NBA opener in photos

Well, our opening NBA League Pass VR broadcast, produced by NextVR, is in the books, and we've definitely turned our focus to Tuesday's Pacers-Lakers game as our shows move to Tuesday nights for most of the season.

But I did find time to grab a few pictures / screenshots from Thursday's opener, one our entire crew and the basketball fans of Sacramento will not soon forget:

Hello, NBA! Coming your way in 2016-17

I am proud to announce that I will call play-by-play on the first full season of live virtual-reality sports this winter when the NBA and NextVR partner to produce at least 25 regular-season games in VR via NBA League Pass!

Official announcement from NBA
Official announcement from NextVR
How to get access to NextVR

On my end, this has been a few months in the works, and as we've gone through discussions and test games and everything, I've been so excited but unable to talk about it beyond my immediate family. So I can't wait to start the season Thursday with the Sacramento Kings-San Antonio Spurs game, the regular-season opener at the new Golden 1 Center in Sacramento! Tip is at 7:30 Pacific Time on Thursday, 10:30 Eastern Time, and fans can watch for free with the right VR headset. (Don't worry: If that sounds a little narrow, the availability is only going to get more widespread as the season goes on!)

For the NextVR team, this has been more than a year in the making, and seeing their reaction to the expansion and fine-tuning of the product has been awesome. It's a great group to work with, one I first met when working their first fully produced soccer game in the International Champions Cup in August, and I'm excited for the season.

USA Today article

Personally, this is certainly a bit of a departure from pro soccer and college sports. I've called plenty of basketball, but it's been entirely in the college ranks, so I look forward to learning some of the intricacies of the NBA, its storylines, and its players throughout this season.

One of my partners on the broadcasts this year will be Julianne Viani, who I've worked with a lot as a college basketball analyst in the New York area, and I know she's going to help make our shows analytical, fun, and successful! Fellow soccer vet Mark Rogondino will also be among those contributing, as various schedules allow, and he brings an awesome perspective and energy that are hard to match.

Upload VR article

The test broadcasts have been exhilarating and illuminating. I've learned some things about how to prepare and how to approach these broadcasts (slightly differently than a normal game), and I've learned a lot about how the NBA operates. As broadcasters and as a production group, we've definitely gotten a better idea of what works and what doesn't, and we've come up with ideas we think can be implemented as the season goes on. We may not have every bell and whistle on Opening Night, but you'll be impressed and enjoy the show!

The VR camera angles work really well for basketball, with the most often used cameras stationed underneath the basket. That means dunks and anything at the rim come right at you, and it also provides a more true look of how teams approach the game in terms of Xs and Os, since you get the same vertical vantage point as the players. Our scorer's-table camera, pictured here, brings some sideline access to coaches and players that you don't see on a normal broadcast. It's absolutey fascinating to watch a game this way.

I don't know how many of you have the ability to watch VR broadcasts just yet, but as somebody who was skeptical before trying the technology out, I can highly recommend that you give it a chance! Basketball is definitely the ideal sport to provide a starting point for sports in virtual reality, and I'm incredibly excited for all the new experiences this winter will bring.

So find a Samsung phone or Playstation and a VR headset and check out our Game of the Week all NBA season!

Again, here's how to get access to NextVR.

All the highlights and reaction from crazy MLS game

In the second of a three-games-in-four-days stretch, I got an awesome game to call Saturday night at Red Bull Arena.

With the only Shep Messing getting ready for two top-4 East teams in 5 mins on @MSGNetworks! @NewYorkRedBulls @PhilaUnion #NYvPHI pic.twitter.com/vhEFYaRJes

— Jonathan Yardley (@jtyardley) October 1, 2016

With only three games remaining before the playoffs, the New York Red Bulls and Philadelphia Union played a back-and-forth game with a playoff-like atmosphere. Although it was marred by a scary head injury to a promising young Philadelphia player, Josh Yaro, the rest of the game was edge-of-your seat stuff.

Unfortunately, in my case, it was also Jon-on-the-verge-of-losing-his-voice stuff. All the big plays and the goals, coupled with the energy of the crowd, had me doing a lot of yelling. Hopefully it sounded good, but I was definitely a little hoarse by the postgame show. Hoping for a quick turnaround for Sunday's ESPNU broadcast in West Virginia.

