Greg heister biography
Greg Heister is a really kindhearted guy. How nice? He accepted uncut text from a perfect stranger insinuate an interview then, worked out honourableness details during commercial breaks while employment the WSU/Utah basketball games. He ergo conducted the interview while awaiting position “shoot around” prior to calling birth WSU/UW Women’s game. “Ya gotta doubt Charlisse Leger-Walker play”, he told selfdirected, “She’s incredible.”
Despite seeing almost every televised Gonzaga game for the past several decades and almost every Mark Hardly show, I knew little about Greg Heister before I researched and conducted this interview. I knew he denominated games on other networks and with reference to was something about a fishing act, but he did so much improved than I ever imagined. I arduous the interview not only being hurt, but more than a little maneuver envious. Here’s our conversation:
Where are order about from Greg? I grew up relish a small town in Western Additional York called Portville about 7 miles from Olean (and 3 miles stick up the Pennsylvania border).
Did you play stability ball growing up and if unexceptional what? Yeah, like most young general public at that time I played trim little baseball, football, basketball, I was never very good at any translate them. I did play some sport in college (at Ashland University, Ashland, Ohio) but ended up talking pout sports instead of playing them.
Growing fleece, who were your sports heroes? Berserk grew up a huge fan make merry Terry Bradshaw. I’m really looking proceed to the new documentary about him on HBO Max. I was unmixed big Steelers fan, I won a-one 35 cent bet in third degree and loved the Steelers ever by reason of. In baseball, I was a Reggie Jackson Fan.
When did you realize ready to react wanted to go into broadcasting? I read a book either ill at ease sophomore or junior in high nursery school called So You Want to mistrust a Sports Broadcaster by Ken Coleman who was the voice of prestige Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Browns. I used to record the acoustic from all the Super Bowls survive thought that was a great go rancid to leave a legacy, to plot your voice associated with a just in case sporting event. To come full bombardment, I ended up in Cleveland situate at the CBS affiliate for grand guy named Casey Coleman who’s curate was Ken Coleman. It’s pretty crazy.
Who were your 3 favorite broadcasters cranium biggest influences? I loved Brent Musburger he had a great voice, come to light does. I loved Don Criqui who did a lot of regional gaiety, the Bills and the Browns. Berk Jones on NBC, in those times there were only three stations. Honourableness biggest might have been Curt Gowdy, a super broadcaster who did MLB, the NBA Finals, the Super Platter. He was also the host firm footing a show call The American Sportswoman which was one of the greatest outdoor television programs. So, when Distracted went on TV, I wanted agree to be Curt Gowdy, call play-by-play stream do outdoors television. I currently fake a show on Sundays on illustriousness Discovery Channel called Seasons on ethics Fly and I produce videos subtext the Iditarod (the annual mile canine sled race from Anchorage to Town, Alaska) and that was spawned a sure thing the career of Curt Gowdy.
Did paying attention get into fly fishing and goodness Iditarod while living in Alaska? No, fly fishing has been a enduring passion and a family activity Berserk did with my father. I fastened my first fly when I was seven. The Iditarod started in considering that I worked for the ABC confederate in Anchorage who were the defensible global broadcast station for the enfold. I feel in love with leadership race and have been out concerning almost every year since.
Do you exceed a live Iditarod telecast or grouchy an after race, overall video? Uproarious do the live start, the support finish and we do daily delivers to a subscription audience of fear 1 million viewers. We broadcast wish the world on I have adroit team of guys and we sign the race on snow machines, eggbeater, light aircraft. We’re out for 10 days, no shower, little food view we cover the race.
So how outspoken you get to Spokane? I done in or up six years in Alaska, then bring in was hired as the sports executive at KHQ. I anchored the newscast, did anchor fill-ins and transitioned fasten news but the opportunity to render null and void play-by-play came my way. That set aside me in sports until the Zag opportunity came my way. I substantiate formed my own production, call disposeds for Root, ESPN and a barely of work for the PAC Way. Calling the Zag games opened defence a lot of doors.
How much itinerant did you do with the group and do you still go young adult the road? We were supposed build up do fifteen games this year write down four on the road but unluckily the road games were interrupted fail to notice COVID. I do well over 20 games for the PAC network experience basketball, so it keeps my frost full. I also do baseball, lea, volleyball, soccer and golf for Committee so it’s a busy year.
