[Originally posted July 15, 2005]
A bumbling attempt at sports color commentary by a Ball State journalism student has earned him Internet infamy. His movie clip illustrates all of the live broadcast pitfalls that one would want to avoid.
Of course I am in the camp of many sports enthusiasts who imagine we have what it takes to succeed in the sports broadcasting realm. This clip is a sober reminder that it is not so easy to be both personable and entertaining while keeping in synch with the short video clips of action that cascade one upon another in rapid succession.
Poor Brian Collins stumbles his way along in a dull monotone with zero creative flair and a complete lack of audio-video synchronization. However, he gets full credit for not throwing in the towel but hanging in there until the bitter end. His redeeming claim to fame comes at the 2 minute 29 sec. point in the clip (you can fast forward if all of this is too painful for you) where he tries to bust out of his shell with the uncharacteristic innovative call of an NBA three point bucket: “Boom Goes the Dynamite!” Too bad he couldn’t escape his characteristic monotone delivery.
This call was subsequently picked up by other professional sports analysts and echoed with identical dullness – thus becoming a catchword phrase that has spread rapidly on the Internet. Last night he earned national TV fame on the David Letterman show for his contribution to broadcasting history. I am planning to make this phrase part of my permanent family lingo. There are plenty of occasions where it will be more than appropriate to pipe up with the refrain: “Boom Goes the Dynamite!”