At any rate, here are the highlights from an intense night:




And here's how Shep and I broke it down on the MSG postgame show:

Arkansas en fuego - postgame from SEC Network

Arkansas has been one of the stories of the year in NCAA women's soccer, beating two top-5 teams and traditional powers (Duke, Florida) and reaching 11-1 overall, 4-0 in SEC play with Sunday's 2-1 win over Ole Miss.

Having called Arkansas games in Fayetteville each of the last two years, and having scouted them extensively while trying to figure out their wide variety of formations, I've been watching this team closely, and it was fun to see them in person on Sunday.

Here's how Cat Whitehill and I discussed takeaways following Sunday's game:

Postgame recap from Kentucky-Alabama

I watch a ton of video early in the college soccer season to prepare for games throughot the fall, and this weekend was the first time I got to put into action in 2016.

After calling Princeton's 2-1 win over Boston University on the men's side Friday night, I flew to Lexington, Kentucky for my first game of the year on the SEC Network on Sunday. I started calling SEC games two years ago when the network launched, and so I've really enjoyed keeping track of the league and its players in preparation for games.

On Sunday, Kentucky and Alabama finished in a 1-1 tie, but there were so many scoring chances throughout the game that we were really glued to the action. My partner was Jill Loyden, who I worked with on Philadelphia Union games last year, and it was great to welcome her to SEC coverage and see how impressed she was by Kentucky's facilities.

Here's how we recapped the game afterward:

Video: D.C. United vs. New York Red Bulls call on ESPN

On Sunday, I finally got to call a game with ESPN's lead soccer analyst, Taylor Twellman. He's given me a lot of support and encouragement in my career, but somehow, every time I've gotten an ESPN assignment, Taylor has managed to be somewhere else!

After a crazy night of travel from his last game in New York, he made it down to D.C., where I had flown Saturday morning, and we were able to call Sunday's D.C. United-NewYork Red Bulls game together.

Here's how it looked / sounded as it happened:

Flashback to THAT Alex Dixon goal call: WOOHOO!

Five years ago today, my most famous (infamous??) play-by-play call. Deadspin theatrically headlined it "goal causes announcer to orgasm on air."

Well, no, but it's certainly one of the most fun moments I've had the pleasure to call. The original YouTube clip is a great quick hit, but to really appreciate why I lost it and just how completely I lost it, take 5 minutes and watch/listen to the whole thing:



This was a local radio broadcast, I had been covering Dixon since he was a high school junior, and even though it was only August, it felt like the Dynamo HAD to win the game (at the time, they had not won a road game all year, and they only had three home games left).

Ultimately, the additional two points in the standings meant Houston got home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs, helping the Dynamo reach that year's MLS Cup final in a playoff run that was a great end to my full-time tenure with the club.

This call is a bit of a lightning rod: People either absolutely love it or can barely hide their disgust. As somebody who can't stand homer announcers, I understand some of those issues. If I could do it again, would I add the 'hoo' to my original plan of a loud 'woo' to punctuate the call? Probably not. Even as a club employee, I don't find it kosher to openly cheer on the air.

But the joy of a last-minute winner, when I had basically given up on Houston winning the game, is what I, and anybody with Dynamo sympathies, was feeling at that moment. With approximately 99% of my listeners in Houston, I'll always be proud that my reaction brought so much energy, emotion, passion … and fun!

Happy five years to Dix and everybody from that Dynamo team; this always brings a slightly embarrassed smile to my face.

Working on a new (virtual) reality

Courtesy NextVR

I really didn't know what to expect, but last Wednesday night was seriously different.

Less than 72 hours after first hearing about the broadcast, less than 48 after being confirmed to work on it, I showed up at MetLife Stadium to provide play-by-play for NextVR's virtual reality broadcast of the International Champions Cup game between two giants of world soccer, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

I didn't have a lot of expectations, but the few I did have were nowhere close to reality. Read on to hear about the experience.

--

Highlights from KC-Seattle game on ESPN

I had a busy weekend in Kansas City, taking in three soccer games (USWNT, USL, MLS) and preparing for Sunday's ESPN broadcast, then having my flight cancelled and stayin an extra night.

