If you ranked America’s the top five most popular sports, you’d have to go: 1. NFL, 2. College Football, 3. MLB, 4. College Basketball, and 5. High School Football. After spending the past year plus covering West Texas sports, Emily Austen’s new gig as Boston Celtics in-house reporter should be an easy transition.
Like most young journalists, Austen had to to grind it out for her opportunity with one of the most hallowed professional sports franchises in America.
Austen sent out more than 100 tapes and resumes, she said, and had become so frustrated with the lack of response that she was going to go into sales.
KAMR-TV sports director Michael Spencer called within a couple of days after Austen had given up hope of working on air.
"I learned so much from working with Michael and Ny Lynn Nichols," Austen said. "I learned more here than I could have in a classroom or at the Golf Channel. Michael and Ny Lynn really took a chance on me, and I’m so thankful for that."
Good hands, Austen.
Her duties for the Celtics will included hosting a 30-minute pregame show and various multimedia journalist duties.
Texas high school football is easily more intense than professional basketball, so I trust that Austen will hang tough.
In addition to her professionalism, Austen is also a sweetheart. The reporter accepted a prom proposal from a "a Randall High School baseball player, Austin Chontos, (who) got on one knee and asked (her) to his prom. Austin suffered severe brain damage after he was hit in the head with a pitch on April 14, 2012. He had severed three veins just above his jugular vein causing his brain to swell. Austin was in an induced coma for three days and underwent two brain surgeries."
Good luck in Boston, Austen. Be sure to grab a sandwich from Pauli's and a drink at The Harp.