‘We hired you for your information’: Stars sometimes strike out in their first at-bat

Buster Olney arrived at ESPN with a handful of TV appearances on his résumé. His studio debut, in the fall of 2003 on “SportsCenter,” left a lasting impression — to say the least.

Dan Patrick, the anchor that night, came over and introduced himself. Up to that point, Olney had done single-camera interviews, usually from remote studios or sites, looking straight ahead with an earpiece to hear the anchor and answer questions. In the studio, Patrick pointed out the multiple cameras that would be in use for their segment discussing upcoming free agent moves.

“Dan says, ‘You start at the jib, then you look at me, go to camera one …’” Olney remembers. “He asked me [about a player move], and I froze. It was ‘Broadcast News’ flop sweat. My God, I was so bad.”

All was not lost. As Olney left the studio, Chuck Salituro, a veteran ESPN news editor, greeted him. “Hey, Buster, you know what? We hired you for your information. You’ll figure out the rest as you go.”