Syracuse, N.Y. - In a way Jeremy Donovan seems to have been born to do the job he does.
“My dad always jokes that I learned how to talk when I
was two and I haven’t figured how to shut up yet,” Donovan said in a telephone interview.
Donovan is a 2010 graduate of SUNY Oswego. He
now is the sports director for WICZ television news station in Binghamton,
N.Y. He grew up in nearby Endicott.
Donovan says his passion for sports began when he was just a kid. He loved playing sports particularly baseball.
He realized his dream of playing Major League Baseball
was not going to come true. While
watching a blowout baseball game his life took a turn.
“Gary (Cohen), Keith (Hernandez), and Ron (Darling) in the booth….joking around telling stories and reminiscing,” Donovan said in a phone interview. “It just seemed like a lot of fun.”
He now knew he could use his other talent, talking. Being
a lifelong Mets fan it seems fitting that he covers the Mets Double-A
affiliate. He loves getting to know and
watch the future players before they play at Citi Field.
“Think I made the
right choice and I'm gonna try and stick it out as long as I can and see how
far it can go,” Donovan said.
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Brian: What made
you think this is what I wanted to do as a career path?
Jeremy: Um... It was I can kinda vividly remember I don't
unfortunately remember the date that I'm I'm a Mets fan so I grew up watching
you know watching Mets games on TV and it was 200...5, yeah. Im pretty sure it
was 2005 might of been 2006... no it had to be Oh-5. Anyway, uh 2005 was uhhh
the first year that SNY was on and I'm sitting there watching a game and it was
just a blow out kind of game and you know Gary, Keith, and Ron in the booth
were you know just kinda joking around telling stories and reminiscing about
things just cracking jokes and it just seemed like a lot of fun and I played
baseball since I was three. Umm played basketball and so it was like I (cough
excuse me) I love sports, uhhh I wanted to play sports but, I knew that I
wasn't going to ah you know be the professional athlete that I hoped I would
and ah so I just figured these guys are having a blast calling this game that
sounds like something i can do. I love to talk. Uhhh. My dad always jokes that
I learned how to talk when I was two and I haven't figure how to shut up yet,
but ah so that was kinda you know the ah ha moment that I wanted ...
broadcasting and television might be the thing for me and just kinda took off
from there.
Brian: What goes
into the decision of okay I wanna do a story?
Jeremy: Umm... a lot of it is (cough excuse me) a lot of it is
what going on that night. You know I mean obviously you have to have content
for that night so whatever games going on wheather its high school, college,
um… minor league whatever that’s what your gonna cover. Um in terms of you know
features story on somebody you might come across something that that looks
interesting uh has all the elements you want you know good visuals good you
know human interest. Umm good subject matter anything you just kinda put it
together from there.
Brian: What has been
the most rewarding thing you've gotten to do?
Jeremy: (long pause) umm... hmmm... There have been a couple of
things that have been pretty cool back when I was still doing news we had
President Obama come through when he stopped in uh I think he stopped in
Syracuse. It was like Buffalo, Syracuse, Scranton and he kinda squeezed a stop
in Binghamton and you know we were sending one of our our News reporters and
you know oh okay you know its just gonna be a hectic day and whatever and you
know and somewhere in that time they came to me and said we want you to go and
and we you know be the photog you know at his press conference I was like
really? ME? Awesome! Umm so that was pretty cool and ummm you know going up to
to Cooperstown for the hall of fame inductions the last couple of years as a baseball
fan you know to get a chance to you know ask question of Tom Glavin and Greg
Maddox and this year with Pedro and Randy and those guys uhh that was really
awesome. Umm.. we had an event where uhh we got to wear Johnny Bench Goose
Gossage were invited, we got to interview them so that was really fun. Um but
even you know even just taking to umm minor leaguers you that that the top
draft picks like uh Michael Conforto who was playing for the Binghamton Mets
until you know last week when he got called up. Talking to him and then being
able to see him you know on TV on the field in New York. Doing you know what he
loves is is equally as rewarding.
Brian: Quick easy
Yes/No question would you trade it for anything?
Jeremy: Somedays (laughter) Um... um especially as a sports guy the hours
aren’t really the greatest I mean you got to be there when sports are going on
which is at night so its like I work 3-11 Monday through Friday and ummm
you know its not the easiest to have much of a social life or a you know
say you met a cute girl you have your two days off and that’s about the only
time you can do anything with cause you cant really take them out to dinner on
a Wednesday night when the Binghamton Mets are home but you now so you know its
there there there are definitely sacrifices but overall you know I still think
I made the right choice and I'm gonna try and stick it out as long as I can and
see how far it can go.
Brian: Sweet. Thank
you very much. Big Help. Thanks again
Jeremy: Off Coarse Thank you
Brian: Have a good
one
Jeremy: you too
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