"From Fan to Intern to Boss: Path to GameDay & Leadership" | David Pedersen | Szn 1 | Ep. 5

🎙️🔥 On The Jumbotron is back with an epic convo! Host Christopher Lee chops it up with David Pederson 🎥🏈, Senior Athletic Director at War Eagle Productions at #Auburn University, about his wild ride into GameDay entertainment.

💡 From early career moves to the game-changing impact of Husker Vision, they dive into: 🎬 The power of storytelling in video production 🏟️ Insane GameDay moments & fan engagement tricks ⚡ Keeping the energy high in the control room 🐅 Auburn’s legendary traditions & the Iron Bowl hype 🚀 How tech & video boards are leveling up the fan experience 👥 Mentorship, leadership moves, & balancing family in the fast-paced sports world

If you love sports, live production, and GameDay magic, this episode is for you! 📺🔥 #PressPlay

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Welcome back and thanks for checking out another episode of On the Jumbotron.

(00:05):
Thank you all for your support thus far and helping us get this podcast going.
Today's guest is Dave Peterson, currently a senior athletic director at War Eagle Productions at the University of Auburn.
On the Jumbotron is your backstage pass to the world of game day entertainment,
giving you behind the scenes stories and insights from the pros who create unforgettable experiences for fans.

(00:32):
So don't forget to share this and all our episodes with your friends and colleagues.
Enough from me. Let's dive in.
Here's your host, Christopher Lee.
Thank you for joining me right now and today on The Jumbotron,
I'm excited to be back with another episode to inspire, to inform you and to get you encouraged about game day production.

(00:53):
And just to learn a little bit more about what we do behind the scenes for our fans and for those that come to our stadium.
A great show. We got lined up for you today. We're going to go down to Auburn.
We're going to go to Auburn. Yep, I said Auburn in Alabama.
Okay, let's go.
David Peterson is with me today.
He and I met years, years, years ago at a conference that we both go to that excites all of us in our business.

(01:20):
And he agreed to talk to me. So I'm excited about that.
And we're going to bring him in. David, are you with us?
I'm with Chris. Thank you for having me. I'm excited to do it.
Stuff like this makes you rethink like, all right, why am I doing this?
Why, you know, I haven't thought about that for a while or whatever it may be.
So since we're on that point, how did you get into this business?

(01:43):
I got into this business.
Well, I started as a student at Husker Vision, which would have been back in 97.
And, but I knew I wanted to be in the business when I was much younger.
Actually, I remember specifically my dad took me to my to a game in Omaha, which would have been either like the, it was either a minor league basketball team or a hockey event.

(02:14):
Or something is like, I can't remember exactly what it was because, and I think it was hockey, but what I remember was a game entertainment portion of that event that I never forget.
I remember two things. It was unusually cold.
So it must have been hockey. Now that I think about it.
And the other thing I remember was this moment that I just thought was the coolest thing.

(02:38):
And it was the simplest thing. A timeout or in between periods or something in the PA announcer comes on and says, is Mike here tonight?
And out of nowhere, a light hits just one random person in the stands and he gets up, can't touch this starts playing and he just starts dancing all by himself.

(03:02):
And that was it. And I remember looking at him thinking it was about the funniest thing I've ever seen.
And I don't think and there wouldn't be at that age. I don't think there was an actual video board of it, but it got me interested in game entertainment at that moment, because I just loved it.

(03:24):
I was there with my dad. It was the funniest thing to me. And it was the simplest thing. And that's what I think started peeking my interest pretty early.
From so from there, went to Nebraska. I wanted to play in the marching band, but I also want to be part of Husker vision.
And I applied the first year did not get in applied the second year and got in. And I worked there as a student with Brandon Meyer, Chris de Reicher, Brandon Versal, trying to think of Andy young, and a number of people at the time Mike Lickert,

(04:01):
CJ Lickert, a number of people who were part of the Husker vision family that have gone on and continued to still work in the video board industry.
And that was a number of the people that were in my class. I went to Kansas is with my first full time job and work there 19 years.
And then I moved here to Auburn. And I'm starting my sixth season here now. So man, you you you hit on a lot. You hit on a lot.

(04:34):
Yeah, we can wrap it up right we done.
This would be the shortest podcast ever.
Good.
I mean, so how old were you when you first saw Mike dancing.
Well, this would have been I mean I'm talking maybe 10 years old 11 to somewhere somewhere in there because

(04:55):
I remember it being just really special time with my dad that we went to that game is just he and I and it would have been about around that time so yeah.
And that sparked it.
And so that was the idea of the dance. Yeah, I mean just this. Well, I mean he was a pretty good dancer for one I think so, you know and I am not so maybe that that alone just got me but it was just the idea that just the simplest thing I mean you know that's not going to take anything

(05:22):
it took a spotlight and it took the PA announcer just in.
And so Mike was I don't know if anyone knew who Mike was but it was just the simplest thing that got people engaged and we're looking at him and laughing and I mean it was just the simplest and funniest thing to me and I think from there I wanted to be part of

(05:43):
entertainment somehow.
But that's amazing that you know, something as simple as that ignited the fire in you. My fire was ignited when I stuck my head in the ESPN truck at Liberty University.
We had, I think some tournament going on I forget what conference they were in at the time, but I stuck my head in and a guy motion me and said, come on in I thought I was going to get kicked out I was going to get yelled at

(06:13):
or whatever. But he says, come on in. And it blew my mind all the screens and everything's going on all the buttons. And that is what bit me into the business. But for you and I was, I think this was college for me, but for you to know at 10.
That's, that's where I wouldn't say no, but I was that was my first inspiration to want to do it to want to entertain to to see how easy it is to capture an audience and to do it.

(06:42):
And that you know, I'm not sure I knew exactly at the, at the time that it was in, you know, in an arena in this industry and this sort of thing, you know, obviously that at my age there a video board, at least, I wouldn't have probably seen one yet
because I mean we're talking in the 80s. But I just loved that just how simple you can engage how simple you can capture people's imaginations just with just one small thing like that.

(07:17):
You know, I liked how you were just saying someone all you did is peek your head in and someone said hey come on in right like and then from there on you were hooked.
And there on I was hooked. That's cool. So who do you remember who was was it just it was a truck or it was a truck I don't remember the guy's name. Yeah.

(07:38):
And he was the only no it was two people in there so it was that guy and then somebody else doing audio.
And then that was it. And but at the time I mean we almost share same stories. I was playing music at the time, playing drums for the pet band. So I couldn't, I couldn't, you know, stay around and, you know, be in the truck in all that stuff then, because I was actually playing drums

(08:06):
for for the tournament. But after that I mean it, I got even more involved and they had a television station on campus.
Build out my information ended up getting a job and you know and then you know years later here I am still in the business. But I mean you mentioned that you work at Husker vision and you know when you were in college.

(08:32):
So you work with almost like dream team. I mean, all those names you mentioned are like top tier people now. Yeah, I was very lucky.
And man we had we had a blast. There was a competitive edge there as students that you wanted to. You wanted to out do each other. But it was this friendly competitiveness.

(08:57):
And I remember I mean shoot we all traveled together we went, you know, just when we weren't working we went on a couple trips. So went to Austin, Texas and watched Nebraska Texas game and just with those friends from work.
And it was just really neat to be part of that group. You see it now. There are some talks about it's this Husker vision or this tree that kind of comes from that group so Jeff small was pioneer in the collegiate

(09:29):
industry that he started Nebraska was the first stadium collegiate only stadium to have video boards so where they specifically put it into just a college stadium you know they had like USC may have been playing in front of you
with a video board but that was because they're in a Raider Stadium or whatever it is but so he started at Husker vision there and a number of people came from him and was really doing great things.

