By Fernie Ruano Jr.
Anybody who knows me knows I love sports as much as I love Miami.
I can talk about sports all day, if need be. And would put my sports knowledge up against anybody’s, because I am confident I would walk away the winner in any conversation about sports.
And my love for sports is what led a shy and quiet 18-year-old college student to make the short walk from the Miami Dade College Wolfson campus to the old WTVJ-4 building in downtown Miami in summer of 1989, hoping someone – anyone – would open the door just a crack.
Fortunately, Regent Dukis, a tough as nails, but fair producer, welcomed me with open arms; after a roasting session which included most of the sports department’s staff back then, including Tony Segreto, Ned Smith and Bernie Rosen, and went on for what felt like hours, especially since I was so scared I could barely breath.
Could you imagine walking into a room full of strangers and being held captive? That’s how I felt.
But I was also ecstatic because I was surrounded by some of the people who I grew up watching on television, and most importantly, wanted to be like; Aside from having to deal with a bunch of videotape machines I had no clue how to operate and a grumpy-looking and sounding Hank Goldberg.
All Hank wanted to do was tell me old stories about his father, whenever he wasn’t quizzing me on the Miami Dolphins. All I wanted to do was learn how to cut tape and use the knobs on the machines. And slowly earn the respect of a sports department, which I could see was as tight as a loving family; something I was desperately searching for.
Months went by and I would walk out of the station late at night thinking that I had no chance of not only connecting with a bunch of hardened men, but surviving in an environment that was new to me.
But eventually the ribbing and Hank’s quizzes stopped, replaced by respect and admiration for a sports-obsessed kid who just wanted to be “one of the guys.” I walked out of the station in the fall of 1991 with a better understanding of what being around a family with an exceptional work ethic really felt like. And it was because of what I had learned from Regent, Hank, Tony and the bunch; all of whom lived for sports and proved to me how important they were every single day I was surrounded by them.
That’s why I really hope current management at NBC-6 reconsiders their recent decision to slash the best TV sports department in this market, in my opinion, in a way that will forever change how the games are covered in this market.
Nobody, nobody, covers the Dolphins, Heat, Marlins, Panthers and Hurricanes quite like NBC6. And it is shameful that a news executive would be moved to make said decisions because she doesn’t believe covering sports is too important. Well, hopefully she will regret her decision in the immediate future.
But whatever decision they make at NBC 6, I will always be able to say I not only worked for the best team in the market, but learned the meaning of family and teamwork while doing so.
Do you want to know more about this 305-reeking, beach-bumming, Cuban food-obsessed dude? Well, then.. You can connect with Fernie @wordbyfernie (Twitter) and Fernie Ruano (Facebook) and visit http://www.latinbeatsvibe.blogspot.com . Who knows? If he really likes you, he might even give you his email.
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