The biggest part of the weekend, of course, was Sunday's broadcast, in which Sporting Kansas City crushed the Seattle Sounders 3-0, outshooting them 19-1 in the process. Got to call some pretty good goals in the process, too! Check out the highlights:

Soccer Sunday on ESPN highlights

Had the chance to call Portland-Houston on ESPN2 on Sunday night, and in front of the always great Providence Park crowd, we had a wide-open game, a dramatic comeback, and a decisive disputed call. Check it out:

More MSG highlights

I called my third (and last, for now) Red Bulls game for MSG on Saturday night, and while it wasn't a night the home fans are going to want to remember, it was a very entertaining game. There were a lot of scoring chances at each end, including 22 shots by the Red Bulls, one of which was a saved penalty kick.

We're fortunate enough to get great access to and insight from coaches around the league. When calling a Red Bulls game, announcers always get time with the head coach, Jesse Marsch, and in our case, we got to sit down with him (and assistant Chris Armas) while they were watching some of the other MLS games:

MSG pre-game meeting with Jesse Marsch, Jonathan Yardley and Shep Messing. #NYvSKC

A photo posted by Jason Baum (@jasonbaumpr) on Apr 9, 2016 at 2:23pm PDT

I've really enjoyed getting the chance to work with Shep Messing over the last couple of years -- it's crazy to think about the experiences he's had in the game and fun to bounce questions off of him -- and I had to grab a selfie before we went on the air tonight.

Getting ready for @MSGNetworks kickoff of @NewYorkRedBulls vs @SportingKC w/ Shep Messing and @TinaCervasio! #NYvSKC pic.twitter.com/kPJ175NIwq

— Jonathan Yardley (@jtyardley) April 9, 2016

Once we got to the game itself, Sporting Kansas City won 2-0, and here's how it looked and sounded on our show:

Wow! Red Bulls come back for thrilling 4-3 win in MLS play

It may not always have been the prettiest game, but there was no arguing with the quality of the entertainment or the final two goals in a wildly entertaining MLS game that I got to call on Saturday night.

With the two MLS teams I know best going head-to-head, it was a special night for my first actually televised game at Red Bull Arena. I had done MSG broadcasts of road games, and I had called the Red Bulls on internet video streams, internet radio, and old-school radio, but never out-and-out TV. What a treat!

(Side note: I also realized this was my 200th MLS game seen in person - 183 regular season, 17 playoffs. Not bad!)

Besides the seven goals and some of the close calls, there was the additional storyline of the Red Bulls losing three players during the game with hamstring injuries, all while trying to get their first win of the season. Houston set an MLS record for most goals scored in the first three games of the season (11), but still blew a pair of second-half leads!

An incredible night, and Shep Messing, Tina Cervasio, and I had a great time calling the game. Here's the quick version:

Montreal Impact vs New York Red Bulls highlights

It was back to MLS for me on Saturday, and I got to call my first MSG broadcast of the year as the Red Bulls went on the road to play the Montreal Impact.

I love calling games with Shep Messing, because he always has an opinion (or several) and a story (or a million). We had a good time watching this one, but I don't think the local fans will remember it quite as fondly. Here's how it looked / sounded:

We also did a post-game piece for the MSG website as the Red Bulls move forward to Saturday's game, which I'll also get to call, this time in person.

USA-Germany highlights

I got to call the top two women's national teams in the world on Wednesday night, as the US faced Germany in what amounted to the championship game of the inaugural SheBelieves Cup.

Here's how the drama looked and sounded from Boca Raton:

FC Dallas-Philadelphia Union highlights

The MLS season kicked off today with 10 games around the country, and I got to call one!

I was in North Texas to call the 2-0 FC Dallas win over the Philadelphia Union, and here's how it looked and sounded:

Quick calls from my first college hockey broadcast

I haven't even watched this whole game through yet, but I know I had a lot of fun calling the Princeton-Brown men's hockey game on Saturday night, I know it was even harder than I expected, and I know I'm proud to have accomplished the goal of calling even one college hockey game. Although I certainly hope there are more in store!

Via the teams' respective Twitter accounts, here are most of the key plays from Saturday night:

Stu Pomeroy's first career goal! pic.twitter.com/cu62O6l8MI

— Princeton Hockey (@puhockey) February 28, 2016

Seven seconds left in the 3rd and Max Veronneau sends this one into OT pic.twitter.com/cuopcD6OpC

— Princeton Hockey (@puhockey) February 28, 2016

Check out Ryan Kuffner's chance in OT and the glove by Ernst pic.twitter.com/e7HWPhkqdZ

— Princeton Hockey (@puhockey) February 28, 2016

From Buffalo to the Big Apple

I finished up my MAAC basketball slate with two trips to Buffalo in the last week, calling Canisius-Marist men on Feb. 20 and Canisius-Niagara women on Feb. 25 (open with one of my favorite analysts, Julianne Viani, pictured at right).