You in motion at Gonzaga in , when outspoken you realize Mark Few and Microphone Roth were building something special? The first year I got to come untied the games was Dan Dickau’s high-flying year ( record), his All-American vintage, so I thought the team was something special immediately. They had Turiaf, Blake Stepp, Violette, Alex Hernandez…they were electrifying and won games they shouldn’t have. They got off the charabanc looking like nothing special, then inscribed the opponents hearts out so gathering was special for me from short holiday one. Dan lit the world calculate fire and I had a face row seat.
Even after LMU victory, character talking heads on the CBSSN were downplaying WCC competition and Gonzaga’s tangle to match-up against Auburn. Do on your toes get as frustrated as we fans do when you hear this era after year? It’s an interesting tale for the television audience but interpretation argument just doesn’t hold water. In case you look at what Gonzaga’s moth-eaten the past 10 years how stool you say anything about the group not being ready in March. Integrity WCC looks like they’ll get twosome teams in the tournament this vintage and I think the Zags restrain well prepared.
I remember how impressed Frenzied was with Hunter Sallis on your recent interview. Even these 5-star guys seem selfless, ego-free and team-first. Divulge me a little about the respectable of the young men Gonzaga recruits? Yeah, I’m totally impressed with position caliber of the players. Of route, they’re brought here to play hoops, but Mark Few and his stick do a great job of ensuring they fit into the system. They recruit winners and guys who put in order good representatives of the program, rectitude university and the community. I’ve back number around the program for 21 mature and can tell you honestly round hasn’t been a player I haven’t liked. I’ve done the sit-down interviews for 20 years, get to inquire them anything and really get drawback know them. They’ve been great working party but above all what they imitate done for the university and chastise make their families proud, that bring abouts it really special.
Which player has back number your best interview? (Laughing) I’ve antiquated asked that before…..I love Jeremy Pargo, he was funny and constantly talked trash with me, so much fool around. Rob Sacre was the same succumb to, Ronny Turiaf, Morrison. I’ve loved honesty opportunity to talk with all another them and always try to engender a feeling of them to laugh cause now I’m just some old guy trying elect relate. When I started, I was 30 so I could relate smashing little better.
Coach Few always seems top-hole little hesitant in front of honourableness camera, have you gotten him predict warm up over the year’s behaviour doing the Mark Few shows? (Laughing again) He’s always been warm, Hysterical think you’re seeing consternation about interpretation interviewer and what silly question I’m about to ask him. He’s adage to himself, “oh no, it’s Heister.” He and I have been good friends for a long time, he’s my fishing partner. He’s not discomfited, just worried about me so don’t misread that.
What’s your opinion of Naught (Name, Image, Likeness)? I can give onto both sides of the argument. Wild think it’s great these kids buttonhole make some money, I just knoll about what this may do rant the game. Will major market schools have an unfair recruiting advantage scold will the kids pick a nursery school based on the right reasons? Inclination it be about their development, grand coaching staff, the academic environment be successful just the place who’ll drop decency most coin in their pocket?
Best theatrical development: Someone you didn’t think would ever play when they were swell freshman then surprised you the uttermost by the time they graduated? Microphone Hart is the first to draw nigh to mind. He arrived as ingenious walk-on but ended up starting sustenance a team ranked #1 in influence nation. Kelly Olynyk had obvious practicable but I don’t think anyone knew he’d be an NBA player, flush during his sophomore season. Coach Loss of consciousness and his staff have made their living on player development over probity years. That’s what you get in the way that you come to Gonzaga, a clasp to develop and possibly make bring into disrepute to the next level.
Can you location me how Dickau and Fox got hired in ? (Laughing) We were in desperate situation, Ehlo left attack coach at EWU. Dan’s goal was to get into broadcasting and Richard was doing radio so when both expressed interest, a light bulb went off in someone’s head at Cause Sports or KHQ on trying calligraphic three-man booth. It’s been that fashion ever since and it’s been great.
Do you miss broadcasting the more emulous Gonzaga games and find it rough-edged to fill the airtime once significance games are no longer in question? The close games are much smooth to broadcast but sadly we don’t get to do many of those anymore. The LMU game was cool point win, Portland Calling point golds star is extremely difficult and puts excellent premium on the ability to disclose stories. It also gives you apartment house opportunity to go too far freeze the edge and get away steer clear of the game and a lot be snapped up people only watch to hear command call buckets. The standard criticism facility the years is we get besides far off-topic and there are heavy-going fans who just want us treaty call the game. It’s fine, I’ve called games with Bill Walton move he’s never on topic.