(10:04):
It's a great group to be a part of so we kind of all learned from him and a number of other people that are up there Kirk Hartman and shot clean is well respected as well in the industry so I got really lucky and really fortunate that that I didn't give up after getting told
about it. I mean, I we we just talked to Brandon not long ago, and he just yeah, and he just went on and on and on about, you know, Jeff and, and, you know, all the things that he brought to the table and his creativity I mean, what kind of

(10:39):
impact did you have this year. So Jeff and if if you talk to my about it you probably told you to some of the things that Jeff taught was that content is king, and that that will always be the case when we look at our video boards and we look at stuff that
we're talking about in the future. It's true that content will always, you know, storytelling and, and they'll always be in a need for content and for video boards and

(11:10):
the system that he set up there it allowed people to be creative. I remember and shoot actually I just went back there this past weekend because now my son goes to Nebraska, and I went back and watch the boards there and went and kind of
started up there again for the first time in a long time and it was neat to see again. And I remembered some things that were taught and remembered some of the things that they allowed us to do as students there one of them being, and I noticed come the fourth quarter

(11:40):
and some of the shots that were being taken. Some of the camera operations was a little shakier and stuff I'm like oh that's, that's right. Fourth quarter I believe they always allowed, you know freshman or younger students to hop on a camera.
You know and so of course it's not going to be you know there's a couple times I didn't quite follow the ball right and then it triggered I was like that's right. That's because they're giving opportunities to people.

(12:10):
You know to continue that legacy that's coming out of that program. And that a great production and I loved watching their stuff and they always do good work there as well so it was kind of cool to go back and just relive everything we did there.
Jeff, Jeff inspired a lot of people. Jeff gave a lot of opportunity to a lot of people and always be thankful for that for sure.
That's what I was telling Brandon that it almost seems like that you guys pioneered game day that the video board aspect of game day. I mean from the walk from all the other things that you know that was done at Husker vision.

(12:45):
I mean, I'm pretty sure you've carried bits and pieces to other places that you've worked.
Yeah, maybe. Well and I say that because.
So my first job at Kansas Mike Lickert, who was also from Nebraska and worked with small. So I went to work with him there. And he had kind of already established. He was there I think one or two years before me.

(13:10):
And then, but yeah, very much he and I started or got the program going at Kansas first with the football video boards.
And then what grew into Allen Fieldhouse and what it is today.
Some of the production that was done there is really cool. It's neat to be part of those national championships and some of the championships teams and the runs and, and knowing that you're a part of it.

(13:36):
It's not, you know, a lot of it is putting, you know, adding gas to the fire that's already there, you know, there are there are moments where we can say a we, you know, that when we were a big help in that or whatever it may be, you know, but a lot of times if you got the right team and Kansas basketball they often had the right teams and it was, it was

(14:00):
really easy at that time, you know, to just whatever they're providing just provide a little gas to that fire and keep the crowd fired up and those sort of things but we, we actually, they didn't have a video board when we got there so it was just a scoreboard and old
on its or an old matrix board and what I loved is that I remember creating the first intro video for the basketball team. And I'll never forget that staying up that night.

(14:32):
I remember putting it back now and, you know, like a lot of stuff maybe it wasn't as great as, you know, right I don't know if it stands the test of time now. But I specifically remember making that video that night we use, where streets have no name you to.
And at the time, well that was the clip that was the music I wanted to use but we didn't have an instrumental version of it and we sent a student into Kansas City that night, like late at night to get a karaoke CD to be able to so I mean we're going back a little bit.

(15:07):
And we were able to get the instrumental version of it. And luckily he got it luckily we got some stuff edited in time, and we ended up using that music for the longest time, until it was just kind of became time to change music get something else.
Man, people loved it. And it was fun to see people love it. And it was fun to get that instant gratification, which I think is why a lot of us do this job to it's neat to see people appreciate your work immediately.

(15:38):
Yeah, I mean that's, that's the thing about this business that is so much fun that you can put smiles on people's faces so quick. So quick.
I mean, you don't have to wait for a like or wait for this or wait for that. I mean, it's, it's so instant. And, you know, you add a camera to that to to going up to, you know, the image going up on the jumbotron, and people just light up.

(16:06):
I mean, you have some people that I mean, you know, like, you know, may have their face.
But the majority of the people are waiting, waiting for their cameraman, cameraman. Exactly yelling at you.
And so I also when I was in Kansas City when Christopher Eicher was when I was at Lawrence, Christopher Eicher in Brandon Versal at the time we're at the Royals.

(16:29):
And so I freelanced as a wireless camera operator for him and I still think that might have been some of the funnest time I had working.
Everybody loves you as a wireless camera operator. And it was fun to go set up shots and, you know, talk to the, you know, the kids and see them having a blast and knowing that you are making a difference in their life for that moment and making something that, you know, they'll remember.

(16:59):
You know, I'm telling a story about Mike standing up and dancing and what an impact it had on my life and, you know, it's neat to think that maybe I was an impact in some other kids life somewhere along the way of just putting a camera on them and they looked up at the
board and saw themselves and, you know, made a great moment and great time for them with their dad or their mom or their family or friends, whoever they're with and it you're right it's neat. It's a neat industry to be part of.

(17:29):
I mean, it's a it's an instant memory for them. Yes. And not only a memory but a happy memory. Yeah, for them. That's a good point.
So we're not doing anything that, you know, will cause, you know, shame or harm. They will look up there. And even the ones that are like little bashful will keep picking up, you know, is the camera off of me yet is it off of me yet.

(17:53):
Right. And but even they are enjoying it. I mean, that's what I love. You just mentioned wireless camera. I love wireless cam. Just because one, you have the freedom to just roam around and be anywhere that you want to be, you know,
on the quarter or on the field. But you're able to get close to the close to the fans to you're not like so far away you're not, you know, locked down on sticks and having to but I mean, and you hear the hey cameraman hey cameraman you turn around and be like okay one second one second

(18:27):
right and you hold the camera on them and then you see them doing this.
Right. But you also know then the worst part of that job is when you've got the camera on them. And you're sitting there for a minute and you're like, yep, nope, it's coming. Hang on. It's coming.
And after being there for two minutes. And then your director tells you it now you got it you got to leave you got to go somewhere else. And then you're like, well, sorry.

(18:55):
You know, you're like, oh, and you've just ruined the kids day so yeah, that happens more than not to you know, we you know we have to you know that parts no fun.
Maybe next time. I'll come back. I don't know. Don't know how many times I've said that hey I'll be back. I'll be back. I'll be back. And all intentions to come back.

(19:17):
I should have said it I have every pure intention to come back here and get you on.
Then I didn't lie. Exactly. Exactly. But I mean it's just it's just that's is just one thing about our business just excites the fans and that that's what gets me excited about you know game day.

(19:40):
I mean, I mean the thing is we can't control what's going to happen on the field or in between the lines, but we can kind of control that if the director works with us that is, or we can kind of control those things.
What are the memories that you have.
Well, like your feature or or content that you guys did that just, you know, was a memorable one for you.

