LONDON — One of the primary roles of a studio host is to serve as the “traffic cop,” steering the conversation and directing the flow among the analysts.
For Chris Fowler, this role often includes working with three of the largest personalities — if outspoken, humorous and unpredictable analysts — in sports television.
At Wimbledon — where the all-new, all-ESPN, all live event is reaching more people — it’s “BG” – Brad Gilbert, he of the nicknames, penchant for giving yellow and red cards and citing statistics and stories from his encyclopedic memory.
On College GameDay, it’s Lee Corso with his patented “Not so fast, my friend!” and headgear theatrics. And for 15 years on college basketball, Fowler worked alongside the inimitable Dick Vitale.
In the video above, Fowler talks about working — and living in London — with Gilbert. Also, Gilbert expresses his respect for the role Fowler plays, and Jamie Reynolds, who oversees ESPN’s production at Wimbledon, explains how it all works.
Postcard design by Crystal Cote.
