lived anywhere but New Jersey. I'm not a world traveler or anything like that. I read, but I feel that it is hard. He's been in the business a long time. He knows a lot about sports. I feel that it's going to be very hard for me to get that knowledge, it'll take me a long time, but...yeah.

Q:  Do you find it difficult trying to establish yourself as a sports anchor while being a woman?

A:  See, for me I don't find it difficult yet because I haven't really tried yet.

Q: What about at Newhouse?

A:  No, not at all. See, I'm the type of person that thrives off of that. If you're going to tell me I can't do something because I'm a woman, or I can't do it because of x-y-z, then I'm going to prove you wrong, that's how it's going to be.  There's no question that I'm going to prove you wrong. I thrive off of that. It motivates me. I'm happy that I'm in an industry that lit a fire under me to succeed and be better than them.

Q:  What's one thing you're looking to take out of your time at Syracuse? Is it tapping into the alumni network, or is it just getting that degree?

A: I need to learn the skills. I can't wait for our performance class in the fall because...

Q: What's that?

A:  For BDJ we have to take a performance class where we work on our broadcast voice. We work in front of a camera. Right now, we're doing radio. When I hear my voice I just cringe. I try talking in a different tone, or accenting different words, but it's still so cringe worthy. Obviously, I couldn't just go out right now and be a reporter because I don't how to present myself, or how to speak, or what kind of voice I should do. I'm going to learn all of those skills. I'm also looking forward to the editing. They teach you how to be a one-man band. In this day and age with Twitter and social media, you have to know how to do everything. If I can shoot something with my phone, then I can edit it and upload it. There's my piece. I have to learn all of that, and that's what this program is all about. That's why I'm all excited about it. Plus, it has the best alumni network.