Tom Rinaldi Interview

ESPN's Tom Rinaldi now with the I've had plenty of time as many of had to read and watch things so I read the red bandanna again, your book hits home and ACC circles because it tells the story of former Boston College Lacrosse Capt. Wells Crowther and how he worked in the World Trade Center and rather than saving his life. He sacrificed it in order to save the lives of many others who were in danger and strangely enough, Tom. I thought a lot about 2001, because on a walk last week somebody in Winston-Salem was talking to me about when things become normal again and instantly I thought well, what is normal.

Look like in 2001 and here in 2020. What is what's sports role and things becoming normal again of Joshua that the corrected question and I think all the things that cause remind yourself how much were missing sport why we love it and we love it. Not only for the vicarious role not only for the chronicling of excellence on way, but we love it because of the people involved in it. Perhaps there are proxy in a way, as we see how they bear up under pressure, how they deal with different feedings and situations in their lives that they have to get through and to do with in a public way. Stark arena where there's a win and there's a lot more than I know this is in a given by any stretch but prayer. Anyone is listening. Even at this time. If your basic needs are met. It can be tough at times to see how the seasons of your life are unfolding, it's never difficult for an athlete right for Cpl. RT they see the seasons because there is standings and scores and wins and losses and and I think we missed that. I started thinking about things I've missed the most about sports the last few weeks as I was at the ACC tournament in Greensboro when everything went down over the state. They were starting to warm up.

They were yanked off of the floor and minutes later the entire ACC tournament was canceled hours later all of March madness and some of the things I came up with. It's just something as simple as an empty arena and CN it fill up and see and competitiveness seeing even trash talk showmanship, things of that nature are things that immediately resonated immediately resonated with me and they were things I thought about until they were taken away.

You mentioned a handful of things that you miss about sports are things you appreciate about it.

Which of those things you selected.

Do you miss the most.

At this moment.

I see great. There aren't that many venues in our lives where we watched the news, which is so important right now we are seeing the greatest part of so many of all of our fellow Americans on display the incredible bravery of all of our medical professionals and everything that they are enduring. Josh all of the first responders. All of the caregivers. All of those things, but most times Josh right or wrong. Those things are happening outside the public eye.

We don't have broadcasts which show document and chronicle and display everything that those folks are doing. We do have that when it comes to competitive striving. We have that when it comes to our games in our sports and so in that were able to see greatness displayed in. Let's face it, in ways that so many of us once dreamed of being able to display and that one is certainly one of the things I miss and I also very very much missed the people, as I'm sure we all do the people up in some way we feel connected to, or that we got no SEC her or him succeed or fail.

It's Tom, and all different ESPN and you've done this is something that strikes me you've done so much writing for pieces that we've seen and I emphasize seeing yet you only written one book the red bandanna.

It's the only book you've written and I wonder what it was about the former BC Lacrosse Capt. turned euro that separated that specific story you reported on from the many others you've covered nothing. So let's just recover so many stories and have people place that incalculable precious trust in essentially a stranger to say here some of the most precious territory in my life, my family, like the lives of people that I love.

I want you to share this story with a country over the world and that's an awesome trust try to honor Wells case you don't, but maybe the simplest answer is the way the book began. Josh not consider the 2977 souls perished the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the fact that Pres. Obama when he spoke all those years later at the dedication of the 9/11 Memorial Museum. He chose to mention one by name. What an eye was wells Crowther were so many of the things not only that he you represent as an individual but I think Josh maybe not to be presumptuous maybe why you find that you went back to the book or why the book we've been blessed to have some success with it why it sounded all the schools and curriculum things like what it represents about not just wild about us, about our country about character encourage and selflessness. All things that again were seeing displayed not only in America but around the world as we face this moment Christ yes it gives me hope about the way many in the medical industry and many across this country and across the world can and likely will, at in order for us to get past the time that we can all agree is tumultuous amid these times Tom what kinds of stories are you most interested in telling as you continue to read and learn about what's happening in America today. Let me report even go there, Josh and Anna, I found it was dating who I've reached out to him. Some of the beaks that I cover some of the sports that the that I cover and reach out to me and whether that's been as much a black topic of getting to the bottom of the contactless some folks or why I learned this, I think Josh you'd be curious as to how you handle this. I try not always a success that when someone enters my mind.

I try to reach out right that even if it's just a simple of the text. No calls almost always better when I think of that person.

I reach out is what you find is if you don't reach out then the moment passes the. The urgency to do so just doesn't come back and I found myself reaching out to coaches and athletes, and agents and so many of the different people that we cross paths with in the business that we've chosen you chosen to, and whether that's been in the chair for tray text with with some of these folks in the sea in so many ways how similar it is an absolutely fundamental way the situation is of everybody trying to find their balance to be productive to be a good citizen and to serve their families that the cat it's been fascinating the last week as this reminded me of a time when I first got out of college.

How I was going crazy not having a job for a month and 1/2.

My goal was every single day to do at least one thing that put me one step closer to being employed in this broadcast industry.

We don't have sports to report on and we have a lot of time to think. Read to watch things the way I've chosen to spend the last week is think about okay, what's one thing I can do one person I can call one business I can buy a gift card for for a later date right help them. In the meantime yeah what's one thing I can do to help further something into your poor I'm so glad you mentioned personal relationships because it could be a handwritten letter.

