October 16, 2024 • 39 mins
Imagine what it’s like to make hundreds of key decisions on “live” network television with millions watching. That’s what a sports television producer does behind-the-scenes each time they sit in “the big chair” in charge of the show. It’s a responsibility that requires good instincts, judgment and passion.
Not everyone can handle the pressure or responsibility, but Robert Steinfeld has done that for the last five decades.His work has earned him 10 Sports Emmy Awards for producing and or directing local, regional, and national network sports television since the early 1980s, and during that time has covered Major League Baseball; NBA, WNBA and college basketball; college football; NCAA Championship events; World Cup Soccer, the Cotton Bowl Classic for four decades; and three summer Olympic Games. He’s produced and or directed for ESPN, CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox Sports networks, Bally Sports, the NBA and more. In addition to his Emmy Awards and additional five nominations, he’s received a national Cable Ace Award nomination for Outstanding Programming Achievement, five Telly Awards, and more.
He’s produced five highly successful and critically acclaimed baseball pitching instructional videos – including Nolan Ryan’s Fastball with Randy Johnson. He’s been fortunate to work with some of the greatest athletes and broadcasting talent, and he learned a lot along the way.Robert is a native of New Jersey, but grew up in Dallas, Texas, where he’s lived since 1965. He attended Dallas Hillcrest High School then the University of Texas-Austin, graduating with honors with a Bachelor of Journalism degree. He and his wife, Sarah, have two children, Elaine and Lee (AKA Leonhart on YouTube), plus two grandchildren.Robert Steinfeld is Executive Producer of the WNBA Dallas Wings and National Lacrosse League Panther City Lacrosse Club.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/legends-extraordinary-lives--5351541/support.
Not everyone can handle the pressure or responsibility, but Robert Steinfeld has done that for the last five decades.His work has earned him 10 Sports Emmy Awards for producing and or directing local, regional, and national network sports television since the early 1980s, and during that time has covered Major League Baseball; NBA, WNBA and college basketball; college football; NCAA Championship events; World Cup Soccer, the Cotton Bowl Classic for four decades; and three summer Olympic Games. He’s produced and or directed for ESPN, CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox Sports networks, Bally Sports, the NBA and more. In addition to his Emmy Awards and additional five nominations, he’s received a national Cable Ace Award nomination for Outstanding Programming Achievement, five Telly Awards, and more.
He’s produced five highly successful and critically acclaimed baseball pitching instructional videos – including Nolan Ryan’s Fastball with Randy Johnson. He’s been fortunate to work with some of the greatest athletes and broadcasting talent, and he learned a lot along the way.Robert is a native of New Jersey, but grew up in Dallas, Texas, where he’s lived since 1965. He attended Dallas Hillcrest High School then the University of Texas-Austin, graduating with honors with a Bachelor of Journalism degree. He and his wife, Sarah, have two children, Elaine and Lee (AKA Leonhart on YouTube), plus two grandchildren.Robert Steinfeld is Executive Producer of the WNBA Dallas Wings and National Lacrosse League Panther City Lacrosse Club.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/legends-extraordinary-lives--5351541/support.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Hey, welcome back to success made to last legends. I'm
Rick Tolkeini. The show was brought to you by Edward Jones,
along with return valets and gracefully yours greeting cards and
today's legendary gas as the one and only Bob Steinfeld.
And imagine people, what it's like to make hundreds of
decisions in just two hours of live broadcast television, with
(00:33):
your work being seen by millions of people. That's the
thrill inside of Bob's book. In three two.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
One, we're on the air.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
He's won over, He's won ten Emmy Awards for producing.
And this book that I just finished in the last
day is a joy ride. And I think, Bob it
is a defendative gift of significance to the next generation
of broadcasters, producers, or whatever people want to pursue life.
(01:07):
It's an honor to honor you, mister Steinfeld.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
Welcome well, very humbled with those kind words. But you know,
to be honest with you, which I always am, by
the way, something my mother taught me, you know, but
be honest, don't go back on your word, and be punctual,
to respect the people that you're working with or your
(01:32):
friend's time, and that's something I even mentioned that in
the book as well. But yeah, the book to me,
yeah it's a memoir, but you know, I wanted part
of that memoir was going to be as a learning
tool for someone that wanted to become a producer or
achieve anything that they wanted to be successful in both
(01:56):
the professional and personal lives based on what I've learned
and what I had to do with no one there
to hand and spoon feed me a career. You know,
I was in Dallas growing up, and not in New
York where most of the networks, they all were based
there at that point, you know, growing up, and I
(02:19):
didn't come from an Ivy League school, which is not bad,
but on the East Coast and up in the East,
a lot of those schools and the New York schools
are feeding into the networks because they're there. So it's
kind of like I blazed my own path and trail
and because I knew what I wanted to do when
I was nine years old, ten years old in elementary school,
(02:41):
and I designed my career too, I felt, you know,
to achieve that, you know, I knew I had to
have a good English background, journalism background and get practical experience. So, yeah,
you read the book, like you said, and hopefully it's
a blueprint for as firing journalists.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
Yeah, I love what you said. I actually grew up
in the Dallas area from nineteen fifty five. Also, I
think you came to Dallas in sixty five. I laugh
when I read the word Dale Milford because Del Milford
being a local meteorologist along with Harold Taff, these were
(03:25):
guys of precision that you learned to lean into and
understand that. You know, weather was a big deal in
Dallas at the time. I think we actually made weather
and entertainment watching the storms come in. But anyway, I
love how you brought your past in Dallas and your
childhood together with your professional life. And so I'm going
(03:48):
to dive right into the middle of these questions and
I think we'll learn more about you, the man, and
the legend through this. Your memoir focuses heavily on your
experiences in Liverack, asking how do you think that the
immediacy and unpredictability of life to be actually shape your
perspective on life outside of the studio.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
That's an interesting question. No one's ever asked me that,
but I think you know what, you know what it's done.
And this is something that everyone in every profession and
also in everyone's personal lives always have a plan B.
You know, just expect Murphy's law. In our business, we've
(04:35):
learned the term Murphy's law. If something can go wrong,
will go wrong. You know, if you have equipment, you
have things that could happen, you know, natural you know,
events could take place, you know whatever. You know, my
executive producer wants he never would accept an excuse of
(04:59):
why you were not able to react in a live
situation with a backup plan. So pretty much I've always
had that. You know, I've had two or three different
backup plans. And you know, one thing we learned with
ABC when I was just starting out as a gopher,
they would have two or three additional videos at different
(05:23):
varying lengths that they could use in case there was
a rain delay or in case there was a something
else happened during a game, you know, where you're having
a fill and you didn't have a studio, and so
you know, it's you know, we bring a lot of
different instruments, like a doctor would to you know, if
(05:45):
he went on a house call, he would bring a
bag with different instruments. He would never use all of them,
but he would apply the one that he would need
to at that point. So when I'm producing an event,
I may have a lot of different vignettes or flashbacks
or sound bites, you know, but if you use all
(06:06):
of them, you're just cramming them into the show. You
want to just be prepared, you know. So, Yeah, there's
a lot of things that you learn in television that
apply in real life.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
Indeed, and I think you were a master storyteller. I'd
love for you to kind of take the stage as
if you were to receive an Oscar you're eleventh Emmy,
a Grammy and a Tony, and to say thank you
to the people that shaped you as a storyteller.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Yeah, so you want me what I would say if
I was going up on the dais you know? I
mean pretty much? You know if you read my book,
which you did, and you would know because I've mentioned
a lot of these people in my book, and in fact,
there are people like editors and even some people in
my family that said to me, you know, I don't
(07:02):
think you know anyone's going to really know these people
that you're mentioning, and maybe you didn't need to put
them in the book. And I said, well, I believe
you're right. That is true as far as they would
not know them. But some of these people were so
influenced in my career that I felt a responsibility and
(07:23):
compelled to mention them in my book because they helped
shape me. And so that's what I would say if
I was up on the dais or up on the set,
you know, and I would thank all those people that
provided me guidance along the way. And I do that now,
(07:45):
you know. I have you know, I have a stage
manager that were volunteers on our w NBA Dallas Wings
games and she's also a Division one college basketball player
for TCU. And what I'm doing is I'm giving her
the opportunity to work with us for the practical experience
and then providing her with some guidance along the way.