(20:09):
Did you guys have a chance to do this or Nebraska or wherever you've been.
I liked so a couple of them at Kansas that I really liked I remember the students and I think this is kind of this is something I we always need to remember too is, you know, there's a lot of stuff that just that we didn't create but the students did it and then we, you know, if they kind of started doing

(20:33):
something that they jumped on with them and added to it instead of forcing. Hey, we want you to do this when you know we want you to put your hands up and go whoosh or something like, you've got to let that just naturally come about and then once they discover it how can we again, add a little bit of, you know,
to that fire. And so like a lot of the students, I remember one year we're bringing these cards with letters and they would spell out stuff, you know, for a free throw or whatever you know, whatever it is they would continue to put messages up and so we to we made a feature with

(21:10):
that, and then started doing something like, I think it was some sort of wheel of fortune or something where we wanted them, you know, they had 30 seconds to spell the phrase or the word or whatever it was and so everyone if they got it the whole row or the whole section one popcorn or
something I can't remember what it was. But the idea that they had kind of this was their own idea, and then we made a game out of it to see if they'd continue to play with us and so you kind of get in this relationship with the crowd.

(21:45):
And so if they're feeding off you and you're feeding off of them that's when it really works you know, times like that when you're messing with the crowd and, you know, we would cut to a person and they don't see themselves you know the oblivious cam those are funny.
And then when they see themselves we'd, we'd cut off of it. We still see the camera and it's not on air, and we'd cut back to him again and then they'd like get their phone out and we'd cut off it again.

(22:16):
You know, just start messing with them and come back cut it off, you know, like, and so then everyone knows what's going on, everyone's laughing about it but then we're, we're playing with each other right and it's just these moments, and we would do that with the band they played.
They played every pregame, Bohemian Rhapsody. And so we would, so I would, I was directed and technical director at the time and so I would cut to the song.

(22:41):
And you know when the head bang starts and you know I'd make sure I'm cutting at certain points of the, you know, the beats and almost like that Wayne's world scene you know.
And so like those were the cool times. And I really liked those when we're interacting with the fans and it's, and it's just this natural stuff just the easy stuff where you're not spending a ton of money to do it it's just simple things I remember talking with CJ Likert who was at Oklahoma State at the time and like I think they did something

(23:11):
like it was like, maybe I'm making this up or maybe he said he was going to do it but the game was like pick a number one or two and someone was like one man is two and that was the game like that was it or something like it was just the simplest things.
But you know, whatever it was is just so simple and, but so funny. And I mean I think those are some of the things that I like is just when you're interacting with them and you're playing with the crowd.

(23:41):
And you know you're just kind of messing with each other and stuff like that. Yeah, those those things are fun.
Yeah, those interactive games are special. And even the ones that are organic are special too because it's just, it's not a planned type thing and like you talked about the oblivious cam where you're where I remember at tech, we used to have a counter.

(24:11):
We just be on somebody and had a counter and just see how long it took for them to realize that they were up on the board. And I think we got up to like 3045 seconds on somebody they never found like they looked up and they're like, just gave us gave us one of those looks.
Even with that it's probably fun to see as the crowd seeing how how we learn throughout because more than likely we probably had a counter that only went up to like one minute and then when we realized we had someone that you know like well we got to make the box bigger to put, you know, over one minute in there.

(24:48):
I think it like stopped or reset to zero the first time we did or something like oh well we probably didn't think about that.
But those moments are so fun. And I mean it gives life to the control room. I mean, let's just say that the basketball team is down, you know, 15 points whatever, and you maybe have, you know, a couple minutes left in the game.

(25:13):
Stuff like that keeps your energy in the room, and that may be able to you know come back and get a little run or close the game up a little bit more. But our job is to keep the atmosphere up.
Go ahead. No, well you're right. And we talked about it a lot now still here at Auburn to is is that we have to, you know, your producer your director you have to keep the energy up as well.

(25:44):
Because as you're speaking, you can very easily bring the room down, you can very easily. If you're too disappointed as a fan, you know, forget what your job was to do which is to stay engaged and keep everybody excited, entertained.

(26:10):
And to keep that energy up in the control room so that your camera people are continue to work hard and those sort of things you know that that's so true. I mean, being being a fan and being an operator at the same time is tough.
Oh, it is very tough.
It's tough.
And I think that's what almost has calc me a little bit toward, you know, sports where, because I know they can just be heartbreaking. And so you, you want to almost put on a face a little bit of like I'm always, I'm always happy at this game.

(26:45):
Yep. Oh, we're losing again. That's right. Here we go guys everybody, you know, yeah, positive energy up, you know, whatever it may be.
Because, man, come, come Sunday. I don't want anything to do with sports. I know a lot of people are NFL fans and a lot of people are working. But you know, I remember after that football Saturday.

(27:06):
This I guess was it Kansas.
You know, I just didn't want anything to do with athletics on that Sunday. There wasn't any. I don't recall there being any other games then on Sunday now we're responsible, you know, here for volleyball and soccer and other sports that I don't think we had video boards there at the time but

(27:28):
Yeah, I just want to break away a little bit and get out of the sports mentality sometimes.
Speaking of boards at Auburn, how many do you all have?
Let's see. Well, I mean, of course, there's all the auxiliary boards and boards inside buildings now.
So not counting those we would have we have a Jordan hair football stadium, Neville arena, which is

(27:57):
basketball, women's basketball, volleyball, gymnastics, we have baseball, softball, soccer, and equestrian. So we have yeah, that's the fun one there.
Oh, unique one. They're all fun. But I don't know I didn't count that what was seven or eight and you're all they're all fun. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. Right.

(28:23):
You know, honestly, equestrian man, I tell you, I have the funnest time with those sometimes because you talk about, I mean, you have no control over, well, they should have control over what the horse is doing.
But there have been there was one incident last year and I had just left the event. It wasn't over yet. But that the horse, the horse had a mind of its own that day and it took off a little bit within there and they couldn't control it.

(28:52):
But it wasn't something that the athlete did. It was, you know, something that the horse just whatever that day I think it was gone next day. I don't want to know what happened to it.
But was it was it similar to that bull at the rodeo that jumped over the.
It didn't put I know what you're saying it's the same idea that it could have, although the bull probably whatever you're talking about probably took some people out and cost them.

(29:17):
Yeah, it was more lucky that it didn't. But I think more than anything it also shows why equestrian is just maybe one of those things that you there's some things you can't control on timing and some things you can't control.
You know, basketball you can control the ball and the in the hoop in the all these things but you put a live animal in the mix and who knows what's going to happen so.

(29:44):
Definitely true. Definitely true.
I hear that you guys are getting a new video board.
We are getting a new video board on the north end. So the south end as of right now, I believe that as of right now on in 2024, the south board is still the biggest collegiate video board per square footage.

(30:13):
And now we're going to be adding to the north board or to the north end and the sizes it's not going to match the exact same size it'll be a little smaller so that as the stadium is.
If we did it the exact same size it would have been a little higher but I think the idea is to keep it just level across so this one's going to be a little just a little smaller than than the one on the other end but.

(30:38):
Yeah, there's some pretty big responsibility into that now of making sure that our content continues to be solid.
Make sure our camera operation is is solid.
We.
It's funny you bring that up because knowing, and when you stand in there.
This is the place that a lot of places when that board is big enough, it commands you to look at it, and you can't not see when something happens up there.

(31:09):
If there's a swish pan.
If there's a weird quick jitter if, if a, you know, if God help us a part of the board goes out. You see it, there is no hiding behind what is up there.
Yeah.
Our attention to detail and that's one of the things that I make sure I continue to we continue to collectively talk about is smooth shots.

