There’s a reason sports fans want to be in sports media. It provides a unique perspective – a look under the hood to see how everything works.
Sometimes it’s great. No matter how impartial you want to be, people are people. You like some, others not so much. But those moments when an athlete lets you into their world? Those are special.
Then there are moments that aren’t so enjoyable, experiences that require a little courage, the understanding that the person you’re approaching probably doesn’t want to talk to you, and the hope that the athlete understands you’re both there for the same reason: to do a job.
Longtime sports media personality Tom Glasgow – who started his career calling in high school football updates to a radio station on Friday nights, sprinting to his car just to hear a small snippet of his voice on the air – understands this world as well as anyone.
He was in the Sonics’ locker room after Dikembe Mutombo and the Denver Nuggets pulled off a massive upset in 1994, knocking off the top-seeded Sonics as the No. 8 seed after trailing 2-0 in the five-game series. He was in the locker room when the Seahawks’ bid for two straight Super Bowl wins ended on the goal line (no need to elaborate on that one).
So, as this week’s guest on Spilled Ink, we talked about Glasgow’s career, memorable moments, and what it’s like to spend time in locker rooms.
My favorite story Glasgow shared was about interviewing Magic Johnson during a particularly turbulent moment in the NBA legend’s career.
Johnson had just requested a trade that led to the firing of coach Paul Westhead.
“He was a villain around the country,” Glasgow said.
The Lakers were in Seattle to play the Sonics, and Johnson was booed relentlessly. After the game, Glasgow wanted to approach him.
“I’m like, how am I going to get a connection with him when he’s had this awful night?” he said.
He made a quick decision: “I’ve got to take a sympathetic tone with him.”
“So he's sitting down. I get on one knee so we're at eye level. I said, ‘Magic, for someone who's been so loved for so long, getting booed like you were booed here tonight – and around the country – that’s got to be really tough.’
“I took that tone, and he opened up.”
Moments like that are special, and they were easier to come by when I was telling stories behind the scenes at the University of Washington and with the XFL’s Seattle Dragons (R.I.P.).
Over the course of our conversation, I realized I had more in common with Glasgow than I thought. We’re both kids who grew up in Tacoma (he went to Mount Tahoma, I went to Steilacoom) and had some special teams that helped push us toward careers in sports. For Glasgow, it was the Sonics’ 1979 championship. For me, it was the 1995 Mariners.
We talk about all of that and more this week. I hope you can take a few minutes to tune in.
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