(08:08):
And people did that with me, and uh, you know,
and I'm doing it with with with others. Now, very good.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Would you mention Bob the one teacher that taught you
the five ws? The ah?
Speaker 3 (08:27):
Yeah, I mean it's a Judy Well, her real it
was Julia nicknamed Judy Jeffris, and her her son is
actually now the head pastor at the first Baptist church
in Dallas, Robert Jeffers, who's kind of known nationally anyway.
(08:48):
So she was so influential to me, and which you
don't necessarily realize that until later on. How great of
a teacher she was because everything I learned in high
school journalism and then wrote on the Hillcrest Hurricane Student
(09:08):
newspaper high school paper, which won all kinds of awards.
I mean, I literally when I arrived at the University
of Texas. Well, let me back that up a little.
When I graduated, was about to graduate from high school,
I applied to three journalism schools. I was going to
go to one of these three if I got in.
(09:29):
I applied to Texas, University of Texas, Austin, Missouri, and Vanderbilt.
Those were my three schools I wanted to go to
because I knew they specialized in journalism. But if Texas
offered me, I was going there. So that's where I
ended up. So now that leads to when I arrived
(09:51):
at the University of Texas in August of nineteen seventy four,
I had already gotten myself on the staff of the
Daily Texan, the great newspaper on the University of Texas,
because I already knew how to write, I knew how
to layout pages, I knew how to write headlines, I
(10:13):
knew how to cover stories, and so, you know, before
I even started classes in the fall semester, my first
assignment was covering the Texas football team scrimmage during the
week before they played that before they even started the season,
And my first assignment was I still put I put
(10:35):
it in the book. You know, I got permission to
reprint it about freshman Earl Campbell Russias for three touchdowns
in ages and three more, you know, from the University
of Texas. So Earl Campbell, the future Heisman Trophy winner,
and I were freshmen the same year at the University
of Texas. So then when I get into you know,
(10:56):
journalism classes, journalism three oh one, I guess, or one
oh one, whatever it was, I was able to tell
the kids around me exactly what we were going to
learn on every day. The first few days, I go, okay,
so the first thing we're going to talk about today
are the five w's of hs Who, what when, way
(11:17):
or why and how, and then that's okay. First thing
we're going to talk about classes. We're going to teach
you the five w's of age. You need these in
all your stories, you know. And then I said, now
he's going to talk about the inverted pyramid, putting all
your key top parts of your story at the top
because editors will cut from the bottom up right. And
(11:38):
then the other most important thing she taught me and
us was when you're writing a story and you're writing
the lead paragraph, which is the first paragraph when you
write it, read it back to yourself, and if you say,
so what at the end of that first paragraph, the lead,
(11:59):
then rewrite it until you don't.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
Brilliant, profound and brilliant.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
The process, Bob, of writing a memoir obviously requires a
lot of introspection, and you have so many stories that
you could have touched on. I'm wondering if there was
a particular moment or aspect of your career that was
more difficult to reflect on and even recall, and if so, why, I.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
Don't know if you mean difficult as far as trying
or you mean difficult because I can't. I'm purposely trying
to not remember the details of something terrible that happened.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
Let's take the ladder.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
I'll tell you one of the things that that didn't
I could. It was hard for me to understand at
the time or even now really, but after producing the
inaugural season of the w NBA for Lifetime and ESPN,
you know, at the end of the season, we had
(13:14):
a great little kind of thank you event party that
Lifetime and the others, you know, kind of put on
for us, and they're talking about what a great season,
it was great production. We can't you know, everything be cool,
we'll be back next year, everything, and you know, we're
all really excited about it. But then about a couple
(13:35):
of months later, I'm informed that I'm sorry, but our
president of our company has decided of that company, Lifetime.
I believe it was network that they want to have
a all female front of the truck next season. Okay,
(13:58):
so gender equities in the title of my book, I
have no problem which ender equity. I like being fair.
I've done so much for women's sports. I didn't realize that.
Nancy Leeberman, who wrote the ford in my book, said,
Bob doesn't even realize that he's been an activist for
women's sports for all these years, because I've covered it
since the seventies and still do you know, as executive
(14:19):
producer of the w NBA Dallas Wings, you know, and
a proponent for Title nine, I push for equality for everyone,
no matter what religion or race you are or you know, gender.
But in this case, you know, it kind of hurt
me because it's like, you do a great job and
(14:42):
then it's out of your control. And then like a
few months later, I had some people with the ESPN associates,
not with the network itself, people that work for es
men would be contacted me and said, hey, I heard
you're going to sue ESPN in lifetime for for for
(15:03):
you know, reverse discrimination. And I said, no, that's that's
never been on my mind. You know. It's like, you know,
it might have been, you know, professional suicide. But to me,
it's like, Okay, I understand that's what they want to do,
if that's the case. But what hurt me is that
(15:25):
you can do as great of a job as you
can and everything is fantastic, and then it's out of
your control. What do you do? That bothered me maybe
more than anything. You know, it's like, you know, you
give all your whole, everything you've got. You do a
great job, you're even told you you've done a great job.
But then when something like that happens, it's hard to
(15:48):
explain to yourself.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
Yeah, thank you. That's the real that's the real inside
story on that. You work so hard and you're a
man of principle and you're following core values that your
mom and dad laid out much less living in Texas
and wanting to do the right thing, and then something
like that happens. It's just like a bit of a
(16:14):
slap in the vase.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
You know what. And then once we got through the
Olympics in nineteen ninety six, you know, ESPN, I mean
a NBC hired me to produce ninety two Olympics, the
ninety six Olympics in the two thousand and four and
the ninety two Olympics was great, working with Bob Costas
producing the official highlight video and also dream Team one video.
(16:38):
Those are really good stories. But I'm weaving back into
the you know, my affinity for equality, and I was
asked to produce Beach Volleyball, which was great in ninety
six the first year of it, and then afterwards they
(16:58):
asked me to stay to produce the team USA Women's
softball championship game if they got in the championship game,
which everyone anticipated they would with Dot Richards and Lisa
Fernandez and the like like that, and they were at
the sunset of their careers and it was the first
time women's softball was going to be in the Olympics,
(17:22):
you know, back again, and it was almost like their
last chance to maybe get a gold medal, and it
was gonna be a great story if they got it,
they would be in tears. The venue was electric, and
I went to the semi final game and it was fantastic,
and you know, everyone's screaming, the teams, the venue, it's fantastic.
