Edward McFarland: Southern Gentleman

By Mike Carter


SYRACUSE N.Y. – If you ask Edward McFarland a question, you will most likely to receive a “Yes sir,” or “Yes, ma'am,” response. A southern gentleman by way of Houston, Texas, McFarland grew up a basketball fan during the early 2000s renaissance of the Los Angeles Lakers -- his favorite team.

With Kobe Bryant as his inspiration, McFarland honed his skills on the courts of Houston. While he might look like a post player, McFarland boasts a deceptively skilled jump shot that forces opponents to honor his abilities from beyond the arc. A devout Baptist, McFarland credits his faith in God and hard work for seeing him through Marshall, Texas' Wiley College.

It was at Wiley that McFarland earned a bachelor's degree in mass communications. His passion for journalism led him to Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications for a master’s degree in broadcast & digital journalism. His acceptance to Newhouse was a dream realized for McFarland.

“Hard work, dedication, prayers and belief…I worked pretty hard in my undergrad career, once I got focused, and realized what I really wanted to do. And so once I got accepted, I had to first acknowledge the fact that…I was worthy enough to be accepted…After that, you know, just thank God for just giving me the opportunity.”

After Syracuse, McFarland hopes to model his career after ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith. While different in demeanor than Smith, McFarland's knowledge of sports is encyclopedic at times. During an intro to his sports journalism master's course McFarland's class was asked by their professor what famous sportscaster famously said "Good like Nedick's!"

McFarland's was the only hand to go up.

Listen to Full Interview here.

Transcript:

This is Mike Carter with Edward Earl McFarland. We’re coming to you live from Archbold Gymnasium on the campus of Syracuse University.

Carter: First off Edward, ah, we’re just finishing, ah, a nice little game of roundball. Where did you learn to play like that?

McFarland: Aw man, just…over the years I’ve been playin’ ball since about six years old. So I’ve always loved the game, developed a passion for it. And so, even though I don’t play professionally, I always like to hone my skills and stay sharp. You never know when I gotta get out there and get buckets.

Carter: Absolutely, so you’re from Houston, ah, gotta ask, J.J. Watt fan?

McFarland: Absolutely, absolutely, I’m A Houston Texans fan. All the way. When they not actin’ right I switch over to the Pats.

(laughter)

Carter: Like it. Well, as a Patriots fan, ah, glad to have you. So let’s start off with ah, got a couple questions I’d wanna to ask you. What’s your favorite sports moment?

McFarland: Wow, favorite sports moment…I kinda hurt with that cause ah, I’m kinda young and it’s like all the precious moments have like passed me. But ah, just off the top of my head if I could just go back in time I’d say ah, Kobe getting that fifth ring, being able to top the Celtics after they had viciously beat them up ah, in ’08. So that was, that was a big moment for me.

Carter: I remember that, unfortunately, if Kendrick Perkins doesn’t go down, that’s a different series though. Ah, tell me about a sports related loss that still haunts you.

McFarland: Oooo, ah, I don’t know. I ain’t never, I ain’t really bet on games so it don’t make me, no nevermind when they lose, ah, I’d say, I’d say 2011 when the Lakers began to go down hill. 2011 I was at prom and I remember watching them get viciously beat by the Dallas Mavericks. So, yeah, that was, that kinda haunts me. Cause I feel like that was the…the start of an end for an era.

Carter: So here we are ah, we’re about third week, third week here at Newhouse. What in your estimation sold the Newhouse admissions office on your application?

McFarland: Hard work, dedications, prayers and belief. Ah, I didn’t, I ain’t, I’m not, I’m not gonna say I didn’t think I could get in. But I didn’t know how many other people were applyin’. You know, that probably had a higher resume than mine. I worked pretty hard in my undergrad career once I got focused and realized what I really wanted to do. And so once I, once I got accepted, I had to first, first acknowledge the fact that you know, I was worthy enough to be accepted, you know, and then after that, you know just thank God for you know, just giving me the opportunity.

Carter: Edward, I’m sure you’re a fan of the NFL. You just said that you’re a Texans fan. Um, with everything that we know that’s going on in the NFL right now around head injuries and rules changes, ah, what does the NFL look like in 25 years, would you say? Is it the same game that we know today, or is it ah, going to be remarkably different?

McFarland: Well I think over time it’s ah it’s grown. Like I said again, I’m fairly young. So times that I, sometimes I can’t just really just go back and instance and say it was like this at this time. But, I think 25 years from now the game has potential to be a whole lot softer than what it is now. Um, maybe for good reason, but at the same time you don’t wanna really take the physicality out of the game that’s made it what it is for so many years. This one guy, I can’t really ah, remember his name, forgive me. But he was ah an NFL player and ah he had a E:60 profile on ESPN and inside his house, when they came to visit him, he had tons and tons of notepads of stuff he has to write down so he can remember it because like he didn’t even have the ah the memory to be able to remember things after he got, got done playing football. So for reasons like that is why you wanna take it into consideration being able to you know trying to clean up the game, but I think they understand what they’re doing and how they puttin’ they life on the line and I don’t think, had, had they really, if they didn’t really love the game they wouldn’t be out there, so let em’ play.

Carter: Ah, Ed, what, what or who inspires you?

McFarland: Umm, what inspires me? Ah, I wanna be great; I know a lot of people say that but I truly believe it. Ah, first and foremost before being great, I wanna make sure that I always keep God first. I’m ah big on faith and ah, believing in God. I feel that as long as I do what’s right and pleasin’ onto Him, I will be great. Ah, if you want me to try to like pick a mentor or somebody I look up to: Ah, I’m a big Floyd Mayweather fan. Apart from his personal life, cause I know a lotta people try to give him flack for that as far as you know, with ah, domestic violence allegations ah, I just love his work ethic. I can watch him on youtube just workin’ out and that fuels me to be like you know get on my grind and do what I gotta do, you know, within the journalism field. And so I look at him and then I look at Kobe, you know, I’mma, that’s my favorite player, and so I look at his work ethic even when he’s not you know..his, his him hating to lose, you know that fuels me to you know, not settle for you know getting a B or getting a C you know I’m always trying to push myself to the limits so that’s you know I believe the question what motivates me or what pushes me to wanna be great. Keeping God first, knowing that He has a lot in store for me, wanting to achieve that. And then you know, looking at athletes such as Kobe and Floyd Mayweather.

Carter: So we’re about halfway through the summer here, ah, July, 2015. Let’s fast-forward to July, 2025; where are you and what are you doing?

McFarland: Good question. Ah, I don’t know where I’m gonna be residing. I could be in Houston, I could be in ah, Bristol, Connecticut, ah, ESPN shout out! (laughter) Um, I don’t know. Um I have a few goals of course over 25 years, I would assume that by then I would have reached ESPN and you know been able to be a staple in my community back home in Houston. As well as be able to be a public figure and use that the right way to be able to help other people around the world and you know and within the states. And just, you know, be able to just, be able to give back. I see myself being rich and successful you know within my wealth and just my spirit, not necessarily materialistic things, you know though I do like materialistic things but just being able to be able to be at a point where I reached a certain level in my life and from that level I can just be able to give back to a lotta people.

Carter: Edward McFarland, thanks for joining me.

McFarland: Absolutely. Appreciate it.