Vic Stauffer announcing...or Lack thereof

[TravisVOX]

It's a job people think could/should go away or doesn't matter yet it's a topic that routinely garners dozens of pages per thread. I love irony.

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by Valuist

I'm sure most announcers would say it isn't done strictly for the money. They do it because they love the sport. If you can make $80k doing something you love, it's probably better than $150k doing something you hate.

I could be wrong about this...but I think track announcers gravitate to the job for the same reason that others become professional horseplayers. The horses get into your blood at an early stage of life...and this interferes with your future educational and employment plans. Next thing you know...a life at the track feels like it's the most desirable thing in the world...even if the dollar-per-hour reward is hardly worth the stress and the aggravation.

[upthecreek]

Originally Posted by Peter Berry

50K doesn't buy much these days.

Median household income in US is $51,000

[Peter Berry]

Originally Posted by upthecreek

Median household income in US is $51,000

Most announcers have to travel around to two tracks or more. Accommodation, travel, etc. eats significantly into our wages.

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by TravisVOX

It's a job people think could/should go away or doesn't matter yet it's a topic that routinely garners dozens of pages per thread. I love irony.

I pointed this out once before, but as a fan of a couple of unpopular sports, along with several popular ones, the fans of the unpopular sports (horse racing and track and field) love to talk about public address announcers, while the fans of the popular ones (football, basketball, baseball) basically don't care at all about them.

And further, when horse racing was at its zenith of popularity, most tracks either didn't have announcers at all or had very embryonic ones (not like the modern descriptive ones).

So it really isn't a tremendously important job. That said, I don't think you guys should go away-- obviously lots of fans really enjoy a good race call, and also, simulcasting and especially the Internet make race calling much more important, because people are watching on small television screens and can't identify the horses without you.

[Tom]

I think Vic is pretty good.
I don't like screamers and the race should not be about the announcer.
Vic calls a professional race.
That is ok by me.

[MonmouthParkJoe]

Originally Posted by thaskalos

I could be wrong about this...but I think track announcers gravitate to the job for the same reason that others become professional horseplayers. The horses get into your blood at an early stage of life...and this interferes with your future educational and employment plans. Next thing you know...a life at the track feels like it's the most desirable thing in the world...even if the dollar-per-hour reward is hardly worth the stress and the aggravation.

While my sample size is limited at this point, i will say one thing. Having been at two tracks on either side of the spectrum, there is nothing better than being there and being around something you love. Yes, you can make alot of money in other industries and even in racing you will do pretty good at a management level, but actually looking forward to going into work the next day versus dreading it is well worth the exchange. Money isnt everything, and when you are doing something you love you never work a day in your life right? Ok maybe working a few days but still

[SuperPickle]

Originally Posted by upthecreek

You probably do better than most on here that work 52 weeks a year
I don't think you're standing in cheese line
I heard John Lies say one time on TVG a guy who can call 100 days a year can make a pretty good living

I know enough about race calling to kind of address this...

First off there's a handful of jobs that are year round and probably crack six figures. NYRA, SoCal, and probably Gulfstream. The CDI jobs of CD, Arlington and Fair Grounds probably are right behind it.

So outside of Larry, Wrona, Dooley, Trevor, and possibly Robert Geller no one is making a sweet living announcing. You might be able to add Pete at Gulfstream to it because its a year-round job.

So there's less than 10 good announcing gigs. Everyone else has to hustle and work 2-3 tracks or do multiple jobs at one track.

Look at Kurt Becker. He calls one of the biggest meets on earth and he still has to do auto racing, auto auctions, and other work at Keeneland to make a living.

And to the "$50K is a lot of money crowd." I'll sum it up this way.

ESPN has over 1,000 on air personalities and the median of those jobs is six figures. That doesn't count Fox, CBS and NBC's talent pool. It also doesn't count local MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL talent the majority of which make six figures.

So all in there's probably around 1,000 to 1,200 sports announcing jobs that pay six figures in North America. There's less than 10 track announcers who make that. So the question is if you're 22 years-old and want to get into announcing why on earth would you be a track announcer?

[Peter Berry]

Excellent analysis.

[The Hawk]

Originally Posted by cj

Nothing against Wallace, but he hung around way too long.

Agreed. But most of them do, admittedly even some of my old favorites.

[SoCalCircuit]

Originally Posted by SuperPickle

I know enough about race calling to kind of address this...

First off there's a handful of jobs that are year round and probably crack six figures. NYRA, SoCal, and probably Gulfstream. The CDI jobs of CD, Arlington and Fair Grounds probably are right behind it.

So outside of Larry, Wrona, Dooley, Trevor, and possibly Robert Geller no one is making a sweet living announcing. You might be able to add Pete at Gulfstream to it because its a year-round job.

So there's less than 10 good announcing gigs. Everyone else has to hustle and work 2-3 tracks or do multiple jobs at one track.

Look at Kurt Becker. He calls one of the biggest meets on earth and he still has to do auto racing, auto auctions, and other work at Keeneland to make a living.

And to the "$50K is a lot of money crowd." I'll sum it up this way.

ESPN has over 1,000 on air personalities and the median of those jobs is six figures. That doesn't count Fox, CBS and NBC's talent pool. It also doesn't count local MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL talent the majority of which make six figures.

So all in there's probably around 1,000 to 1,200 sports announcing jobs that pay six figures in North America. There's less than 10 track announcers who make that. So the question is if you're 22 years-old and want to get into announcing why on earth would you be a track announcer?

Ok this can't possibly be a serious comparison. Pro sports commentators travel all over the country for a 6-7 month season, as opposed to like 100 races cards per year, really amounting to 25 minutes of actual race calling per day (obviously there's extensive preparation involved as well). I'm not gonna say anyone is overpaid or underpaid, and I'm definitely not in the camp that thinks that job should be eliminated (quite frankly I'm in the opposite camp), but in an industry where there's no advertising money, that ain't a bad salary. Especially if you're a true horseman.

[TravisVOX]

Skills/ability and now salary. I'm scared for whatever the next announcer themed topic will be.

[EMD4ME]

Originally Posted by TravisVOX

Skills/ability and now salary. I'm scared for whatever the next announcer themed topic will be.

Don't let it bother you Travis. You guys are awesome. (except for that fill in at TUP ).

Underpaid too. It's a hard job. Hours aren't easy and I'm sure going up to that pigeon infested 19th floor at AQU isn't fun.

Those planes must come at you much closer than they do me.

To top if off, if one of you puts on weight, I would be worried. When was the last time that floor (in the announcer's room) was refortified?

[SuperPickle]

Originally Posted by SoCalCircuit

Ok this can't possibly be a serious comparison. Pro sports commentators travel all over the country for a 6-7 month season, as opposed to like 100 races cards per year, really amounting to 25 minutes of actual race calling per day (obviously there's extensive preparation involved as well). I'm not gonna say anyone is overpaid or underpaid, and I'm definitely not in the camp that thinks that job should be eliminated (quite frankly I'm in the opposite camp), but in an industry where there's no advertising money, that ain't a bad salary. Especially if you're a true horseman.

It went over your head.

The salary isn't the point.

The point is we have a lack of announcers. The reason is when 12th best race caller in the country makes what the 1,334 sports announcer does it pushes the next generation into another field.

Btw... and your also wrong. When CBS or NBC Sports Channel show college sports they're lucky to break even. So a card at Remington Park makes more money than an Ivy League basketball game on NBCSN but the announcers are paid 5x.

[Track Phantom]

Originally Posted by TravisVOX

Skills/ability and now salary. I'm scared for whatever the next announcer themed topic will be.

It's pathetic.