(17:42):
And so on the morning of the championship game, I've
got my program log, you know, under my door because
they weren't sending internet stuff in ninety six, you know,
emails then, and the program log for MBSC Prime Time
did not have my game in it. It just had highlights,
(18:03):
like a thirty second highlights and forty five seconds of
highlights at they won the championship game. So I called
our core dating producer and I told David Neil, I said, look,
you guys asked me to say, I've got a whole crew.
I've got announcers and everything, you know, even if they
only put some of the last inning, if they're for
winning the championship game. And he goes, well, you need
(18:23):
to come down to our executive meeting this morning, and
you know, kind of give your argument that Dick ever
saw the president of NBC Sports, and you know the
executives will be their other executives. So you know, I
went down there did it, and you know, I pushed
for a women's softball team, and you know, we got
to like eight forty five pm and you know, highlights,
(18:46):
and I said, Dick, you know I really wish you know,
this is everything you stood for, everything that you mentioned
in our meeting at the before the Olympics started about
the patriotism the women, and you know it's going to
be fantastic venue. I was there, but he wanted to
just do highlights. And that same thing happened later on.
I kept pushing for it and pushing for it, and
(19:08):
you know, and that's something you know that I did,
even though I knew, well they may never hire me
again for standing up for the sport. And you know,
and that you know wasn't what you know NBC had
in their prime time schedules. So I felt bad, you know,
(19:31):
that it was turned down. But afterwards, as I'm leaving
the out of the meeting, and one of the executives
came up to me and she said, you know what,
everyone in the room agreed with what you said, but
for NBC, you know, you don't disagree with what Digger
Ebler Salt says, but you know, thank you anyway for
(19:53):
your effort. So anyway, so that's standing up for what
you feel is right. And you know in this case,
and guess what, you know, they ended up hiring me
back for another Olympics. And Dick Eversoll wrote, was interviewed
a few months later by the Atlanta Constitution and he
said that that was you know, the one mistake he
(20:17):
made at the Olympics was not showing you know, a
portion of that game in prime time.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
The story behind the story. Thank you for that, mister Steinfeld.
We're going to take a quick commercial break, but before
we do that, tell our listeners where they can purchase
your book and maybe even get an autograph copy.
Speaker 3 (20:35):
Well, you know, I'm traveling around the country I'm going
on a little mini national book tour, so you know,
I'll be in El Paso on Sunday, October twentieth. I'll
be Dallas on Wednesday, October thirtieth. Then I'll be in November.
I'll be in Houston. Then I'll be in Cherry Hill,
(20:56):
New Jersey around Philadelphia area in the middle of November.
Then I'm going up to ESPN for alumni reunion after
that because I'm on the East coast, and then I'll
be in Atlanta on I believe it's November seventeenth, the
Sunday I'll be there. So that's what I've scheduled right now.
(21:20):
So if you live anywhere around those parts, you can
look that up on my website. My website, Robert Steinfeldt
dot com has you can purchase the book there, and
it also has tabs about the book, and there's a
tab for events, and you can just go to the
event site and I'll tell you more about my where
(21:42):
I'm going to be, and you know, links to the
website to where you can register for those those book
signing events. But it's also available on every book site
around the world, so you name it pretty much, you know,
Amazon and Noble, Google Powell's Books Thrip the Books, so
(22:07):
just look at you know, it's available in Germany, Australia.
I was interviewed by a podcast in Australia on Friday.
You know, so the book's available pretty much wherever books
are sold. It's actually the release date is Tuesday, October
twenty second, but you can buy it now and the
ebook is available also Amazon, Kendall, Barnes and Noble, Nook
(22:30):
and most book sites they'll have it listed that way.
So Robert Steinfelle dot.
Speaker 1 (22:34):
Com excellent and we will be right back with legendary
producer Bob Steinfeld right after this message.
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Speaker 1 (24:06):
And we are back with Bob Steinfeld. His book three
two one We're on the Air is extraordinary and I
sat there read it and then wondered, given that we
are so obsessed and focused on the word significant, what
else is there so significant about you?
Speaker 3 (24:27):
And I thought, you.
Speaker 1 (24:29):
Must be a pioneer in multitasking, and you must be
a pine. You must be one of those guys that
thinks like a chess player because you were always two
and three and four steps ahead. Can you can you
comment on those two odd observations?
Speaker 3 (24:51):
Well, you know, I'm People tell me I'm organized, and
I know you have to be organized. I mean little
things like I put different events in different color folders
so that I know when something comes up, immediately goes
in that color folder. Never do I have a folder
of the same color, because if you do, you're gonna
(25:12):
end up putting it in the wrong folder, you know,
and so or you know, I'm kind of old school
in that regard, but yeah, it really helps out, you
know that, in that regard. And as far as multitasking goes, Yeah,
there's some people that I work with. They can only
work in at one thing at a time, you know.
(25:34):
They I would never ask them to work on multiple
events in different sports. So what I can do is
I can actually work on five or six or seven
different sports in the same week, and I'm able to
(25:54):
jump from one to the other. And you know, I
put an example in my book, like there was one week,
well many weeks, but the one example I put in
there was like, well, I produced a Dallas Cowboys press
conference show like on a Monday, and then then I
did a San Antonio Spurs live show in San Antonio,
(26:18):
and then I did a Major League Baseball game and
then I did a I did a Sunday night. Oh,
I did a college football game on the weekend, So
that's a Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Then I flew to do
a boxing match, a Sunday night Fights National Boxing event,
you know. And then then there was another time I
left the next day and I went up to Bristol
(26:40):
for Major League Baseball meetings and then produced three opening
day games in one week, you know, because they're different
because some teams open on like a Tuesday, another would Wednesday,
and then the next week they would be home and
their opening day would be a week later, you know.
And so yeah, there was one week where I did
four opening weeks in one week, you know. So it's like, yeah,
(27:04):
it's a lot of organization, a lot of multitasking, and
so that's something I guess maybe you learn over time,
but I'm able to do it.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
I think your book helps those that are just breaking
into any industry in terms of how to organize their
day and their thought. And that's that's one of the
things that I think there's some built in life lessons here.
I want you to comment about some of the great
broadcasters that you've experienced over the course of time and
(27:35):
maybe bring out three examples if you want to, of
those that were great at minimal words, but powerful and
pactful words that kind of seered into our memory today,
such as Verne Lundquist covering Jack Nicholas in nineteen eighty six.
Speaker 3 (27:58):
Yeah. Well, Verna was one of the smartest guys, you know,
I worked with. I knew way back when I was
in elementary school in junior high and I used to
take the bus. I can't believe this is my parents
let me take the Dallas City bus from North Dallas
(28:18):
down to Channel eight studio in Dallas on Young Street
and sit in the studio. Why Verne was writing his
copy for the night, and then he would do anchor
the broadcast and I would sit in the studio and
watch him. And I remember afterwards he was done with
the sports cast, he would throw the copy in the
(28:40):
trash can in his office, and when he left, I
would pick it up and take it with me home.