(31:38):
The attention to detail because it is so man any mistake or any anything and people are going to see it.
And we were talking about that new board on the north end that's going to go in it's still going to be pretty massive.
And one of the things that that I've noticed is when we do these long recognitions, we would have a wireless camera operator walk through and, or either a wired camera or whatever it is but the idea being that when they walk, you've got to have a steady

(32:16):
shot on that. And it's really challenging any bit of the littlest bit of wiggle to that, and the stadium, you know, is your seeing the shot that just looks so shaky.
And knowing that then the north end and now are we it's going to really, you know, my God man is it going to get.
So we recently our biggest thing this year is we finally we we spent the money to get get a wireless rig with a Ronan and be able to smooth out our shots and so that's something we're working on this year and working through that and the challenges of trying to figure

(32:49):
out that and, but it is neat to see how that makes a difference just because some of those shots were just so long and shaky but I'm like man you get in that stadium and that board is so big it's, you know, if it's a.
It's not like it was this terrible shot, you know, you're getting you want to, you know, vomit because it's making sick or anything but but it was enough distraction that like we need to we need to clean that up so.

(33:14):
Yeah, you can tell if something's off, you can tell I mean because the board is so massive.
You and I don't know if the the fan would know if if stuff is a little off, but being professionals we know when it's well. I think that's part of as well.
What makes our job challenging is that you.

(33:37):
We all talk about it sometimes afterwards you know your director your TD will be like I just had a perfect show I didn't have a bad cut I didn't have a whatever it is.
And I think that's always the goal of ours. Can we have a perfect show we don't get reduced we don't get a command Z, you know, on a keyboard we don't get a rewrite everything if we're not perfect.

(33:58):
Someone notices it, and that is a challenge.
And that's why I think the critiques, you know, sometimes can, you know, not be hurtful but can be a little devastating because you want to you want to say, Well, did you see the 99% of the other stuff that was pretty good, you know that one bad cut or we had a camera that was, you know, going rogue or whatever it is, but you notice it and shoot we

(34:27):
notice it online broadcasts you know when we're in the industry, you know you start saying oh that was a bad cut or shoot that replay didn't wipe correctly or whatever it is so.
But that's the thing I mean because we want to do such a good job.
As professionals. If we're a fan of that school that team. We want to do such a good job and you know if a little hiccup happens you know we carried it on our shoulders just like the players were carried on their shoulders if you know the quarterback throws the

(34:58):
interception I mean he kind of messed up that may you know throw off the rest of the game or whatever. And same with us if we have a camera shot, and we don't look at our tally lights or whatever like that and we we move before we
supposed to that is going to play in our heads and we have to learn to move on to the next shot. But then you know right there on the spot it's like, Oh, absolutely.

(35:25):
And that was one of the biggest things that I had to learn when I was directing and TD and I remember my producer telling me like you just might be.
Look you got to move on from it and you've got to realize that you're in your dangets and you're you know maybe I'm getting frustrated at myself it's like, bro, it's, it's done.
Come on move on and now you're and now the way I was acting or you know I was thrown fits by me but you know slump shoulders now now I'm like gosh darn it you know like I'm bringing the room down so I've got to you know keep the attitude up correctly and just move on.

(35:58):
So we teach someone else to right. That could affect the remainder of the show. And I mean, and then from there you're starting you have some miscues, or you know a miss punch or whatever or, you know the instant replay doesn't bring it in fast enough and then, or they, or they don't hit the play button and you just you know there's just a

(36:24):
still up there for you know 15 seconds and that starts affecting the whole game and everybody else so the person producing the person you know calling the shots has to be in the good frame of mind that says okay.
Next thing. Next thing.
That's I remember my moment that I could. If I was having a bad first half or whatever it is I would always a halftime time for a student to come over right you're directing halftime and I'm going to go take five just chill for a second.

(36:59):
And then I'm going to wipe the stink off from that first half and I'm coming back you know whatever it is, but it was a great opportunity then for students to learn to you know put them on and let them go and give them their moment you know.
Let's talk about the tip off that you guys do it tumor.

(37:23):
How many years you have been doing that now tip off at tumors so tip off at tumors is.
It's not every year.
I will be doing it's.
I will be doing my third one here.
I'm going to do it pretty soon and tip off at tumors is pretty cool because if you know in the city of Auburn tumors corner is where the city of Auburn and Auburn University come together.

(37:56):
Literally it's the corner of where campus in the city meet and tumors corner is where after big wins at Auburn.
The toilet paper the trees and so it's just this great space where the community comes together and a lot of celebrating always takes place tumors corner is based on tumors drugstore which is down there and just in case you didn't know.

(38:23):
The reason the toilet paper is because tumors drugs was the place where after wins, they would have a little ticker tape that came in and that's where they get their news and he after seeing the victory go and he throw it out in the tree.
And so the toilet paper represents that ticker tape that gets that now populates all the trees so I did not know that so when I got down here on that was news to me so.

(38:52):
I think it's really cool man there's some cool traditions here, but what tip off the tumors is is we bring a court downtown into that space.
Men's and women's basketball team come there for the start of basketball season and this year there's going to be a concert that precedes it and it's, it's one of those neat one offs that it brings everybody together your tickets department.

(39:19):
I mean, every athletics event does but to be able to go and do it remotely is quite the challenge, but it's a huge thing and when you do it, you know, talk about great teamwork and.
You know, you're, how do you, how do you bring the city and city police in on it and making sure that everyone's safe and.

(39:41):
Line in the streets stop and traffic having it from basically midnight the night before to midnight the next night or 2am or so and have a big celebration.
I think we're bringing in six video boards to line the streets and and a great opportunity to celebrate the start of basketball season so it's it's pretty cool.

(40:04):
Six boards, six boards.
They will line there'll be a couple that line the stage and then we're putting them down the streets as well just to make sure that the crowds are big enough that they can see it.
That's the challenge with it is that it's all flat from the stage all the way down there's no there's no seating that goes up, you know, the further down you get so.

(40:28):
Right.
But it's a it's a cool event and it's, you know, I remember it Kansas to it was, you know, talk about that midnight madness celebration is, is something that has evolved over the years and how much the video boards have gotten involved in that as well.
That when I remember there were some years when when there was no video board.

(40:49):
And this is Kansas specifically just, I can't speak of Auburn I don't know what they're doing here at the time but the Kansas, when there's no video board it was still a cool event people would come in and wait until midnight and I remember it 1201 the team would come running out for their first practice.
And they, you know, you got a full house of 16,000 people there watching it.

(41:12):
But then once the video boards got involved and they allowed the time for that midnight madness celebration to start earlier I think I don't know exactly what the rule is now but I remember at one point there was six o'clock or seven o'clock you could kind of start it.
And that, and then you're bringing in.
You're bringing in concerts you're bringing in entertainment you're writing entertainment you're pre producing entertainment in the I remember there's one year that I swear, you know, of the four hours of, of what was late night in the fog, like three hours and 30 minutes of it was all pre produced video.

