Jay Harris On Fatherhood, The Intersection of Sports and Social Issues and ESPN
On an unseasonably warm fall day 2000s R&B fills the photo studio awaiting Jay Harris, the nearly 20 year veteran of ESPN. When Jay arrives he glides into the room with a large beaming smile, his signature on-air voice filling the room. But it's not his “on-air voice'' at all, it's just his voice. Confident, inviting, reassuring, his bright energy breaks any anxiety that may normally occupy a set awaiting the talent being photographed. We’d been prepped that Jay WILL have jokes. Humor being a mainstay not only of his tv persona but of the person he is. Again it's not an “on-air” caricature of the man. This is who Jay is.
Words & Interview by Ammar Thomas
I want to start off with a story I want to share with you. When I was a teenager, I went to Puerto Rico on a family vacation. I went for a walk on a private beach that was attached to the villa that I was staying at. And I heard a really big voice. And he called me over. And I was able to hang out with him and his family, for a little bit of time. It happened to be Stuart Scott. And so what I wanted to ask you was what impact did Stuart have on you? It feels like he's had such a huge impact on sports journalism, sports, broadcasting in general. But was there any personal connection? Or do you have any personal stories or any impact that he's had on you personally?
I mean, I share the “Sports Stuart” with everybody else, because I watched Stuart before I went to ESPN. Unfortunately, I only got to do one show with him, because we always worked opposite schedules. When I did, it was like watching a masterclass in journalism. And we're in the same fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated, so that made it special too. But honestly, the Stuart I know is the dad doting after his daughters. And the professional wrestler with my son and his young buddies in their basement, elbow-dropping each other and just hanging out having fun. I mean, that's my Stuart, the personal Stuart. The conversations on the phone, man, the “I don't know what to do in this particular situation” talks. And he’s like “okay, I got some words for you.” That's the Stuart that I know, and the Stuart that I miss.
So I did want to share that story. But now I'll go backwards. Where did you get your start? I know you graduated from Old Dominion. But did you always want to be in broadcasting?
I decided in the 11th grade that this is what I wanted to do. I took one of those career aptitude tests, scored well in the area of interpersonal skills, and looked at the jobs in that category. I think being a journalist was maybe the third job listed. I don't remember the other two careers. I told myself, “journalist, that's what I'll be.” And from that point on, I had tunnel vision. But then after I graduated and tried to get a job, and couldn't, I decided that I was gonna quit this stupid field that I had chosen, because apparently, no one wanted me. And I applied to grad school. And then grad school sent me a letter saying “you know, we don't want you either.” I was so sad, but later I realized it was the best no I’d ever gotten to that point in my life. After that NO, my dad encouraged me to get back on my job search. It took a minute and included a move to Washington, DC, but I ended up getting a job with MCI Telecommunications. Basically, I was a customer service rep, and it paid $16,000 a year. It's not what I wanted to do, but it was a job making money. Some months later, one of my friends at work, who also majored in communications in college, decided this job wasn’t what she wanted to do either, so she quit and moved to Chicago. Her goal was to become the next Oprah. And her actions inspired me to make a phone call to a friend of mine back in Virginia, to a man named Don Roberts, who just retired from anchoring television for many, many years. At the time, he was news director at a small radio station. And he told me, “I can give you plenty of experience, but I can't pay you any money. I just don’t have it in the budget.” So I told my dad and told my mom, and my dad was like, “is this what you really want to do?” I said yes. My decision was $16,000 versus zero. And I chose to make zero. With my parent’s blessing, I took my one suit and two ties and moved from DC back to Norfolk, and started my job as a working journalist. And that’s where I got my start, doing radio news.
Wow! You have children correct?
Two children.
How does that inform your decision making when approaching them about their career aspirations or going to school, higher education, whatever it is that they want to do?