And because I thought, I go, wow, this is treasure.
I can learn how to write like he does, and
I'm going to keep this. This is really cool, you know.
So that was fantastic, you know, learning from him. And
then fifteen years later, I ended up hiring him for
(29:02):
one of his first ever play by play assignments, and
that was doing the National Southwest Conference Basketball Game of
the Week on USA Network during the FI Slama Jama Era.
So I'm still friends with Vern and you know, Vern
even wrote, you know, a blurb for my book, you know,
(29:25):
you know, so that's on the back cover. I know
you will enjoy reading his stories and listening to his advice.
And he even wrote like an expanded version inside about
how he remembers when he was a little thinner and
had more hair when we worked together. So yeah, he's one.
(29:45):
I mean, another person that I in high regard as
Bob Costas, and I worked with him in nineteen ninety
two at the Barcelona Olympics, where you know, I was
asked to produce the official Olympic Highlight video for NBC
and Blockbuster, and Bob Costas was the talent for it.
(30:09):
John Tesh wrote the music, and writer Jeremy Shapp, Dick
Chap's son was one of the writers on it. And
so how could I screw that up? Well, it was
really a tough assignment because I was also asked to
produce the Dream Team one video from Barcelona simultaneously, you know,
(30:30):
and I had like six headed bays going as you know,
the games were over and they're pulling cables and they're
tearing the IBC down and I'm trying to finish. Well anyway,
I didn't finish until I got back to the United
States and let me finish the video in Dallas. But
I had to fly to Saint Louis to have Bob
finish up the voice over. He had done most of it,
(30:52):
but so we booked a studio in Saint Louis, NBC
did and he came in and it got to be
like about six o'clock, and I thought we'd have been
done already, but it was taking way longer than I thought,
and he had to go to the Cardinals game do
a Cardinals game with his son was coming. What was
going to go with him? Well, I thought, you know,
(31:15):
he had laid down in his tracks pretty pretty well,
and that was the last I was going to see
him because he had to go to the Cardinal game.
Then about eight o'clock, I get a phone call and
I hear Ballpark in the background, and it's Bob Costa
is calling me in the studio in Saint Louis because
we I don't even have a cell phone then, and
(31:36):
he goes, hey, this is Bob, and I go, yeah,
I know who you are. He goes, I'm just checking
in with you. I just want to make sure you
were really happy with the work that I did. I go, well,
how I'm thinking about? How could I not be happy
with the work you did? You did great job? But
I go, really, there's there's there's a part in the
(31:56):
in the wrestling area that wasn't absolutely perfect, but what
you said would work. And he goes, no, no, no, no, no.
He goes up. He goes, when I get done with
the game, I'm coming back to the studio and we'll
revoice it till you you and I feel that it's perfect.
And you know, and to me, this is what makes
(32:19):
good announcers great announcers. You know, they have the standards
like we do. And no matter how inconvenient it might be,
he wants it perfect, you know, he wants me to
be happy that that it's perfect. And so he comes
back and we voice it over and then he realizes.
He says to me, you know what, what are you
(32:41):
supposed to fly back to Dallas tonight and apparently you
missed your flat. I go, yeah, he goes, I'm gonna
have to call NBC or something late night, you know,
see if I can reach someone to book me a
hotel here. And he goes, no, no, he goes, I
want you to come and stay at my house. And
I go, wow, I go that's such, you know, a
nice gesture, but I would never want to win true.
(33:02):
And he goes, no, no, really, you can come stay
with us and all that. And I go, well, maybe
if I was done, I would come, but I'm going
to be here for a little while, so I don't
know what I'm going to be done. So I appreciate it.
That's so nice, Bob, But I'm going to, you know,
just stay at a hotel somewhere downtown, you know. And
that's another thing that said to me. That's why I
(33:23):
put him in my chapter my book of like the
five People that you have a great respect for it
and you have great esteem for, and then when you
meet him, they actually exceed your expectations or your perception.
Usually you get a chapter in a book about that
they don't live up to it. He exceeded it. He's
one of the one of the five five people. And
(33:46):
that's why the reason I just told you a couple
of reasons, not only how good at what he does,
but his character, beautiful story.
Speaker 1 (34:00):
I'll close with a comment and one final question, and
it's this often we've interviewed.
Speaker 2 (34:09):
Our heroes on this show.
Speaker 1 (34:12):
And years ago, Bob I had a chance to meet
Roger Staubach and I remember seeing him at Mass one
time in Plano.
Speaker 2 (34:27):
We went and happened he happened to be over there.
Speaker 1 (34:30):
This was a Saturday night before a Sunday game, and
it's like the entire congregation was just watching Roger go
up to take communion.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
I'll never forget.
Speaker 1 (34:37):
It's like, there goes Jesus' son up there in the front.
Speaker 3 (34:41):
And so in Dallas, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (34:45):
I'm standing there in the in the back room at
a FREEDO, a national meeting, and I had arranged for
him to come speak, and it's like I was caught
there in front of my hero. And I want you
to comment on on what's your life been like standing
in front of so many of your heroes and what
(35:07):
did you say or not say? When is it appropriate
to say something or not say something in front of
your heroes?
Speaker 3 (35:14):
Yeah. I mean, I mean people like Nolan Ryan, who
I worked with, and I mean that's an entrepreneurial thing
where I flew Randy Johnson, the pitcher in from Seattle
to work with Nolan and Alvin, Texas. I chose Alvin,
Texas because that's where Nolan lived, but also Alvin High
School where he went to high school. And I filmed
(35:36):
him and Randy Johnson and from that point Randy attributes
meeting with Nolan that turned around his career, you know,
and I write about that in the book, you know,
and I paid for the whole project and that we
sold you know, a lot of videos, you know, based
on that. That so getting to know Nolan, but you know,
(35:59):
you know, I think funny story is like Tim Duncan,
who played for the Spurs. I actually produced the Spurs
for twenty three years. And you're not really supposed to
talk to the players, right It's like the rule, you know,
unless they happen to pass by you casually or in
the hotel lobby or you're at dinner somewhere and they're there.
(36:19):
You know, it's like, so let the players, you know,
be alone. And that's kind of what you were asking
you know when you talk to them, when do you not?
But we're up in Air Canada Center. Then in Toronto,
I flew up to meet the team in Toronto and
it was about twelve and our production truck don't up
until one. So I go out on the court and
(36:39):
the team is still at the shoot around. The shoot
around for those that don't know, that's a little practice
where they scout, you know, the other team and go
over plays they're going to run that night, and just
basically warm up and get get everyone out of their bed.
But and then they go back to the hotel. So
I remember Tim Duncan hadn't been feeling well the last game,
and so you know, as the practice is ending, I'm
(37:02):
sitting over on the chair on the baseline and Tim
starts walking over to me, and I'm going, oh, I'm here.
He's coming right at me. And I looked on my
right and there's some warm up ors. It's his clothes
right next to where I'm sitting. So he's walking right
up to me and our eyes meet and I said, hey,
(37:23):
I go okay, I'll say something. I go, timmy, how
are you feeling? And he goes he goes, oh, I'm fine,
I'm going to play tonight. And then he looks at
me and says, how are you? And I go wow,
he's asking me how I am, and you can actually
think about that at that moment, and I go, oh, Timmy,
I feel great. I scored twenty one points in the JBA, yes,
(37:44):
or the Jewish Basketball Association. And he looks at me
and says, got to dominate where you can, man exactly.
