Mascoting for the Hyannis Harbor Hawks
My story is a strange one. Growing up in Massachusetts, and having a sports obsessed family led me to my great love of all things Boston sports. I’ve rooted for the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots and Red Sox my entire life. But growing up, I never imagined I’d be where I am today…in the heart of New York City. Our most loathed rivals across all four of the major professional American sports. And while sports were a huge part of my upbringing, I didn’t set out to do what I’m doing today.
While in high school I was coaxed into auditioning for the school play in the fall of my freshman year. I got a small part and fell in love with the idea of theater. I would go on to audition for and be cast in all eight of the school’s productions during my four high school years. I loved it. I loved being on stage, making people laugh, and think, and cry. I loved the adrenaline rush I would get walking onstage for the first time each night. All of this led me to audition for acting programs at the collegiate level. And this is where we get to New York.
I ended up at a small branch of Long Island University (C.W. Post) in Brookville, New York. They aren’t kidding when they say that your college years are the best of your life. I made amazing, lifelong friends, learned a ton, and performed in some pretty incredible pieces of theater. But the one thing that I never took away from college was what to do when I graduated. My school did a tremendous job of building my talent and confidence both on and off stage, but when it came time to go out into the mean streets of New York City (the artistic haven of thousands of wannabe actors), I was lost.
I bounced around the Off-Off-Off Broadway scene for five years before I decided that enough was enough. I did a lot of work that I was very proud of in that time, but it was never enough to get me to that next level, or pocket a decent paycheck. I decided that it was time that I go back to the thing that I loved most as a kid. Sports.
The Molloy Days
The first step was education. Having an acting background certainly helped when the microphone turned on and the camera’s started rolling, but I knew that there was so much more that I would need to know, so I turned to Hofstra’s Summer Sportcasting Institute. I enrolled in a week-long intensive training course, taught by the legendary Ed Ingles and co-facilitated by a number of broadcasters close to my own age. I would come to learn that, aside from your voice and viewpoint, networking is the best tool that a broadcaster has. I used the connections that I made at the Institute to get jobs at Molloy College, St. Johns University, Fios 1 Sports, and CUNY TV, among others. But why podcasting? Why now? The answer is quite simple really. Exposure.
The media market is over-saturated with sports coverage, but in order to make it in this business, you need to find a way to get your voice out into the world. A lot of companies will pass you over if you don’t have experience, but without those same companies, you can’t get the experience that they require. So you put in the time, the hard work, and dedication, to make it happen for yourself. That’s where The Rebel Podcast comes in.
"The Hawk's Nest"
I know Boston sports, but I don’t get the same media that a Boston fan living in Massachusetts would get. Being in New York I get an interesting viewpoint into the world of “The Nation,” and it’s my goal to share what’s being said about our favorite teams outside of the bubble that we call New England. I hope that if you listen or read, you’ll enjoy. I hope that I can stir up some things that perhaps you hadn’t thought about before, and most of all, I hope that you come away feeling more confident about your knowledge of our teams and the rivals you love to hate.
Thanks for your time,
Chris Speziale