It was great to get a little more time in Buffalo and get good time with both local coaches - men's coach Jim Baron at the airport and women's coach Terry Zeh providing a clutch lunch recommendation.

On Friday morning, I had the ol' pre-dawn wake-up call and drive to the airport amid minor snow, which allowed for a great view of New York (and a common site for my work, Kaiser Stadium and Belson Stadium at St. John's) on the morning flight to La Guardia.

Plenty busy in the broadcasting and personal departments over the next month!

Wonderfully busy start to 2016

I can assure you, fewer than 40 days in, that 2016 is a year I will never forget.

But if my year's signature moment already happened (I've been on my version of paternity leave since the NWSL College Draft on Jan. 15), that still leaves another 11 months to try and maintain a solid body of work.

Thankfully, I've set my plans for most of the next two months with a schedule that will be fun but will also challenge me.

That's not my pom-pom, I promise.

It starts this week, with two basketball games as part of my five-game stint covering the MAAC for ESPN3. One of those five is already in the books, although the game we were attempting to broadcast was curtailed by a leaky ceiling.

So on Thursday, it's up to the Bronx to see Manhattan play Quinnipiac (8 p.m. ET, ESPN3), while Friday will see me taking the PATH train back out to Jersey City to give the Yanitelli Center a second chance as St. Peter's hosts Niagara (7 p.m. ET, ESPN3). To complete my MAAC stint, I'll be up in Buffalo at Canisius for a men's game on Feb. 20 and a women's game on Feb. 25.

The MAAC is pretty much a one-bid league, but it's a really exciting one. While Monmouth is one of the most talked-about mid-majors in the country this year, Manhattan is the two-time defending tournament champion, and all the schools I've researched have either a great scorer, a great story, or both. Since moving to New York in the fall of 2013, I've been hoping to do some broader basketball coverage, and I'm excited to get this chance.

• Current 2016 broadcast schedule

Once March rolls around, though, it will be back to my bread and butter. While I won't be a regular part of Red Bulls radio broadcasts this year, I've got five televised MLS games and a US women's national team game already lined up, and that's more in-person TV work than I get in some MLS seasons. I'll work FC Dallas-Philadelphia Union for opening day on March 6, and then I'll call play-by-play for at least three Red Bulls games on the MSG Networks while lead voice Steve Cangialosi is on Devils duty. I've actually never called a TV game at Red Bull Arena (my MSG work last year came on the road), so I'm looking forward to that first.

These games really get me excited to start what I hope is going to be a terrific year of broadcast work (while I simultaneously figure out how to raise a child, cook for my wife, study for those games, and, y'know, sleep). I hope you'll enjoy any portion of it that you might catch!

2016 NWSL College Draft

On January 15, I hosted the video stream of the NWSL College Draft, the first time the league's draft has been video streamed.

Spectacular. #nwsldraft pic.twitter.com/SPca6lGHvT

— Michelle (@xphile101) January 15, 2016

While it took a whole four hours and certainly stretched our abilities of pontification and endurance, it was a blast. I worked really hard in the build-up to research the player pool, which was pretty difficult considering there was not much consensus after the top 20.

The actual event turned out really well, I thought. I enjoyed getting to meet and interview the players in attendance, I wound up having researched 39 of the 40 players actually selected, and despite the stress, I just had fun.

You've really got to give it up to @jtyardley - two draft calls in less than 24 hours. That is after hours and hours of research. Well done

— Marc Connolly (@mconnolly10) January 15, 2016

It was also great to work with a fellow Rice alum, Jen Cooper of Keeper Notes fame, whom I have known since I was an undergraduate sports editor and she was the school advisor to the student newspaper; we talked soccer even then!







Here's the draft, in all its glory:

2016 MLS SuperDraft

On January 14, I was an analyst on the MLSsoccer.com stream of the 2016 MLS SuperDraft.

At 1pm ET on https://t.co/jMfl1hQfmF @mls Super Draft w @TaylorTwellman @MLSAnalyst @jtyardley ESPN3 as well pic.twitter.com/PpQg6rJwa9

— Russ Thaler (@RussThaler) January 14, 2016

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