Rick Saleeby

The Rise of the Superfan: How Audience Energy Drives the Broadcast

The Crowd Isn’t Just Background—It’s the Story In my twenty-plus years in sports and broadcast journalism, I’ve worked in stadiums, arenas, studios, and locker rooms. I’ve seen just about every type of game, match, or moment you can imagine. But if there’s one thing I’ve come to appreciate more than ever in recent years, it’s […]

The Soundtrack of Sports: How Music Shapes the Emotion of the Game

More Than a Game—It’s a Show When people think about sports, they usually think of scores, stats, and star players. But for those of us who’ve worked behind the scenes in sports broadcasting, we know there’s another element that shapes how we experience the game—music. Whether it’s the pounding bass of a pregame pump-up song […]

What Makes a Great Sports Feature? Inside the Editorial Process

Crafting a Sports Feature: It’s All About the Story When people think of sports journalism, they often think of breaking news, game highlights, and score updates. While those things are important, the heart of great sports journalism often lies in the features—the stories that go beyond the scoreline. These are the pieces that delve into […]

From Press Row to the Sidelines: How Access to Athletes Has Changed the Game

When I started out in sports journalism more than twenty years ago, the relationship between media and athletes looked a lot different. Back then, if you wanted an interview, you requested it through the team’s PR rep, waited for the right moment in the locker room, and hoped the player was in a talkative mood. […]

Inside the Mind of a Sports Journalist: The Art of Crafting Compelling Stories

There’s something special about storytelling in sports. It’s not just about the scores, the statistics, or even the highlights—it’s about capturing the raw emotions, the human struggle, and the moments that define careers and inspire generations. As someone who has spent over two decades in sports journalism, I’ve come to realize that the most memorable […]

The Rise of Player-Driven Media: Athletes Taking Control of the Narrative

As someone who has spent more than two decades in sports journalism and broadcasting, I’ve always admired the delicate dance of storytelling in our industry. Whether covering a record-breaking performance, a comeback story, or a dramatic rivalry, the art of framing these moments has historically been the domain of journalists, analysts, and broadcasters like myself. […]