Growing up, I never knew what I wanted to be. At the drop of a hat, I would have a new idea for a potential future career. As time went on and I got older, I started watching New York Mets baseball games with my dad daily on the TV. The most distinctive part of every broadcast would be the calls made during the game by Gary Cohen.
Cohen has been the main play-by-play announcer for SNY, a local New York broadcasting network, since 2006. While he made his start on radio for the Mets and gained experience with minor league teams and collegiate athletics at his alma mater, Columbia University, most fans know him for his electrifying calls during almost any regular season Mets game.
According to an article from Columbia Magazine, Cohen was a political science major when attending Columbia University. So his first television broadcasting gig, alongside former Mets Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling, was a very different experience than his past radio jobs. However, Cohen, Hernandez, and Darling were able to fall into groove that utilized all their strengths and led them to be known as one of the greatest booths in baseball.
Being able to hear the booth’s commentary and Cohen’s electrifying calls made me fall in love with the game even more. Already having such a strong love for sports and an increased interest in journalism, I knew I had found what I wanted to do. I wanted to bring people the same joy that Gary brought to me, my father, and millions of other Mets fans whenever we watched the game.
Like Cohen, growing up watching the Mets made me a die-hard fan who almost never missed a game. But having the privilege of listening to Cohen make some of the best calls in recent baseball history inspired me to pursue a career in broadcast journalism, where I hope to work in sports. Its also where I hope to inspire someone the same way Gary Cohen inspired me.
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