(41:51):
And I'm like, what, what are we doing here. I don't, I don't know if it was that much but it sure felt like it but, but the point being is that there was so much impact once that video board comes in that man you can now have a chance to tell everybody's stories and see the players and skits and watch them perform and let

(42:13):
their, let their, let them shine on who and what their personalities are and stuff and, and tap into that and.
And so that's how me and that just became really neat opportunity to really, you know, help the players become individuals there too so.
Yeah, it makes them human I mean even even more now because our phones and all the content that you can get about a player and, and how fast it comes in like that I mean but back then it was almost like they were just the players but now we can dig into some stories we can see their

(42:50):
personality and you know the jumbotron you know is a is a big help to that. I mean, it's just is wild to think that, you know that you at Husker vision and you guys had the major part of making everything that it is now for game day it just it just continues to blow my mind that you

(43:15):
were like, you know, almost like the pioneers of that. I liked how the opportunity was there for as students that we were, we were doing a lot.
And we were, you know, now that I look back on it they were doing individual stuff for players at the time to. There's a player Macavica.

(43:36):
When in their championship days. And I can't remember his name now but they would bring in you know you think about NIL now and you think about all these things that were going on but even back then, I remember them bringing in, or we would go out and we shot this scene with the player with
Macavica pulling a Mac truck behind him and you know, this huge semi so every time he did something good, we would show just that you know little 22nd bit of like Macavica coming through and pulling this, you know, truck behind him or something

(44:13):
and then he flexes something like whatever it was. But I think about some of the sponsorship opportunities that were there, or some of the NIL money that could have been there for some of these things but even then, I think what was neat about it is those were
shot by students and those were edited by students and they gave us the opportunity to do those things and they trusted us to do the right things and. And I remember, there was a couple that I think there were times where

(44:41):
things didn't go well but I also remember and I'm, you know, taking the, taking the bullet for us to you know like yep, that's, that's my fault we shouldn't have let the students do that or whatever it was I'm sure as students weird knuckleheads and gotten trouble as well but it was such a cool
environment and cool place to be a part of and to learn and grow.
Yeah, great memories there for sure. Now that you're at all burning. You're not as as hands on, you know, in the video production that is that correct. Yeah, that's correct. You know, and I think so now at this time of my career I'm trying to figure out, you know reinventing

(45:19):
myself of what it is that I can bring to the table now. And because I miss, I am not in the control room nearly as much as I used to be.
In fact, most, you know, my, my role on game day is just more observing and you know putting out fires as they come by.

(45:41):
But for the most part when I first got here what was really interesting to me is, is I went from being someone at Kansas where I was an editor.
And so I was a post production guy, and then I was a live game day guy and we're kind of as a jack of all trades I did.
I could, I knew the switcher I knew the crossfire I knew the backboards I knew how to you know all the little tricks to get them to work if it well that just, you know just hit that one or you know whatever it is.

(46:12):
You know, just, you know, like Fonzie or something then it'll work.
Whatever it is I knew how to fix all those things, and I was pretty good at what I did. And then I got here, and everyone was so good at, you know, one or two specific things that I found myself, not being, you know, I'm now in charge of people that they're all better than me at their individual

(46:39):
things. And it was kind of humbling, right that I remember someone specifically our director at the time, just, you know, dying for feedback. And it was hard for me to be able to tell him like, like you're doing really well like, you
know, we didn't learn the ESPN way of doing things when we were at Kansas we had to just kind of teach ourselves like I guess we'll call this camera one and we'll call that one camera to.

(47:10):
But when the stuff went in here it went in specifically for the sec network. They had video boards at the time, but so but a lot of now what's here is, you know, there are specific numbers for this camera and that camera that are.
And they call shows is a way that I didn't call shows. I taught myself that as well, a lot of ready this ready one take one, ready to take two. And it was a long time before I realized that even how you're saying ready, you know, or preset or whatever it

(47:46):
may be, like, triggering someone that it's either going to be a dissolve or a cut or whatever it may be and I mean, I just blew my mind. Like, if you, if you ever had to work on a David Peterson cut show is a lot of ready this take that ready that cut cut in ready and not even like ready that
what's that, you know, the VTRA, whatever, roll it, roll it, not roll it, you know, so, so there was a lot going on here that people were really good at Matt J. quees and Jeff Honnell were here and they were producing amazing stuff on the post production

(48:22):
side. We have people on the live side that they're still here that are just very good Parker, Pete, Jake Mays and just some solid people are engineers are great and just everything I was just like, man, what can I bring to the table now.
And so still learning that how learning to go from that to staying at a 30,000 foot level and knowing that I don't have to be the guy anymore. And that was hard. Because you talk about an industry that you want that immediate feedback.

(48:57):
And then you don't get it anymore. You know, nobody tells you great job, keeping the HR, you know, things signed and, you know, hey, solid job with going to those meetings this week, you know, we wouldn't have known what's going on without you so great job.

(49:19):
But you're not the only one that is moving into those type of positions and, and having to learn to, you know, leave that at bay, put the camera down, put on a different hat, and to learn how to lead in different ways.
I mean, you wouldn't be in that seat that you're in right now if you didn't know what you're doing. So I mean, I'm going to applaud you right there.

(49:50):
I don't know. No, but you're right. And well, in, and it is what I wanted to do. I mean, look, I've got five kids, which, yes, questionably irresponsible, I understand.
But I took that. That's a Jim Gaffigan joke. You always said something like that.
But, you know, I didn't, where I got tired was being not being able to tell my wife when I'd be home, you know, because when you're editing late, it's, and they, they ask when you're going to be home and it's like, I'll be home when it's done.

(50:27):
And I don't know when it's done until I know it's done. And I think even that, I mean, that's a good thing to have when you're editing, because something my dad always said, a job that's, if the job's worth doing, it's worth doing right.
And I wanted, I didn't want to just hand something in like, well, that'll work. That's good enough. I didn't like that. I'm always doing the best I can until it's done.

(50:54):
And if it's working up to the last minute on it, it is.
But so that's hard to tell the family, like, I don't know what I'm going to be done. I don't know when they said it's going to be complete, or I don't know, you know, and God forbid the server gets, you know, stuck or, you know, like God, now I got to stay and this render wasn't right.
And now I've got to be here another hour, you know.
So, yeah, it was time to move on. It was time to do something different and hopefully to allow me to be a good father and good husband and be able to get home in the right time and those sort of things.

(51:26):
But well, that, that, that takes maturity right there too. You realize all those scenes that you just mentioned.
I mean, because this business is time consuming. I mean, let's just be real. Let's let's let's address the elephant in the room. I mean, and especially on on a
university campus. I mean, when you have 19 sports, you know, going or 22 sports going or whatever. I mean, and they all want content.

(51:55):
Oh, yeah, all the coaches want or think, you know, their sport is the top tier sport. And, you know, and it is just, it takes a lot of time to do to edit.
It takes a lot of time to be creative. Especially now in this day and age where everything is on your phone. And people want content right now.

(52:17):
It is a lot. It's a lot. So I mean, it, it, it you matured and in saying, okay, and priorities, what's important, what's important.
And I mean, and there's nothing to be ashamed of with that. Just now you just have to wear a different hat and learn how to learn how to give those flowers from 30,000 feet.

(52:39):
Now I wouldn't suggest dropping them from an airplane because you may hurt somebody. But you understand what I'm saying.
Well, and, and to be able to be okay with it. And, but it still keeps me in the industry and in part of the fun of it and
you miss because that's, that's a cool, cool part about that live side of it is, it's just like any sports. I mean, after an event, you're all giving each other high fives and like we did it. Good job.