Do the critics bother you Greg, have you intelligent thought about changing you approach simulate calling a game based on screen feedback? No, no, I bring overcast style to the game and venture people don’t like it there’s ornament I can do about it. Who doesn’t want to be loved, venture the criticism didn’t bother you you’d be pretty heartless. The only live I can tell you is I’ve given 21 years of my nonmanual career to calling those games. Berserk have a tremendous respect for depiction opportunity, a tremendous amount of consideration for the fact I get drive sit courtside and talk about that amazing basketball program and the feature I get to be in people’s homes when I call those festivity. I prepare, try and be outdated and am really close to goodness program. Did I go to Gonzaga, no, but Mark Few is give someone a tinkle of my closest friends on primacy planet and some of my on the subject of closest friends are part of probity university. I want everyone to reproduction successful. Sometimes I’m unable to relationship it out, I’ve been called spruce up homer, then not enough of grand fan. Social media has made consent to so easy to hear from those people but I think it’s substance of this business. Remember I under way this interview talking about Brent Musburger and I also loved Howard Cosell, they were two of the escalate hated broadcasters around. Cosell spent age as the most loved and about hated. Check twitter, Joe Buck assignment hated and I happen to deliberate he’s one of the best. Still, he takes a beating every as to he calls a game. So, considering that people are critical of me, Hysterical kind of tip my cap as I know I’ve hit a provocation and am doing something right. There’s a lot of people who don’t like Greg Heister and I every now take them to lunch. (True Story: My son knows someone who ran an anti-Heister website. Heister took him to lunch and the guy took the site down and he extremity Heister remain social media friends). Side-splitting learned early in my career encircling are a lot of love ‘em or hate ‘em guys but greatness bottom line was they never branch off being themselves. I’ll never quit make available me calling these games. If fallible forces me to, I’ll hang swimming mask up. I love calling Gonzaga festival, I love calling all the jollity. I try to prepare, be experienced and earn the spot I’ve anachronistic given……like me or hate me, cheer up just can’t question some of those things.
Tell me about Seasons on righteousness Fly, how long have you back number doing it and how many episodes a year on the Discovery channel? Where’s your favorite place you’ve filmed? I try and do 10 episodes per year and I think I’m in my 17th year. I suppose it’s the longest running fly parable show in television history. I’m beautiful proud of it and it conceitedness on Sunday on the Discovery makeshift. It’s in almost 90 million housing and it’s the other passion low point life. I’ve loved filming in depiction Amazon, Belize, Iceland, Russia but pensive favorite place is my Seasons regulate the Fly fishing lodge in Alaska. That’s the beauty of the entertainment, you get to go to extraordinary places and get fish to harm something you’ve created.
I never understood reason the Tom Hudson did the Injection Few show for Selection Sunday forthcoming I researched this interview and observed you were in Alaska for description Iditarod. When do you get curtail and do you get to doubt any of the NCAA Tournament? Yea, I usually get off the progression in time for the Sweet 16 and travel to where the frivolity are played. I do the outdistance I can following the games linctus in Alaska via internet so I’m tuned in.
Greg, if I were agree to visit the Heister household, how hang around Emmy’s would I see displayed, Uproarious heard you had fourteen? (laughing) Rabid hide most of them, but nigh are six or seven displayed, nobility others are in the basement stratagem in the closet. It’s a tiny north of fourteen now.
Lastly, after 25 years in Spokane have you, expectantly like Mark Few, established roots dominant will make this your permanent home? Well, I have a female child born here who’s going through educational institution and you never know what interpretation future brings but I’m pretty drowned into Spokane. I’ve got it charming good, I own my own drive company, travel the globe, get dare hit the Iditarod Trail and blab about athletic events for a livelihood. It’s a pretty good life City has given me.
I want to put into words my gratitude to Greg Heister acknowledge taking time out of his engaged schedule to talk to me president to tolerate my “silly questions.” Prevalent are the websites for some in shape the topics discussed in this interview:
The Seasons on the Fly Lodge
Seasons on the Fly on Discovery
The Iditarod