Speaker 1 (37:54):
And that's the tottle of your first chapter. Right, yeah,
that is so great. Well, okay, and thank you for that.
And then final comment to you is, you know, we
have careers. We chase down success. Sometimes the latters are
leaning against the right buildings, sometimes they're not. And then
(38:15):
there's the topic of significance. I think, mister Steinfeld, that
you your book is in the zone of significance and
it is a gift to anyone who wants a blueprint
about how to work hard, be a man of principle,
be precise, do good work, and kind of never give up.
(38:38):
And so I just want to thank you on behalf
of our network for producing what we think is a
great work of significance.
Speaker 3 (38:45):
I certainly appreciate those comments and thank you so much
for having me on the show today.
Speaker 2 (38:51):
You are most welcome.
Speaker 1 (38:53):
That was our legendary guest, Bob Steinfeld.
Speaker 2 (38:56):
His book is a three two one.
Speaker 1 (38:58):
We're on the air and it's a level now and
so you can go to Amazon, Palace, Barnes and Noble,
ask your independent bookstores to carry the book.
Speaker 2 (39:09):
And we appreciate him being on.
Speaker 1 (39:10):
And as we always say, folks, we wish you success, been.
Speaker 2 (39:13):
On your way to significance.
Speaker 3 (39:15):
I bet you ca
Hey, welcome back to success made to last legends. I'm
Rick Tolkeini. The show was brought to you by Edward Jones,
along with return valets and gracefully yours greeting cards and
today's legendary gas as the one and only Bob Steinfeld.
And imagine people, what it's like to make hundreds of
decisions in just two hours of live broadcast television, with
(00:33):
your work being seen by millions of people. That's the
thrill inside of Bob's book. In three two.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
One, we're on the air.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
He's won over, He's won ten Emmy Awards for producing.
And this book that I just finished in the last
day is a joy ride. And I think, Bob it
is a defendative gift of significance to the next generation
of broadcasters, producers, or whatever people want to pursue life.
(01:07):
It's an honor to honor you, mister Steinfeld.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
Welcome well, very humbled with those kind words. But you know,
to be honest with you, which I always am, by
the way, something my mother taught me, you know, but
be honest, don't go back on your word, and be punctual,
to respect the people that you're working with or your
(01:32):
friend's time, and that's something I even mentioned that in
the book as well. But yeah, the book to me,
yeah it's a memoir, but you know, I wanted part
of that memoir was going to be as a learning
tool for someone that wanted to become a producer or
achieve anything that they wanted to be successful in both
(01:56):
the professional and personal lives based on what I've learned
and what I had to do with no one there
to hand and spoon feed me a career. You know,
I was in Dallas growing up, and not in New
York where most of the networks, they all were based
there at that point, you know, growing up, and I
(02:19):
didn't come from an Ivy League school, which is not bad,
but on the East Coast and up in the East,
a lot of those schools and the New York schools
are feeding into the networks because they're there. So it's
kind of like I blazed my own path and trail
and because I knew what I wanted to do when
I was nine years old, ten years old in elementary school,
(02:41):
and I designed my career too, I felt, you know,
to achieve that, you know, I knew I had to
have a good English background, journalism background and get practical experience. So, yeah,
you read the book, like you said, and hopefully it's
a blueprint for as firing journalists.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
Yeah, I love what you said. I actually grew up
in the Dallas area from nineteen fifty five. Also, I
think you came to Dallas in sixty five. I laugh
when I read the word Dale Milford because Del Milford
being a local meteorologist along with Harold Taff, these were
(03:25):
guys of precision that you learned to lean into and
understand that. You know, weather was a big deal in
Dallas at the time. I think we actually made weather
and entertainment watching the storms come in. But anyway, I
love how you brought your past in Dallas and your
childhood together with your professional life. And so I'm going
(03:48):
to dive right into the middle of these questions and
I think we'll learn more about you, the man, and
the legend through this. Your memoir focuses heavily on your
experiences in Liverack, asking how do you think that the
immediacy and unpredictability of life to be actually shape your
perspective on life outside of the studio.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
That's an interesting question. No one's ever asked me that,
but I think you know what, you know what it's done.
And this is something that everyone in every profession and
also in everyone's personal lives always have a plan B.
You know, just expect Murphy's law. In our business, we've
(04:35):
learned the term Murphy's law. If something can go wrong,
will go wrong. You know, if you have equipment, you
have things that could happen, you know, natural you know,
events could take place, you know whatever. You know, my
executive producer wants he never would accept an excuse of
(04:59):
why you were not able to react in a live
situation with a backup plan. So pretty much I've always
had that. You know, I've had two or three different
backup plans. And you know, one thing we learned with
ABC when I was just starting out as a gopher,
they would have two or three additional videos at different
(05:23):
varying lengths that they could use in case there was
a rain delay or in case there was a something
else happened during a game, you know, where you're having
a fill and you didn't have a studio, and so
you know, it's you know, we bring a lot of
different instruments, like a doctor would to you know, if
(05:45):
he went on a house call, he would bring a
bag with different instruments. He would never use all of them,
but he would apply the one that he would need
to at that point. So when I'm producing an event,
I may have a lot of different vignettes or flashbacks
or sound bites, you know, but if you use all
(06:06):
of them, you're just cramming them into the show. You
want to just be prepared, you know. So, Yeah, there's
a lot of things that you learn in television that
apply in real life.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
Indeed, and I think you were a master storyteller. I'd
love for you to kind of take the stage as
if you were to receive an Oscar you're eleventh Emmy,
a Grammy and a Tony, and to say thank you
to the people that shaped you as a storyteller.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Yeah, so you want me what I would say if
I was going up on the dais you know? I
mean pretty much? You know if you read my book,
which you did, and you would know because I've mentioned
a lot of these people in my book, and in fact,
there are people like editors and even some people in
my family that said to me, you know, I don't
(07:02):
think you know anyone's going to really know these people
that you're mentioning, and maybe you didn't need to put
them in the book. And I said, well, I believe
you're right. That is true as far as they would
not know them. But some of these people were so
influenced in my career that I felt a responsibility and
(07:23):
compelled to mention them in my book because they helped
shape me. And so that's what I would say if
I was up on the dais or up on the set,
you know, and I would thank all those people that
provided me guidance along the way. And I do that now,
(07:45):
you know. I have you know, I have a stage
manager that were volunteers on our w NBA Dallas Wings
games and she's also a Division one college basketball player
for TCU. And what I'm doing is I'm giving her
the opportunity to work with us for the practical experience
and then providing her with some guidance along the way.
(08:08):
And people did that with me, and uh, you know,
and I'm doing it with with with others. Now, very good.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Would you mention Bob the one teacher that taught you
the five ws? The ah?
Speaker 3 (08:27):
Yeah, I mean it's a Judy Well, her real it
was Julia nicknamed Judy Jeffris, and her her son is
actually now the head pastor at the first Baptist church
in Dallas, Robert Jeffers, who's kind of known nationally anyway.