(53:08):
We all came together and we put a good show on and so for those of people that like teamwork and athletics and stuff, it's still space that you can, you can be a part of sports, but it's teamwork for in a different way.
That's, that's what really makes this industry really cool.
So here's what you do now after your meetings, you go by you high five everybody in your meetings.

(53:35):
Great action items everybody.
You lead a hallway walk.
Man, that's not a bad idea.
I mean, there's, there's different things that you can incorporate that are mimicking to the things that you used to do to keep it exciting to keep it going. I mean, because even now I'm not in sports as much as I was, but I still am able to go with freelance and do

(54:02):
different things like that, which keeps me into, which keeps me into sports and stuff.
But yeah, I mean the grind every single day. I mean, you have to you have to learn and know where you are with that.
And I mean, like I said, I'm pretty sure there's somebody that's going to be watching this that is in that in between stage of of putting the camera down and having to pick up more of a pen and type more on the keyboard to write an email then to edit a video.

(54:32):
Right. Yep.
And I suppose like sports anywhere. And look, I mean, I bet everybody goes through it.
You know, whether it's this industry or whatever, just when that time of life comes and you've got to decide where your priorities are at.
But at the same time, you know, how can you still, it's not given up at all. It's just this, how can I reinvent myself and how can I stay with it and change.

(54:57):
Which you and I know you have to be able to change and adapt to be able to survive and be able to do things. So,
but and to know that you still have value no matter what.
And to know that, okay, I may miss just like a player. I mean, you know, that's retiring. They're going to miss the crowd. They're going to miss the instant, you know, gratification, the instant pat on the back.

(55:25):
But they know that, you know, everything that they did was an impact. And you have to realize that and I have to realize that that what I did was an impact.
And like what we talked about when we first started, that me putting somebody up on the video board sparked them just like Mike sparked you.
And you have to remember those things and you have to recall those stories.

(55:50):
And I mean, because let's be real, you're sitting in a meeting for 4550 minutes an hour. And you know, everything was discussed in the first three minutes.
But the meeting is just going on. And it's like, okay, I now need to reinvent my mind reinvent what I'm doing and know that I'm still adding value to the persons that I'm over now and the persons that I'm leading.

(56:17):
I may not be on the field, but I'm helping that person get better and into where they need to be.
Oh, yeah. And so I take the mentality now at this point of like getting hurdles out of the way for the team. And I put them first, you know, how can make sure that I've got everything out of the way so that they can do their job.
It's a selfless, it's a selfless way to to have to act now because you're only going to do well if you're selfless at this part of your life, because you are constantly now looking out for those that you are managing all the time.

(56:54):
And that's what's going to make you successful is how can I continue to make sure that, you know, this person is learning and leading his people correctly and or her people correctly.
And if you start thinking about yourself too much, and am I going to get a raise or am I going to get a promotion or whatever it is, then your mindset is just not correct.

(57:24):
And you're and they're going to see it in you.
They're not going to want to follow somebody like that they're going to want to follow somebody that they know is going to fight for them. And, and I think that's how I've tried to lead now that I've been here is just my team first over me so
it's it's a different mindset now.

(57:45):
So, you were the student, but now you're the mentor, or either the coach, or either the sponsor. You understand what I mean by that.
The mentors, you know, they're providing the long term, the long term support and care. The coaches are the ones that focus on the specific skills and performance, and the sponsors are the ones that can call somebody and be like hey, give this person a job, or give this person an opportunity.

(58:12):
Yeah.
So you have to realize where you are what role that you're in now. I mean, I'm pretty sure Jeff was that for you back in the day he was a mentor.
And then now you are that mentor or you are that sponsor or you are that coach to the ones that are under you. So, I mean, you're still part of the team.
Yeah, well, and look, that's, and that's part of it, you know, everybody got probably somebody always looked out for someone and spoke a good word for him along the way.

(58:42):
And I'll be the first to say that you're right. That's how it got me to Kansas, because there's that Nebraska connection. I mean, that's how it got me to Auburn. Andy Young was in the spot before me.
And I got high recommendations, I believe from him and a couple of the folks that were here already and that wanted me to come here and lead them so.

(59:03):
I mean, it's very flattering and it's very humbling when, when you know that you have people like that that'll stick their necks out for you and do those things, but you're right now I'm doing that for others.
And it's cool, you know, nothing brings you more joy now and then seeing a student that was with you or someone that learned from you or whatever, go out into the real world and make a difference in their own space now and it's just so cool to see them come back and what they've learned and how they've grown.

(59:32):
And it's so cool. It's so good to see that, you know, like your own kids, you know, how can you teach them the right wrong, watch them grow up and, and hopefully you've taught them the right stuff so.
Exactly. Exactly. I mean, and that's what all of this is about. I mean, it's about, you know, when we're younger, learning than when we get older, still learn but teaching.

(59:58):
And, and bringing somebody else up and, you know, and then it's, it's then you get those those phone calls from people, those students and be like, Hey, I want to thank you for, you know, teaching me this or, or showing me this or I want to invite you to my wedding and then you can go back on stories and,
and different things that you guys used to do together so I mean, it's all full circle. I mean, just like the player that retires and stuff like that. They still have all those memories. They still have the skill is just all the time.

(01:00:31):
And, but right. But it's those invisible metals. I read a book recently about that and I love.
I love that idea of it is from a retired Marine and he calls them those invisible metals it's the, it's the things that you're not, you're not putting that metal on your chest anymore, but that moment when someone calls you up or sends you a note, sends you text or whatever

(01:00:58):
and they say thank you for this thank you for everything you did for me or a 10 years ago this or whatever it is. Man, those are the coolest times when those invisible metals it's like that. I was a part of that no one else is going to know that, and I'm not going to go brag about it and, you know, post it or anything like that.

(01:01:19):
But those are the moments that you live for those sort of things and those are, those are really cool.
Those are cool. And I mean, and we talked about this a while ago about like the traditions and different things that start and and how it starts and it's organic and and everything and Virginia Tech, they have they, you know, they do the inner Sandman, right.

(01:01:48):
And do you know how that started. I do not. I mean I know it's, is that the third or fourth quarter break or is that when that started the game that started the game. Oh okay when they run out okay so inner Sandman started and I and I pray I get this right I pray I get this right.
And it started because a student was cold. And he just started jumping when inner Sandman came on. And then somebody else saw that person jumping because they were cold they're just trying to keep warm.

(01:02:22):
And now you got 66,000 plus that do it every single game, not just for football, but for basketball, soccer, baseball, I mean all the sports do it at Virginia Tech, and it started because somebody was cold.

(01:02:43):
And who that one student was they they have a name for I can't remember his name. But I mean that that just goes back to, you know, us, us creating those memories and creating those things and holding on to, you know, things that we didn't think they were going to be
you know, when we were students and no starting off in the business and like how Jeff did things for you guys and you were just have having fun. And now I mean all you guys are like it prominent prominent universities, and you're giving back to all these other students and stuff like that.

(01:03:22):
And it's just, but you were just like, you know, like that guy at Virginia Tech, he was just trying to get more he was just, he was just trying to get through the game. And now, you know, it's it's a tradition that is talked about on ESPN.
Yeah, right. And I think it's that lesson again to that you can you, you can't and I'm not saying I'm not saying that doesn't happen but a lot of the times, when it's organic, that makes it much easier more special and you know you can try and start some sort of tradition but it's, it's hard time at times

(01:03:56):
if like the students don't catch on or the fan base doesn't want to do it. And you're kind of forcing it and it's like, you know, they're much more into it when it's organic and you just, and you just follow what they're giving you know, you know,
yeah, you can tell when the ones are forced, and they fall flat because that goes back to the instant gratification. They will tell you within a beat.

