ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Former Albany area sportscaster Andrew Catalon was gearing up to call several March Madness games when the NCAA canceled the basketball tournament. Since then, he’s been home helping his son with school work, but this week he’s been busy with work of his own.
“I’ve been looking for some type of project that I can help other people,” Catalon said in a Zoom meeting.
He tweeted out an offer to college kids and young professionals in the business: free advice from a CBS Sports play-by-play analyst, who was once in their shoes.
“If someone in the business watched my tape and offered feedback, that meant the world to me,” Catalon explained of his time at Syracuse University and early in his professional career both in Burlington, V.T. and Albany, N.Y. “Not only did I take that feedback and appreciate it, but it motivated me to get better.”
Now as an NFL, college basketball, and PGA Tour play-by-play analyst, he’s in a position to pass along the knowledge he’s gained, both from his former mentors like Ian Eagle and Len Berman, as well as his own experience. And he’s been busy, going through 150 demo reels in just the first two days, promising to get back to every single person with “direct, honest feedback.”
“When I was in college, my professors at Syracuse were always very honest. ‘Cut your hair. Lose weight.’ Stuff that is sometimes harsh to take,” he shared. “I’m not going as far as that because I do want this to be a positive experience, but I’m not gonna sugar coat it either.”
He’s been busier than expected, but impressed by what the next generation can offer the industry.
“I feel like some of these young men and women are a lot further along than I was at their age,” he said.
He added that he’s had fun with the project, but he’s going to limit the advice to this week, as his tweet suggested, as his family deserves his attention as well.