Do what you love. I will use my son as an example. He has a marketing degree from the University of Hartford. He decided in his junior year that he doesn’t want to do marketing. He wants to do music. He’s played drums and percussion since he was 4, so it’s in him. He wants to be a producer. So he has been home doing music, working on his craft. And fortunately we're able to float him for a minute, and not push him out of the house to get a full time job. Music is what he loves. And he’s getting better daily. He’s even made a few dollars. It’s the lesson my dad taught me when he supported my dream to be a working journalist. Because if it's what you love, you know you're not really working. Like, I can't remember the last time I honestly went to work. I get to go to ESPN and I get to do Sportscenter every day. There are days where it's busier than others, and days where I don’t really like my performance. But work? Nah, man, this is fun! And my wife and I want our kids to have fun too. So when the time comes, if that means we subsidize our daughter's musical theater career in the beginning, because that's what she wants to do, then ok. So be it. Maybe her brother will be a big-time producer by then and he can take care of it lol. And I’ll be on a golf course somewhere.
“I CAN’T REMEMBER
the last time I honestly went to work. I get to go to ESPN and I get to do Sports Center every day. There are days where it's busier than others. But work nah, man, this is fun!”
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All right, that helps, because I'm a father of three, trying to figure out how to direct my girls, because they don't know what they want to be. And I think it is a lifelong lesson to that journey to self discovery. But you also like music. You mentioned your son being involved in music. You play?
Bass guitar!
Alright, how long have you been doing that?
Long enough to be better than I am! Because I always had like a real job to do since I was like 14.
What kind of music do you play?
Man, I always go back to high school. My buddies and I had a band, a cover band. And we played a little bit of everything and a lot of Prince. So yeah, I like pretty much everything. I think that's where the kids get it from.
Now, going back to the broadcasting of ESPN, specifically, right now we're in an interesting time where social change and social justice is really on the forefront. What do you think about the intersection of sports in all of these social issues? Do you feel like it's your job or your responsibility to report on those things? Or would you prefer to keep it on sports? There's a lot of different thoughts or ideologies on that. But where do you stand as far as the social issues and these athletes being involved?
Sports and social issues have been intersecting since the beginning of sports and social issues, this is nothing new. It is just our now, that's all it is. And it's our now because we see it, because we have these phones, cable tv, streaming, we can get information from around the world immediately. Whereas before, back when I was in college, or as the kids say during the time dinosaurs roamed the earth, you know, we had to wait for the newspaper to come out, or wait for the news to come on the radio or television. When we had cameras and we took pictures, then took the film to the photo mat to be developed, and we had to wait a week to get the pictures back. And we hoped they came out. Now we have iPhones or Android phones, and we can take 400 pictures in 12 seconds, and pick the ones we like on the spot. People getting mad at the players, saying they shouldn't be talking about these issues. They were doing it in the 1930’s, 40’s, 50’s, 60s, they were doing it at the turn of the 20th century, they've been doing it forever. And they should, because they are human. All of these issues they speak on are human issues. And if you have a platform, and if you have some education, and you're able to speak intelligently about a subject, then you should speak, you should use your platform. I think honestly, it's your responsibility to do it. We all have a responsibility to do what we can, how we can.
So when you have guys like let's say, Charles Barkley, who is now one of your peers, and has been for quite some time. But he's also been rather vocal about maybe not wanting to be so much of a role model and not wanting to address certain things. I think he's addressing social issues more now than ever. But when a guy comes out and says, I'm not a role model, I have no desire to be that. How do you feel about that? You're saying it is their responsibility? But if they just don't want it, and they want to make their millions, then how are we to view them?
Well, to Charles, in particular, that "I don't want to be a role model" thing was many, many, many, many years ago.
Yes it was when he was an active player.