(01:04:20):
Yeah. No. And then it's, it's noted. It's noted.
You gave me a lot of stories so we're not we're not going to go into any more stories but your favorite game day moment at Auburn is.
It's hard to beat the iron bowl. Well, for me personally, my first iron bowl was a victory Auburn won and it was.

(01:04:51):
I mean, God, I'm realizing now every iron bowl seems to be some sort of amazing something that happens on the field.
But what was neat for me is that seeing so when I was at Nebraska, you know, they had 80,000, well shoot, well, what was it 76,000 there now it's more there now.

(01:05:16):
Kansas was not the football school all the all the years. There were some times that it was but even at a full house year 50,000, and they didn't sell out a lot so it was neat to go back to what would be considered a football
school at Auburn. Although, you got I got to be careful ever I'm going to offend somebody if I you know say things. Well, it's also a basketball school it's an everything school you know but no it was nice to have

(01:05:42):
to be a part of a football program again, where games mattered, and, and to see and to feel what it was like again to have 80,000 people screaming and yelling and getting into getting into the game, and anything you put on the board is just causing you know make

(01:06:04):
a lot of noise. It just gets louder and louder. And my family, we had just moved here. And my family hadn't moved down yet. So I was down here for four year or four months or so by myself and my first year football I was just doing a lot of observing
the game. So, there were times that I was watching that game with them and seeing them in the stands and being a part of that iron ball with them was just so cool because it was neat to see them experience what a great football

(01:06:39):
was like. And so for me is kind of bringing back like, oh yes, rowdy, wonderful football, where people are passionate about the team are passionate about winning and they're passionate about just just college football and so iron ball is just, it's another beast, and it's just so cool.

(01:07:04):
How people live and die by that game. How do y'all how, how does the production get ready for that game. So the production, you know, there is more that goes into that it's toward the it's the end of the season.
And so it's usually it would be the last game of the year this year. Our last game is not Alabama we're on the road but so you've built up all of your stuff right so you've got everything in your arsenal that you can throw at them, but then also in that people are making stuff, you know, specifically

(01:07:41):
for that game an intro video that says this is the iron bowl, you know, we've played this this many times, you know, and you're creating things specifically for that game. A lot of it too is because you've, you've had the whole year to be able to create stuff you know this industry
and it's that first game it's hard to get everything ready you know all your intros and all that stuff. So finally this last game is this accumulation and you just even as a production you feel like we're throwing the book at him, you know, we'll, you know, make sure every time they're

(01:08:12):
kicking a field goal we've got you know a bird staring at him on the video board or you know we're doing whatever it is to really, you know, maybe push the limit on, you know, I don't know if we're supposed to do that but we'll replay that again, you know, or whatever
and then you're like, what's it matter is the last game of the year. So you're just really going all out for that and it's almost like, again, it's the fourth quarter it's over time of your season, like guys is the last game we're going all in so

(01:08:41):
that's what you end up doing.
Everything's out there. And it's a you made a good point that you can with the video board you can almost kind of like control the game if there's like a controversial call that maybe the rest didn't get we could sneak it in there and like, and then they

(01:09:04):
would be like, exactly. And we're priding ourselves on we're proud of that might not be word is quite writing. Yeah, we'll use it we're priding ourselves on that right now that
if we see anything, you know, targeting, that looked like targeting roll it back quick get it in quick so that you know, because again, after every play someone's looking up, you know, and the coaches shoot you coaches are looking to you know they're

(01:09:35):
looking because they're yelling at the ref and looking at the board. So, so as much as we can. That's where we're, we're being fans and we're showing what you know, and if the crowd is paying attention, if we don't show a replay.
It's, it's probably for a reason like, yeah, guys, we don't want to show this right now. If we replay this there's an obvious face mask we're not gonna, we're not going to show this, you know, or now that really wasn't a touchdown so we're not going to replay this right

(01:10:08):
so you don't want the other coach, you know, saying throat, you know, let's review it, you know, so. Yeah, so you very much play, play an instrumental part so that's you don't want to, you don't want to put the pressure on yourself of saying guys if we don't you know, this game is, is, you know, we have so much impact on it, but you do have to

(01:10:31):
recognize that you very much can have an impact on it. No one's going to look back and say we lost the game because the video board, but people will look back and say man, because they replayed that, you know, we saw it on the board and they don't, you know, no one knows, you know, because
David Peterson said roll that, you know, replay back and Jake Mays took it or whatever it is. They know the board showed a replay. It caused the team to say, you know, hey, let's get a review of it. And yeah, we can be a huge impact on the game. Absolutely.

(01:11:10):
So it's like we're, we're, we're helping the coach out in moments like that, helping our team out. And, you know, we're still being engaging with fans and they're I mean, it plays a lot of roles, it plays the role of an entertainer, an educator, a coach, a, an advocate, a public service announcement.

(01:11:35):
I, you know, man, you know, as we talk about it, I suppose it does. It has a lot. It plays a lot of roles. You talk about movies. And, you know, they talk about the cast and the, and stuff and sometimes they'll talk about how the city was, you know, the background was a part of the cast and you

(01:11:56):
know, and these sort of things, but you're right. That video board is a huge part of the team. It's a huge part of the environment. And it plays a ton of roles. Absolutely.
And it brings in a lot of money to marketing.
Yes, it does. If it does, I mean, I've, yeah, shoot, that's the obvious one. We're not here if we're not putting the sponsorships up. So sorry, sports property team. I didn't mention that one right away.

(01:12:23):
It's also our benefactor. Exactly. And I mean, and that's, that's why this, this show, this podcast, the Jomotron is, I think it's going to be awesome for people to understand that it's just not a screen in the stadium.
It's not just a screen, you know, in the arena. It's part of the team.

(01:12:46):
Oh yeah. And it can take on its coaches personality. I mean, there are things that we do for one coach that they want us to do, but another coach comes in and they don't want us to do that, you know, there are things that we could be more aggressive with knowing that the coach won't
care if we're showing him, you know, you take to that point.

(01:13:09):
I think our coaches are coach that we have here now at basketball. If I show Bruce Pearl getting fired up and yelling at a coach or I'm sorry yelling at a ref or, you know, something.
I think the crowd feeds into that. And because we know that that's Bruce Pearl's, you know, personality bill self at times we could do it at Kansas where is in certain moments is like yes show him doing that because it's going to and we know he's going to get teed up.

(01:13:42):
And but it's going to get everybody fired up. And so it's a way that you can help fire up the crowd. And then there's some coaches that you know that they'd be ticked off if you're showing them getting angry or you know, and I think we're still getting angry.
And I think we're still learning right now with our football coach on like what what what does what personality, you know, should we show of him on the board, you know, and those sort of things.

(01:14:05):
We have those discussions all the time is this this year is this something we can do is this something we need to stay away from.
You got a quarterback controversy do we stay away from showing quarterbacks say you don't ever show this guy don't ever show the sidelines.
This year we can show the sidelines you know it's just constantly changing on what message maybe the coach is trying to show.

(01:14:28):
And you know you've got to change if, if we're hearing the message from the coach that this is a very selfish team, then no he's not going to want, you know, shots on the board of somebody, you know, all about them or whatever it may be or, you know, so I.
It's, it's interesting how it can't be the same thing every year and things that you think are obvious and things that you think are your go to may not be from year to year it just kind of depends on the season and the coach so.