(08:48):
So she was so influential to me, and which you
don't necessarily realize that until later on. How great of
a teacher she was because everything I learned in high
school journalism and then wrote on the Hillcrest Hurricane Student
(09:08):
newspaper high school paper, which won all kinds of awards.
I mean, I literally when I arrived at the University
of Texas. Well, let me back that up a little.
When I graduated, was about to graduate from high school,
I applied to three journalism schools. I was going to
go to one of these three if I got in.
(09:29):
I applied to Texas, University of Texas, Austin, Missouri, and Vanderbilt.
Those were my three schools I wanted to go to
because I knew they specialized in journalism. But if Texas
offered me, I was going there. So that's where I
ended up. So now that leads to when I arrived
(09:51):
at the University of Texas in August of nineteen seventy four,
I had already gotten myself on the staff of the
Daily Texan, the great newspaper on the University of Texas,
because I already knew how to write, I knew how
to layout pages, I knew how to write headlines, I
(10:13):
knew how to cover stories, and so, you know, before
I even started classes in the fall semester, my first
assignment was covering the Texas football team scrimmage during the
week before they played that before they even started the season,
And my first assignment was I still put I put
(10:35):
it in the book. You know, I got permission to
reprint it about freshman Earl Campbell Russias for three touchdowns
in ages and three more, you know, from the University
of Texas. So Earl Campbell, the future Heisman Trophy winner,
and I were freshmen the same year at the University
of Texas. So then when I get into you know,
(10:56):
journalism classes, journalism three oh one, I guess, or one
oh one, whatever it was, I was able to tell
the kids around me exactly what we were going to
learn on every day. The first few days, I go, okay,
so the first thing we're going to talk about today
are the five w's of hs Who, what when, way
(11:17):
or why and how, and then that's okay. First thing
we're going to talk about classes. We're going to teach
you the five w's of age. You need these in
all your stories, you know. And then I said, now
he's going to talk about the inverted pyramid, putting all
your key top parts of your story at the top
because editors will cut from the bottom up right. And
(11:38):
then the other most important thing she taught me and
us was when you're writing a story and you're writing
the lead paragraph, which is the first paragraph when you
write it, read it back to yourself, and if you say,
so what at the end of that first paragraph, the lead,
(11:59):
then rewrite it until you don't.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
Brilliant, profound and brilliant.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
The process, Bob, of writing a memoir obviously requires a
lot of introspection, and you have so many stories that
you could have touched on. I'm wondering if there was
a particular moment or aspect of your career that was
more difficult to reflect on and even recall, and if so, why, I.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
Don't know if you mean difficult as far as trying
or you mean difficult because I can't. I'm purposely trying
to not remember the details of something terrible that happened.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
Let's take the ladder.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
I'll tell you one of the things that that didn't
I could. It was hard for me to understand at
the time or even now really, but after producing the
inaugural season of the w NBA for Lifetime and ESPN,
you know, at the end of the season, we had
(13:14):
a great little kind of thank you event party that
Lifetime and the others, you know, kind of put on
for us, and they're talking about what a great season,
it was great production. We can't you know, everything be cool,
we'll be back next year, everything, and you know, we're
all really excited about it. But then about a couple
(13:35):
of months later, I'm informed that I'm sorry, but our
president of our company has decided of that company, Lifetime.
I believe it was network that they want to have
a all female front of the truck next season. Okay,
(13:58):
so gender equities in the title of my book, I
have no problem which ender equity. I like being fair.
I've done so much for women's sports. I didn't realize that.
Nancy Leeberman, who wrote the ford in my book, said,
Bob doesn't even realize that he's been an activist for
women's sports for all these years, because I've covered it
since the seventies and still do you know, as executive
(14:19):
producer of the w NBA Dallas Wings, you know, and
a proponent for Title nine, I push for equality for everyone,
no matter what religion or race you are or you know, gender.
But in this case, you know, it kind of hurt
me because it's like, you do a great job and
(14:42):
then it's out of your control. And then like a
few months later, I had some people with the ESPN associates,
not with the network itself, people that work for es
men would be contacted me and said, hey, I heard
you're going to sue ESPN in lifetime for for for
(15:03):
you know, reverse discrimination. And I said, no, that's that's
never been on my mind. You know. It's like, you know,
it might have been, you know, professional suicide. But to me,
it's like, Okay, I understand that's what they want to do,
if that's the case. But what hurt me is that
(15:25):
you can do as great of a job as you
can and everything is fantastic, and then it's out of
your control. What do you do? That bothered me maybe
more than anything. You know, it's like, you know, you
give all your whole, everything you've got. You do a
great job, you're even told you you've done a great job.
But then when something like that happens, it's hard to
(15:48):
explain to yourself.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
Yeah, thank you. That's the real that's the real inside
story on that. You work so hard and you're a
man of principle and you're following core values that your
mom and dad laid out much less living in Texas
and wanting to do the right thing, and then something
like that happens. It's just like a bit of a
(16:14):
slap in the vase.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
You know what. And then once we got through the
Olympics in nineteen ninety six, you know, ESPN, I mean
a NBC hired me to produce ninety two Olympics, the
ninety six Olympics in the two thousand and four and
the ninety two Olympics was great, working with Bob Costas
producing the official highlight video and also dream Team one video.
(16:38):
Those are really good stories. But I'm weaving back into
the you know, my affinity for equality, and I was
asked to produce Beach Volleyball, which was great in ninety
six the first year of it, and then afterwards they
(16:58):
asked me to stay to produce the team USA Women's
softball championship game if they got in the championship game,
which everyone anticipated they would with Dot Richards and Lisa
Fernandez and the like like that, and they were at
the sunset of their careers and it was the first
time women's softball was going to be in the Olympics,
(17:22):
you know, back again, and it was almost like their
last chance to maybe get a gold medal, and it
was gonna be a great story if they got it,
they would be in tears. The venue was electric, and
I went to the semi final game and it was fantastic,
and you know, everyone's screaming, the teams, the venue, it's fantastic.
(17:42):
And so on the morning of the championship game, I've
got my program log, you know, under my door because
they weren't sending internet stuff in ninety six, you know,
emails then, and the program log for MBSC Prime Time
did not have my game in it. It just had highlights,
(18:03):
like a thirty second highlights and forty five seconds of
highlights at they won the championship game. So I called
our core dating producer and I told David Neil, I said, look,
you guys asked me to say, I've got a whole crew.
I've got announcers and everything, you know, even if they
only put some of the last inning, if they're for
winning the championship game. And he goes, well, you need
(18:23):
to come down to our executive meeting this morning, and
you know, kind of give your argument that Dick ever
saw the president of NBC Sports, and you know the
executives will be their other executives. So you know, I
went down there did it, and you know, I pushed
for a women's softball team, and you know, we got
to like eight forty five pm and you know, highlights,
(18:46):
and I said, Dick, you know I really wish you know,
this is everything you stood for, everything that you mentioned
in our meeting at the before the Olympics started about
the patriotism the women, and you know it's going to
be fantastic venue. I was there, but he wanted to
just do highlights. And that same thing happened later on.
