From Minor League Baseball to Broadcasting’s Wolf Pack

I recently had a vision for how the media family breaks down in minor league sports, and it reminded me of one of my favorite comedies: The Hangover. The way I see it, there are three main parts to media operations in sports: live in-house communication (like Public Address Announcing), live broadcasting communication (like radio, TV and live blogging) and general production/behind-the-scenes work. You can’t have quality in-house or broadcast content without the behind-the-scenes people, and the two types of live stuff complement each other pretty well (like Zach Galifianakis’ character and the “Doctor”-Bradley Cooper combo).

Although Galifianakis is anything but quiet, he’s the unofficial main character, and the movie would be a lot worse without him. His ability to choose his words carefully (like wanting to “let the dogs out” instead of a reference to some other, weaker one-hit wonder) separates him from the other characters. He’s the one who went through the effort of putting the Wolf Pack together in the first place.

Bradley Cooper seems more like the broadcast group to me. He was the vocal leader of the gang and had the confidence any on-air or published talent needs. He’s the most famous of the three, just like a broadcaster or reporter is more popular than the producers or the PA Announcer.

The “Doctor” isn’t afraid to let his character show in the right moment, but also doesn’t try to outshine the event itself. He wowed with his dentistry antics during the night no one remembers and got married to top it off. At the same time though, he understood that he was part of the whole entertainment package. He used reason to formulate a plan for Doug’s rescue and let the other guys have their moments in the sun when needed.

You can’t make it through a sporting event these days without a laugh or two from movie clips on the big screen. Of all the ones I’ve seen, the “Bear Fight” scene from Anchorman might be the funniest. (Thanks P-Bruins for the 21 fights you’ve had at home this season to bring it up.) Hopefully, as always, this post has brought something valuable to the table. Not at the table, Carlos.

Have you ever noticed any similarities between one of your favorite movies, shows or songs and your job? (Office Space references are accepted, even if they aren’t surprising.) I’m looking forward to hearing about the connections you’ve made to your situation.