(01:15:00):
I never love that, but that that is so true. I mean from coach to coach.
I mean you have some coaches that you know I want every replay every replay no matter what every replay and then there's some coaches like mm hmm we're focused on the next thing.
Yeah.
Yeah, and I think even you know boards came in as a replay board you know a sponsorship and replays and that was the whole point of, at least from my understanding of it is that it was a replay board show replay every time you get.

(01:15:33):
You just as Pavlov's dog that Kate plays over I'm going to look up plays over I'm going to look up.
But it's evolved away from that in a lot of times you either it's a, you know the teams in a hurry up offense and you can't show it, or you don't want to show it like we talked about because I don't want to show that right now that would be a bad idea because we definitely have a penalty on that player we targeted someone or whatever it is.

(01:16:00):
And so the amount of thought that goes into every play.
It's not just that simple sometimes knowing behind the scenes that not showing a replay or showing a replay or showing it a couple times from a different angles they're all for a reason.
And they all evolved.
They're very specific why we're doing that in a lot of times.

(01:16:22):
You know, you go back to you were talking about Jeff small at Husker vision.
I remember him one of the things I learned from him when he was watching my edits is he would say why did you why did you edit right there.
Why did you cut right there and go to your next shot.
And if I could tell him, well, at that frame, I cut it and I wanted to go to this shot because of whatever, then he was good with it.

(01:16:50):
But if my answer was ever, I don't know, I just wanted to, there's just time to get off the shot.
He's like, then that's not a good enough reason.
You have to put thought in, you know, and it's I think the same with live cuts like don't cut just to cut.
You know, don't take a shot just to take a shot.
Why are you taking that shot.

(01:17:12):
It's for a reason, which then leads you to maybe you just never do have a perfect show.
It's, you know, could there have been a better cut.
Could you have cut somewhere else. Could you have told a different story.
Sure, you could have but maybe that perfect game will never be there.
So I don't think it the perfect game will ever be there.

(01:17:33):
I mean, it will be the best.
It'll be to the best of our ability and to the best of our personnel.
And I mean, if we have a game with with no miscues, there'll still be something in the back of your head is like, I didn't miss a punch or anything, but I didn't get something in that I wanted to.

(01:17:59):
So I mean, there will always be that I mean,
Yep. I mean, you're always chasing perfection because as you chase perfection, what is it.
I'm chasing perfection, you're going to catch excellence or I'm going to mess that up. But I believe was it Green Bay's football coach.

(01:18:21):
Now I'm playing on his name, but the idea was that Vince.
Yeah, probably should have remembered that name.
That's kind of a big one.
I'm getting older. My memory stinks these days.
I'm like 47. So there's no excuse for this, but it is also end of day when we're recording this. So my brain starting to melt a little bit.

(01:18:42):
But the idea, though, as you're discussing this, you are chasing perfection because you don't want to rest on your laurels. If you have suddenly, you know, you just had a great game and you think you're doing great and everything's good.
That's when it slips. And so you're always trying to how can I get better? How can I improve? But you're right. If you, you know, perfection in live sports with edit or with directing and producing it's

(01:19:11):
Yeah, you're probably not going to catch it.
But I love chasing it. And I love trying to get to that spot and trying to figure out how to get there better, how to get there quicker or whatever it may be.
And it's almost to like what one of Jeff Small's quotes was, which is give people give people a reason to come to the stadium and experience things they can't by staying home and watching TV.

(01:19:40):
We want to entertain.
We want to encourage we want to inform you guys we want to we want to show you something that, you know, if you stay at home, we want you to feel that hurt of not being in the stadium.
Yeah, that feeling of missing out.
Real.
Yep. And that's the idea is, and when you talk about perfection on game day now it's how can you how can we have a perfect it's not it's not just a perfect show for all of athletics it's how can it be perfect from the time you leave your door

(01:20:12):
to the time that you pull back into your driveway that you knew where to park the information on the app was good enough the, you know, you're entertained there the bathroom lines weren't too long the the popcorn was good.
The game experience the fan experience you won. I mean good Lord, what a difference it makes when you win everything you did right. Everything you did was right when you win. We know that.

(01:20:38):
And that's, that's that perfection that you're trying to chase as an entire athletics department now.
And the funny thing about that though is, you know, for us, we talked I know this is just video board but related but you take a basketball game for us.
And in one control room, we're telling a story, a very biased story for the video board. And in the other control room is an unbiased story that's going out on the sec network.

(01:21:11):
And it's two different. I mean they're right next to each other but two totally different stories going on of the same game.
One is very much pro Auburn the other one is is you know you're doing what you're supposed to as a sports broadcast. And so the funny thing with that is is in one room, you're telling everyone come to the stadium because you don't want to miss out

(01:21:32):
but in the other room you're doing the best job so that they want to watch it on TV. You don't want to mess up that one for everyone that's staying home you know so.
And that is that is a great great point that you have one control room doing this and the other control room doing that.
And you know, yeah the bias thing does happen. It does happen, but then you have to stay so neutral on the other side. And you may be a student, you know, in that control room on that side where you have to stay neutral.

(01:22:04):
And so you have to be able to be mature you have to be able to be, you know, stay at fast and it's like, man, I hate that they're we're losing this game but the the person watching this on, you know, on their television or on their phone.
They're there, they need to enjoy. They need to know the story and if your team messed up they need to see it on a replay right. Exactly. Exactly.

(01:22:29):
We're going to come to a close I thank you for your time. I thank you for your blast. This is great. Thank you. We touched on a lot of different themes throughout this thing and and I mean all of them were, were on point to all of them were key to to where we are to where
we started to where we are right now in our business to where we are right now in our professional. So I thank you my friend. Thank you for being absolutely I thank you. This is it is great catching up with you again to and you man.

(01:23:00):
That's, that's what makes this business and this industry fun is it's our own little niche corner of the world and and being able to keep up with everybody and see each other again and see what they're doing at their, in their new industries or their new careers.
And it's really great catching up with you. And I said before no stories but I need to get.

(01:23:22):
I kid you not story.
I need I need at least one of them. Well,
I'm telling you just so many stories are just what makes you just love being a part of this industry because there are so many things that can mess up along the way.
And it's pretty remarkable when you think about it how many times they're pulled off properly for the amount of stuff whether it's someone parachuting in, or it's fireworks going off smoke fire.

(01:23:52):
I mean all these things that we're playing with lights, we've got a, you know, we didn't even think about that we are lights are so bright now that we had the airport nearby us call and say, you got to tell us when you're turning those lights on because planes are landing.
And I don't know which ones, which lights are which.
You know, like, all these things you guys start thinking of you start playing with all these natural or all these elements.

(01:24:18):
We'll call the airport from here on out. David, thank you my friend for again being here.
Come back, interview me again in three years when the podcast is still going and strong and, you know, maybe I can maybe I get to come in once a year and tell more stories.
Thank you for joining us right here on the jumbotron. We have enjoyed today's talk and you just keep doing what you need to be doing and encouraging all of those that are in our field that, you know, just keep showing up for game day.

(01:24:51):
Just keep showing up for game day and doing what you're supposed to do and all things would go well. We'll talk to you later.
Thanks for watching another episode of on the jumbotron podcast with host Christopher Lee. Make sure you like share and subscribe.
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(01:25:15):
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