I kept pushing for it and pushing for it, and
(19:08):
you know, and that's something you know that I did,
even though I knew, well they may never hire me
again for standing up for the sport. And you know,
and that you know wasn't what you know NBC had
in their prime time schedules. So I felt bad, you know,
(19:31):
that it was turned down. But afterwards, as I'm leaving
the out of the meeting, and one of the executives
came up to me and she said, you know what,
everyone in the room agreed with what you said, but
for NBC, you know, you don't disagree with what Digger
Ebler Salt says, but you know, thank you anyway for
(19:53):
your effort. So anyway, so that's standing up for what
you feel is right. And you know in this case,
and guess what, you know, they ended up hiring me
back for another Olympics. And Dick Eversoll wrote, was interviewed
a few months later by the Atlanta Constitution and he
said that that was you know, the one mistake he
(20:17):
made at the Olympics was not showing you know, a
portion of that game in prime time.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
The story behind the story. Thank you for that, mister Steinfeld.
We're going to take a quick commercial break, but before
we do that, tell our listeners where they can purchase
your book and maybe even get an autograph copy.
Speaker 3 (20:35):
Well, you know, I'm traveling around the country I'm going
on a little mini national book tour, so you know,
I'll be in El Paso on Sunday, October twentieth. I'll
be Dallas on Wednesday, October thirtieth. Then I'll be in November.
I'll be in Houston. Then I'll be in Cherry Hill,
(20:56):
New Jersey around Philadelphia area in the middle of November.
Then I'm going up to ESPN for alumni reunion after
that because I'm on the East coast, and then I'll
be in Atlanta on I believe it's November seventeenth, the
Sunday I'll be there. So that's what I've scheduled right now.
(21:20):
So if you live anywhere around those parts, you can
look that up on my website. My website, Robert Steinfeldt
dot com has you can purchase the book there, and
it also has tabs about the book, and there's a
tab for events, and you can just go to the
event site and I'll tell you more about my where
(21:42):
I'm going to be, and you know, links to the
website to where you can register for those those book
signing events. But it's also available on every book site
around the world, so you name it pretty much, you know,
Amazon and Noble, Google Powell's Books Thrip the Books, so
(22:07):
just look at you know, it's available in Germany, Australia.
I was interviewed by a podcast in Australia on Friday.
You know, so the book's available pretty much wherever books
are sold. It's actually the release date is Tuesday, October
twenty second, but you can buy it now and the
ebook is available also Amazon, Kendall, Barnes and Noble, Nook
(22:30):
and most book sites they'll have it listed that way.
So Robert Steinfelle dot.
Speaker 1 (22:34):
Com excellent and we will be right back with legendary
producer Bob Steinfeld right after this message.
Speaker 4 (22:44):
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Speaker 1 (24:06):
And we are back with Bob Steinfeld. His book three
two one We're on the Air is extraordinary and I
sat there read it and then wondered, given that we
are so obsessed and focused on the word significant, what
else is there so significant about you?
Speaker 3 (24:27):
And I thought, you.
Speaker 1 (24:29):
Must be a pioneer in multitasking, and you must be
a pine. You must be one of those guys that
thinks like a chess player because you were always two
and three and four steps ahead. Can you can you
comment on those two odd observations?
Speaker 3 (24:51):
Well, you know, I'm People tell me I'm organized, and
I know you have to be organized. I mean little
things like I put different events in different color folders
so that I know when something comes up, immediately goes
in that color folder. Never do I have a folder
of the same color, because if you do, you're gonna
(25:12):
end up putting it in the wrong folder, you know,
and so or you know, I'm kind of old school
in that regard, but yeah, it really helps out, you
know that, in that regard. And as far as multitasking goes, Yeah,
there's some people that I work with. They can only
work in at one thing at a time, you know.
(25:34):
They I would never ask them to work on multiple
events in different sports. So what I can do is
I can actually work on five or six or seven
different sports in the same week, and I'm able to
(25:54):
jump from one to the other. And you know, I
put an example in my book, like there was one week,
well many weeks, but the one example I put in
there was like, well, I produced a Dallas Cowboys press
conference show like on a Monday, and then then I
did a San Antonio Spurs live show in San Antonio,
(26:18):
and then I did a Major League Baseball game and
then I did a I did a Sunday night. Oh,
I did a college football game on the weekend, So
that's a Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Then I flew to do
a boxing match, a Sunday night Fights National Boxing event,
you know. And then then there was another time I
left the next day and I went up to Bristol
(26:40):
for Major League Baseball meetings and then produced three opening
day games in one week, you know, because they're different
because some teams open on like a Tuesday, another would Wednesday,
and then the next week they would be home and
their opening day would be a week later, you know.
And so yeah, there was one week where I did
four opening weeks in one week, you know. So it's like, yeah,
(27:04):
it's a lot of organization, a lot of multitasking, and
so that's something I guess maybe you learn over time,
but I'm able to do it.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
I think your book helps those that are just breaking
into any industry in terms of how to organize their
day and their thought. And that's that's one of the
things that I think there's some built in life lessons here.
I want you to comment about some of the great
broadcasters that you've experienced over the course of time and
(27:35):
maybe bring out three examples if you want to, of
those that were great at minimal words, but powerful and
pactful words that kind of seered into our memory today,
such as Verne Lundquist covering Jack Nicholas in nineteen eighty six.
Speaker 3 (27:58):
Yeah. Well, Verna was one of the smartest guys, you know,
I worked with. I knew way back when I was
in elementary school in junior high and I used to
take the bus. I can't believe this is my parents
let me take the Dallas City bus from North Dallas
(28:18):
down to Channel eight studio in Dallas on Young Street
and sit in the studio. Why Verne was writing his
copy for the night, and then he would do anchor
the broadcast and I would sit in the studio and
watch him. And I remember afterwards he was done with
the sports cast, he would throw the copy in the
(28:40):
trash can in his office, and when he left, I
would pick it up and take it with me home.
And because I thought, I go, wow, this is treasure.
I can learn how to write like he does, and
I'm going to keep this. This is really cool, you know.
So that was fantastic, you know, learning from him. And
then fifteen years later, I ended up hiring him for
(29:02):
one of his first ever play by play assignments, and
that was doing the National Southwest Conference Basketball Game of
the Week on USA Network during the FI Slama Jama Era.
So I'm still friends with Vern and you know, Vern
even wrote, you know, a blurb for my book, you know,
(29:25):
you know, so that's on the back cover. I know
you will enjoy reading his stories and listening to his advice.
And he even wrote like an expanded version inside about
how he remembers when he was a little thinner and
had more hair when we worked together. So yeah, he's one.
(29:45):
I mean, another person that I in high regard as
Bob Costas, and I worked with him in nineteen ninety
two at the Barcelona Olympics, where you know, I was
asked to produce the official Olympic Highlight video for NBC
and Blockbuster, and Bob Costas was the talent for it.
(30:09):
John Tesh wrote the music, and writer Jeremy Shapp, Dick
Chap's son was one of the writers on it. And
so how could I screw that up? Well, it was
really a tough assignment because I was also asked to
produce the Dream Team one video from Barcelona simultaneously, you know,
(30:30):
and I had like six headed bays going as you know,
the games were over and they're pulling cables and they're
tearing the IBC down and I'm trying to finish. Well anyway,
I didn't finish until I got back to the United
States and let me finish the video in Dallas. But
I had to fly to Saint Louis to have Bob
finish up the voice over. He had done most of it,
(30:52):
but so we booked a studio in Saint Louis, NBC
did and he came in and it got to be
like about six o'clock, and I thought we'd have been
done already, but it was taking way longer than I thought,
and he had to go to the Cardinals game do
a Cardinals game with his son was coming. What was
going to go with him? Well, I thought, you know,
(31:15):
he had laid down in his tracks pretty pretty well,
and that was the last I was going to see
him because he had to go to the Cardinal game.
