Ian Eagle admits he’s more nervous than Noah Eagle for son’s broadcasts

Ian Eagle is much more nervous watching his son, Noah, call a game than he is doing it himself.

Ian said on the Awful Announcing Podcast with host Brandon Contes that anyone who’s a parent can attest to that feeling of wanting to shield their child from challenges.

“You would trade places at any point of any moment if it would make your kid’s life easier,” he says. “That’s just a perspective. And it would be no different than when Noah was in Little League or playing basketball, swimming, or tennis; you feel the angst of him having to go out and perform — and there’s nothing you can do about it; you can’t help him. So, I would equate it to that.

“I would say that it’s a little different in that I have such institutional knowledge of how this stuff works. And because of that, I know all of the elements of what makes for a good broadcast or what can sidetrack a broadcast in the moment. And being that aware is often not necessarily your friend.

“But, he does not feel those levels of stress that I described. He’s really comfortable doing this — it comes across that way. He’s a student of this; he cares about it. He wants to do it the right way. This is not someone that’s looking to cut corners, so I know the work he puts in. I know the preparation and I also know the kind of person he is, and how he treats others and how he finds common ground with his analysts and producers… And that gives you confidence as a parent when you see your kid in those situations, knowing that they’re ready for it.”

As Contes mentioned to Ian, the nepotism claims come with the territory, whether it’s Noah , Joe Buck or Kenny Albert. At the same time, it’s nearly impossible to duplicate or devalue the experience of growing up in it, as opposed to being thrown right into the fire.

“I think it does go a long way. Obviously, if you’re around it, there’s a form of osmosis that seeps in,” Ian says. “You’ve seen it, you know what it’s about, you’ve witnessed it, you’ve seen behind the scenes, you’ve seen literally the camera and your father or the microphone and headset and your father, and there is an eternal benefit from that.

“Look, there is something to be said for ability, natural ability that’s in you, that’s been passed down, that makes you comfortable in those situations. That doesn’t mean that every kid of every broadcaster is destined to do this, and a lot of them aren’t interested in doing this. I think that’s a big part of it, too, at least from my perspective and for my wife. We really never told him, ‘Hey, this is something you should consider.’ It was always his choice, his decision to figure out what would provide happiness because that’s what we root for.

“I hate to break it down to the simplest form, but that’s really what it is — you want your kid to be happy in life. Try to figure out what makes you happy and then follow that path. I know it’s much more intricate than that in life – I get that — but sometimes it’s as simple as that. And for Joe and for Kenny and for others — Noah included — they all determined, ‘That would make me happy; I’m gonna try that and see where that takes me.'”

When Contes pointed out that Noah and Dwyane Wade received widespread praise on social media for their coverage of men’s basketball at the 2024 Paris Olympics, he also acknowledged that while social media doesn’t represent the entire audience, it is often the most vocal.

Ian added to this, noting that avoiding that kind of feedback is impossible.

“All of that is a part of it, and there’s no avoiding it — certainly in this day and age,” he says. “I broke in at WFAN Radio – this was the early ’90s – and the only feedback you were getting was from the callers and then an occasional letter that you would get in the mail. Or then, Mike and the Mad Dog came up with ‘Fax Fridays’ where people would fax in questions, and they would literally read them on the air — that was it…

“Or, media critics, at the time, Phil Mushnick, who’s still writing for the New York Post ; Bob Raissman writes for the Daily News . There were a few other writers in the New York area, Stan Isaacs in Newsday at the time, and eventually Richard Sandomir with the New York Times , and Rudy Martzke at USA Today — that was your feedback.

“And what it taught me at that point that I still subscribe to today, is self-criticism is going to be No. 1. That’s the top aspect of this. You’ve got to develop a real understanding of when you’ve done something well, or you haven’t met the mark if it’s subpar and correct it. And that comes from watching your stuff and policing yourself in many ways of not making the same mistakes over and over. And even amid social media, which, yes, it’s huge. When that developed it became a whole other avenue in which to get an opinion.”

In the end, Ian knows that the loudest voices may come from social media, but the most critical feedback is the one you give yourself.

“Your toughest critic is you — always. It has to be you. And that’s non-negotiable,” Eagle says.

As much as Ian Eagle feels nervous watching his son, knowing Noah is carving his own path with dedication and passion gives him the most pride. After all, for a parent, there’s nothing better than seeing their child find happiness doing what they love.

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