It could be a call to be a text but just being intentional about it. Not asking for something, but more so having an interest I think and make all the different stories obviously bigger or cruiser all production has ceased, and so Josh, what we've done is we've had some things in the pipeline. Fortunately, and now we've written those. Those are being edited with a different kind of workflow remotely between producer, editor and reporter. So were continuing to create content and it will also create original content.

Some of the some of it as a base. Some of it that you have a NSA here at SportsCenter shortly. We begin perhaps a small series in appreciation of somebody athletes to our absence right now. The first the first to think about my trout and perhaps what we miss about seeing and what were the first week of the season. Also just wrote something appreciation of the outdoors and being outside of course, insensible and safe ways is socially distant on following all the protocols and guidelines that are government officials are giving us, but we've also done that and we brought back a lot of the stories we the people have an opportunity to see a case. Seeing the first time across all our platforms.

Whether it's been on.com or ESPN plus or SportsCenter or some other shows, and it's been terrific to see how people are rediscovering, or in some cases, watching and experiencing some of the stories the uplifting ones for the first time that that's been a kind of blessing so that the subjects of those stories or receiving some attention all over again which is nice. It's ESPN's Tom and I'll be with us, please got a little bit of production we been working on the last couple of days as well.

We started this segment called daily positivity, Robert. He's been digging up some music that sounds like it's straight out of like meditation of some sorts but it's essentially an opportunity for us to outline things we do are things we've seen every day that makes us optimistic. Whether it's a guy in the drive through line who was just enthusiastic like the one I ran into just hours ago, so I ask you Tom and all the where do you find optimism today. Likely. I find it in arcade all the time they are incredibly optimistic.

They're going through their remote learning so many children are now across the country were schools are shifting into a different mode. I find it in family. I find it in our colleagues.

I find it the people we cover and I will not to be too hokey, but I think I find it in this spirit, which is rising up to meet the challenge of the Christ, and I don't think that that's manufactured. I think you said, whether it be in the simplest exchanges and pedestrian moments of your day, the chance to see those new and fresh lime value and I think that's happening for a lot of people that see the music it's it's soothing, like your voice Tom and I may have told my family by their little tired of it… What is played as a guide dog cover topics like out in one of our past visits. I think I joke that you've made more grown men cry in the United States of America than anybody else out there and I wonder when's the last time Tom Rinaldi wants something. The way we watched many of your pieces, and was moved to tears all the way. One thing I go to I try not to ever cry while in interview resampling or in front of the subject because I think that could feel self-indulgent, but I have even just last month in interview, which is a feature that Morgan be will be airing here shortly.

UFC feature very now the time to get all the details of very heavy tragic story and I got in the car broke down because everything the subject shared problem very soft.

Mark ongoing high that you know I I don't do well with the work with stories of sentiment and things like that easy on the got it never sees Josh, what's gonna happen next in the movie, so I'm glad I got great for the thriller because I never, ever, I'm always surprised that I've always impressed with the flock to it and I'm easily moved by things that I fear that I read I like to follow. I I am ashamed to admit I watch the Adam Sandler movie. Click and I got moved to tears. I I am ashamed to admit that happened. Is there a movie you are hesitant to admit that you got emotional watching axle without any hesitation. Either there be no light.

Directing you know this version of what the book about the song on my iPod on my iPhone. I where you want to begin about it. There's no way I would ever be embarrassed that this I know this.

There's so many moved I could give you the movies right now. That moved me each time I see them but I'll give you a quick cancel if you're not moved by Shawshank redemption even like to get to the 25th time, then I don't have much for. I read I know I do think there's there's so much to so true and so moving in that movie in the sports movie category.

Josh, I also think there's some incredibly moving it. If people have not seen center. The masterpiece documentary about the Formula One driver from Brazil. I I couldn't suggested strongly enough. I'm not an F1 fan.

I I've only been to one F1 race ever on. I found it masterful and deeply deeply moving it if you haven't seen them Oregon about the same director for Kapadia if you just defend Either fantastic director and storyteller that I can go on and on the sports side of things of and I also in a different way. Doctrinal people have an opportunity. I thought that believe not to sound like too much of a company man but I love the fact that we reared OJ in prime time because the people haven't gone back and watched OJ it is an absolute masterpiece might be the best thing your company's ever done is a chance of a very very long night before you say Josh Wright for the fullness of how the story is told it's it's a story that needed to be all-encompassing in order to understand specific aspects of what happened you needed back story you needed everybody to be cooperative and it seemed sort of O.J. Simpson himself. Everybody they wanted to get for this project. They got and it's a credit as are Edelman he got them to go to a place where they were willing to be honest and that that's rare to find. And that's what I know, I know in a very different vein, there are so many people so excited about the Jordan documentary and leave the final fees anywhere. The NBA entertainment was involved in documenting embedded with the team of the Baldwin on that ride and how that will be wrapped in a into the Jordan documentary.

I can't wait to see that Tom is the absolute best we could chat for hours.

It is book. I reread it this weekend. It's just if you enjoy any of the E 60 year college game day features that Tom has done her justice work in general, pick up the book the red bandanna you will not regret doing so make you so much for doing this.

Perhaps we can catch up somewhere down the line. Thanks very much – I appreciated everyone please be safe