Then about eight o'clock, I get a phone call and
I hear Ballpark in the background, and it's Bob Costa
is calling me in the studio in Saint Louis because
we I don't even have a cell phone then, and
(31:36):
he goes, hey, this is Bob, and I go, yeah,
I know who you are. He goes, I'm just checking
in with you. I just want to make sure you
were really happy with the work that I did. I go, well,
how I'm thinking about? How could I not be happy
with the work you did? You did great job? But
I go, really, there's there's there's a part in the
(31:56):
in the wrestling area that wasn't absolutely perfect, but what
you said would work. And he goes, no, no, no, no, no.
He goes up. He goes, when I get done with
the game, I'm coming back to the studio and we'll
revoice it till you you and I feel that it's perfect.
And you know, and to me, this is what makes
(32:19):
good announcers great announcers. You know, they have the standards
like we do. And no matter how inconvenient it might be,
he wants it perfect, you know, he wants me to
be happy that that it's perfect. And so he comes
back and we voice it over and then he realizes.
He says to me, you know what, what are you
(32:41):
supposed to fly back to Dallas tonight and apparently you
missed your flat. I go, yeah, he goes, I'm gonna
have to call NBC or something late night, you know,
see if I can reach someone to book me a
hotel here. And he goes, no, no, he goes, I
want you to come and stay at my house. And
I go, wow, I go that's such, you know, a
nice gesture, but I would never want to win true.
(33:02):
And he goes, no, no, really, you can come stay
with us and all that. And I go, well, maybe
if I was done, I would come, but I'm going
to be here for a little while, so I don't
know what I'm going to be done. So I appreciate it.
That's so nice, Bob, But I'm going to, you know,
just stay at a hotel somewhere downtown, you know. And
that's another thing that said to me. That's why I
(33:23):
put him in my chapter my book of like the
five People that you have a great respect for it
and you have great esteem for, and then when you
meet him, they actually exceed your expectations or your perception.
Usually you get a chapter in a book about that
they don't live up to it. He exceeded it. He's
one of the one of the five five people. And
(33:46):
that's why the reason I just told you a couple
of reasons, not only how good at what he does,
but his character, beautiful story.
Speaker 1 (34:00):
I'll close with a comment and one final question, and
it's this often we've interviewed.
Speaker 2 (34:09):
Our heroes on this show.
Speaker 1 (34:12):
And years ago, Bob I had a chance to meet
Roger Staubach and I remember seeing him at Mass one
time in Plano.
Speaker 2 (34:27):
We went and happened he happened to be over there.
Speaker 1 (34:30):
This was a Saturday night before a Sunday game, and
it's like the entire congregation was just watching Roger go
up to take communion.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
I'll never forget.
Speaker 1 (34:37):
It's like, there goes Jesus' son up there in the front.
Speaker 3 (34:41):
And so in Dallas, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (34:45):
I'm standing there in the in the back room at
a FREEDO, a national meeting, and I had arranged for
him to come speak, and it's like I was caught
there in front of my hero. And I want you
to comment on on what's your life been like standing
in front of so many of your heroes and what
(35:07):
did you say or not say? When is it appropriate
to say something or not say something in front of
your heroes?
Speaker 3 (35:14):
Yeah. I mean, I mean people like Nolan Ryan, who
I worked with, and I mean that's an entrepreneurial thing
where I flew Randy Johnson, the pitcher in from Seattle
to work with Nolan and Alvin, Texas. I chose Alvin,
Texas because that's where Nolan lived, but also Alvin High
School where he went to high school. And I filmed
(35:36):
him and Randy Johnson and from that point Randy attributes
meeting with Nolan that turned around his career, you know,
and I write about that in the book, you know,
and I paid for the whole project and that we
sold you know, a lot of videos, you know, based
on that. That so getting to know Nolan, but you know,
(35:59):
you know, I think funny story is like Tim Duncan,
who played for the Spurs. I actually produced the Spurs
for twenty three years. And you're not really supposed to
talk to the players, right It's like the rule, you know,
unless they happen to pass by you casually or in
the hotel lobby or you're at dinner somewhere and they're there.
(36:19):
You know, it's like, so let the players, you know,
be alone. And that's kind of what you were asking
you know when you talk to them, when do you not?
But we're up in Air Canada Center. Then in Toronto,
I flew up to meet the team in Toronto and
it was about twelve and our production truck don't up
until one. So I go out on the court and
(36:39):
the team is still at the shoot around. The shoot
around for those that don't know, that's a little practice
where they scout, you know, the other team and go
over plays they're going to run that night, and just
basically warm up and get get everyone out of their bed.
But and then they go back to the hotel. So
I remember Tim Duncan hadn't been feeling well the last game,
and so you know, as the practice is ending, I'm
(37:02):
sitting over on the chair on the baseline and Tim
starts walking over to me, and I'm going, oh, I'm here.
He's coming right at me. And I looked on my
right and there's some warm up ors. It's his clothes
right next to where I'm sitting. So he's walking right
up to me and our eyes meet and I said, hey,
(37:23):
I go okay, I'll say something. I go, timmy, how
are you feeling? And he goes he goes, oh, I'm fine,
I'm going to play tonight. And then he looks at
me and says, how are you? And I go wow,
he's asking me how I am, and you can actually
think about that at that moment, and I go, oh, Timmy,
I feel great. I scored twenty one points in the JBA, yes,
(37:44):
or the Jewish Basketball Association. And he looks at me
and says, got to dominate where you can, man exactly.
Speaker 1 (37:54):
And that's the tottle of your first chapter. Right, yeah,
that is so great. Well, okay, and thank you for that.
And then final comment to you is, you know, we
have careers. We chase down success. Sometimes the latters are
leaning against the right buildings, sometimes they're not. And then
(38:15):
there's the topic of significance. I think, mister Steinfeld, that
you your book is in the zone of significance and
it is a gift to anyone who wants a blueprint
about how to work hard, be a man of principle,
be precise, do good work, and kind of never give up.
(38:38):
And so I just want to thank you on behalf
of our network for producing what we think is a
great work of significance.
Speaker 3 (38:45):
I certainly appreciate those comments and thank you so much
for having me on the show today.
Speaker 2 (38:51):
You are most welcome.
Speaker 1 (38:53):
That was our legendary guest, Bob Steinfeld.
Speaker 2 (38:56):
His book is a three two one.
Speaker 1 (38:58):
We're on the air and it's a level now and
so you can go to Amazon, Palace, Barnes and Noble,
ask your independent bookstores to carry the book.
Speaker 2 (39:09):
And we appreciate him being on.
Speaker 1 (39:10):
And as we always say, folks, we wish you success, been.
Speaker 2 (39:13):
On your way to significance.
Speaker 3 (39:15):
I bet you ca
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