I'm not sure it’s fair to continue to hold him up to that. Because whether he wanted to be a role model, or whether anybody else wants to be a role model, you and me included, we are going to be by default to someone, period, whether we want to or not, so it is what it is. So with that knowledge, I guess you have to decide, well, they're going to watch me anyway. What am I going to let them see? And even with that, I mean, it's your prerogative to do whatever you want to do. If you want to show them, you show them whatever you want to show them. Because individually, we have that right. I think as black people, we have a particular responsibility to try and advance us as people. And I also think, as non-black people, there’s a particular responsibility to get educated on certain things that you just don’t know. And as an entire people, we have a responsibility to try and grow intelligently together and reduce some of this hate nonsense that is out here.
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Give me a story when you might have bombed on SportsCenter
Which one do you want, man?!
When have you had some tough moments on air?
Shoot. I remember one. It wasn't the story. It was an interview. It was with Triple G, the boxer. He had a fight at Madison Square Garden coming up on Saturday. It was before they had signed and gotten the third fight with Canelo set. And everyone’s mind was on the third flight. So, like I said, he was fighting on Saturday night and I was interviewing him Wednesday or Thursday. Either he was late, or we had some issues, but the interview kept getting pushed back in the show. So we finally get him on. I ask him a question about the fight. And he says something to the effect of “I know his name is Steve, and he's a boxer.” And I'm thinking “ahhh hell, here we go. This is gonna be one of those interviews.” No knock on him. He was the big name, and he had to do the fight publicity. But he just wasn’t into it. I'm trying to ask open ended questions, and he was just not giving me anything. And my partner, Hannah Storm, was sitting next to me, off camera, giggling! And I don’t blame her. It was hilarious. So I finally end the interview. And it’s funny you mentioned Charles Barkley before, because a few seconds after the interview ended, I look at my phone, and see Charles sent me a text that said, "This is the funniest shit I've seen in my life.” Because it was in in that moment. It's live TV, there's nothing you can do about it. So you just go back to the human part. It is what it is. I don't try to be perfect on air. Well, not anymore. Because experience teaches that you can chase perfection, but you’ll never catch it. So I'm just trying to be me. If you don't like my joke, ok. If you do like it, ok. Everybody’s not gonna like what I have on, or my hair might be too gray for some people. Or it make be opposite. but either way is okay. I am who I am. And if you don't like it, you have many other options. And if you do like it, you'll have a good time if you stay.
I like that. You've been at ESPN, nearly 20 years.
20 years in February.
Wow. Congratulations. Wow, that's awesome. To be anywhere for 20 years is an accomplishment.
Unless it's like prison.
No You don't want to be there! So with the exception of prison, and I want to get you out of here on this. In those 20 years,what has been possibly your favorite story or the most impactful thing that you've been able to report on?
Oh, wow. That's a good one, because there have been so many. Honestly, if I had to choose, I'd probably go back before ESPN, when I was doing TV news in Pittsburgh in the mid to late ’90's. My photographer and I got to do a story about a woman whose loved one had died in war, and new technology had identified the remains, which were being shipped back home. We're the 10 o'clock news, so we had a little longer to do stories. The other stations came and got their interviews and video, then left to do live shots at 5 and 6pm. Because we didn’t have that short deadline, we stayed and talked longer. She brought out momentos, awards, newspaper clippings, flags, which we lit and shot nicely. And we got extra information for the story, too. We went back to the station, wrote and edited the piece, and aired it. And it came out really well. About a week later, we got this letter in the mail from the woman, telling us how pleased she was with the story. And how proud it made her that we took the time to be that careful to honor her loved one the way we did. And that was fantastic. That was great. And that stuck with me. Because people would not hesitate to send you an email, or write you a letter, telling you how much they hate you, or how much you suck. But for someone to take the time to write a letter saying how happy you made them, and how pleased they were with the work you did, that stands out.
Again, the human element.
The human element. Yeah. And it was positive. Because I mean, we could talk negatively for days. But why? Why?
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Photographer & Interview: Ammar Thomas @iam.ammarjamal
Fashion Director: Nigel Isaiah @nigel_isaiah
Grooming: Crystal R. Smith @locdinstyle
Special Thanks: Kiana Lowe & ESPN
