The teacher on the airwaves

Ross Crist may have moved to Dubai to teach two years ago, but he has become more than a familiar voice on the radio in that time.

Announcers and radio talk show hosts have a certain enigmatic presence about them. You hear their voices on your favourite stations on your commute to work every day, but very rarely, thanks to the medium, do we get to see them in action. How you imagine them to be in person can often be a stark departure from reality. For starters, a teacher and lecturer is not the first thing that pops into your mind when you hear Ross Crist on Dubai Eye 103.8. "People have this notion that radio presenters, or even TV hosts, are some mythical beings," says 29-year-old Ross. But, as we found out, they can be anything but.
Ross, a lifelong Pittsburgh Steelers fan, moved to Dubai from his hometown in Pennsylvania, US, two years ago, "almost to the date," he embellishes, to take up a job lecturing on sport management (also called sport business in the UK) at a local college. He's one of the very few in the UAE, and probably the region, that has the expertise in the field and imparts his knowledge to anyone who wants to learn about what it takes to manage a sports team or athlete - everything from health, fitness and physical education to marketing, branding and merchandising.
"I grew up in a house full of sports nuts. American football, baseball, basketball and ice hockey - if the team was playing, we were watching. The black and gold uniforms, banners - we even had Steelers towels! - and streamers would all come out.
"I was always involved in sports and I knew that's what I wanted to do," he says. In fact, his father, Jim, has been emceeing and hosting all manner of marathons and sporting events across the US for years, and, growing up under his wings, Ross was eager to get into the gig.
"I knew I was destined to be behind a camera or a microphone." He says he was always the loud one, the goofy one - "I was voted as the class clown in high school, so that should give you a sense of how mischievous I was," he laughs.
"My mother deserves a Nobel prize for raising me!" He confides that when he was a teenager, he stole his mom's camera so he and his friends could record their own WWF (now WWE) re-enactment. The part of the ringside announcer was, of course, played by young Ross. "I still remember that incident and I think it's when I knew I wanted to be an announcer." He was soon taking over some of his father's gigs and also got a chance to live broadcast some sports events in the US.
An undergrad and masters education later, Ross found a passion to teach, with broadcasting still tugging him along to different sporting events. "I didn't think I'd be a teacher. But I really love it. I love my students and it's a very fulfilling job." It was what Ross moved to Dubai for, before his fate changed - on the very night he landed in the city.
"I remember getting into a cab and asking the driver to take me to a place I could grab a burger and fries. He took me to Barasti Beach - I don't know why." he says, laughing. "When I got there, I saw some sort of production being set up. I was curious and I walked up to the person who, I thought, looked in charge." That man happened to be Tom Urquhart, whom we've all seen on Dubai One and heard on Dubai Eye. "We chatted for a bit, and I mentioned that I had a flair for sports broadcasting. Next thing I knew, he says to me, 'see you next week.'"
Ross took Tom up on the offer and has been with Dubai Eye ever since, broadcasting on different sporting events, a much bigger pool than he knew existed. "When you grow up in the States, you're not really exposed to a lot of sports. There's basketball, American football, baseball and ice hockey. That's pretty much the big ones. I've learned so much since coming here." And it has been challenging too, says Ross, recalling his experiences of having to commentate on the Dubai Tour and golfing events in the UAE.
"All I knew about cycling was Lance Armstrong and Mark Cavendish! So it was a big learning experience for me. I basically taught myself the sport." He's still shy about cricket, though. "It's a very complicated sport. I don't think I'll ever know enough to commentate on it anytime soon. But I am learning so much about it from being here and going to the games being held here. Maybe when cricket goes big in the US, I'll take the flight home and be one of the best commentators there!"
New sports aside, he does miss the fandom around American football. "I love that there's the EAFL (Emirates American Football League) and I get to report on it and do radio shows on it. There are some great athletes and I feel like I'm a part of the growing popularity of the sport here. That's always a special feeling." American football is also where Ross landed his personal best interview: Ben Roethlisberger, the star quarterback of his home team, the Pittsburgh Steelers. "I think that's the highlight of my career," he says, smiling. But he does recall some other, more 'colourful' moments.
"I remember interviewing a UFC fighter on the morning of his big fight. He was so pumped up and aggressive that it was a bit intimidating. He was talking down to his opponent. just tearing him to shreds on the air. It was a bit nerve-wracking, but very entertaining."
He also interviewed Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel and their agent J B Bernstein, the real life characters behind the movie Million Dollar Arm. "It was humbling to hear their story and to talk to them about their rags-to-riches climb to life with American baseball." Ross was particularly honoured to interview Lord Sebastian Coe, who was in Dubai for the Dubai Marathon. "That really took me back to my days with my father."
But the most boring sport? "Well, I don't really get bored or roll my eyes at the clock when I'm working, but certainly one of the toughest sports to commentate on is swimming, the other being the marathon. Swimming because I never had the swimming bug - I didn't like the water - and marathons because it's more of a sports feature story than play-by-play action."
In his spare time, Ross also emcees for local events; part of being the goofy kid, he says. "For me, it's a great way to meet new people and make friends." Where Ross really wants to go is the big league - the Rio Olympics, taking place this year in Brazil.
"That's really the Mecca of sport and I think that would be a huge opportunity and challenge for me. Maybe my producers will let me go," he says with a wink. "I've also thought a lot about getting on TV, so maybe that's where you'll see (and hear) me next!"
rohit@khaleejtimes.com 

Ross's three tips for budding broadcasters: >1. Just go and ask the question! Let go of that fear. A lot of times people think they're not right for the job, but you never know until you ask. Make the most of the opportunity. >2. Start a podcast. It doesn't cost any money - all you need is your phone. You can critique yourself as you grow it, and you will keep adding listeners. Then, get people to sponsor your podcasts and possibly even get ads. There are big podcasters now that all started small. It's a really good gateway into radio. >3. Get out of your comfort zone. All my background was in sports, but I started getting involved in other events. Dubai is a great place with so much happening, from food events to cultural and art events. Always be open to learning new things because it opens your world to new opportunities and creates paths that could work for you.