First off, thanks to Jon Chelesnik for including me in his book, “MOVE UP: Uncommon advice to advance your sportscasting career.” Chelesnik, a sports reporter-turned-sportscasting mentor, has helped hundreds of radio and television talent sharpen their skills and publicity savvy, including Los Angeles Clippers radio play-by-play voice Carlo Jimenez, FOX Sports/Los Angeles Dodgers’ Joe Davis and up-and-soaring play-by-play broadcaster, Connor Onion.
If you’re looking to get a leg up in sports broadcasting, “MOVE UP” gives you a glimpse into the broadcasting industry and been-there advice to help you stand out from the crowd.
As a member of the National Sports Media Association, I presented at one of Chelesnik’s informational programs. The good news — many of the reputation-building PR tips I shared at that event still apply.
🎙️Media wins at the mic
After what had to be one of, if not the most agonizing moments of his career, Duke point guard Cayden Boozer met the media minutes after he committed a turnover that stunned the basketball world. The nine-plus seconds turn of events meant the difference between another Blue Devils trip to the Final Four and going home.
In the slim chance you missed it, Boozer’s misplaced pass led to Braylon Mullins’ bonkers three-pointer that launched UConn, not Duke, to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Final Four.
It was a sobering moment for Cayden Boozer, from whom we might have expected vague answers to postgame media questions. Instead, he lamented that the game might have been the last chance for him and his twin brother Cameron to play on the same team. He also said he felt he let his team down. It was tough to hear; you have to empathize with an athlete who works to do things the right way.
Cayden didn’t cave
Cayden met a media obligation that many have passed on in similar cases. We’ve seen players and even coaches use word salads — or avoid media after tough losses.
Along with his brother, he followed their father, Carlos Boozer, as a member of Duke royalty. This week, Cayden added a jewel to that crown in terms of PR stripes for gracefully speaking to reporters after a sequence he’ll likely see on a reel for decades to come. You can see his postgame comments here.
And in Tiger’s lair …
If you teach journalism or PR or just want to know how to conduct a near-perfect press conference, look for Martin Florida, County Sheriff John Budensiek’s media availability soon after professional golfer Tiger Woods rolled his car in his county last week.
We know that media-trained doesn’t always mean media-smooth with the mic. While it appears that Budensiek was trained well, he took his PR practices a step further when facing reporters to talk about an incident involving one of the world’s most popular athletes.
Martin County, Florida Sheriff John Budensiek taught a proverbial media training class in how he anwered questions after Tiger Woods’ latest car accident.
ICYMI: Woods was involved in a rollover car accident near his home in Jupiter, Florida, last week. At 5 p.m. — just three hours after news of the accident became public — Budensiek expertly summarized the situation before taking questions. The detail in how he answered questions was impressive. Textbook, but humanely spot-on.
How? When a reporter asked a question, he repeated it: “The question was …” Then he followed with the answer and additional information when needed.
The process was darn near perfect
Repeating the question benefits others in the scrum who might not have heard it as well as people listening and watching the presser.
You can put that practice to work
Let me know how I may help you answer media questions with clarity and confidence.
Until next time …
©2026 Gail Sideman; gpublicity.com; SIDEbar
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