By Danny Reardon ‘19

Everyone loves sports, it is a simple statement.

The quick, fast paced, physical gameplay is hard for anyone to resist.

However, everyday life and work can prohibit us from attending these events. Thus, we rely on TV networks such as NBCSN, the NHL Network, ESPN, etc. to show these games so we can support our favorite teams.

High school sports are also very popular, especially here at Brother Rice. Having elite football and basketball teams, it is truly an exciting time to be a Crusader. Relatives of players, alumni or future students usually can’t attend these games because of time or location.

If you’re a fan of Brother Rice, then you’re in luck. Brother Rice has a club called Brother Rice TV which has excelled in just a short four year span.

BRTV announces and films a multitude of sports at Brother Rice such as football, basketball, hockey, rugby and lacrosse to name a few. Making funny sport spoofs for commercials around the school is also another huge part of BRTV.

The number of viewers is growing year by year for this amazing club. This past year, BRTV has recorded 892,700 watched minutes and 112,761 individual views. Even more impressive is the all time number of 3,008,486 total watched minutes and 641,660 all time views!

Senior BRTV veteran Pat McGann said, “Being able to work as if I worked for NHL Network or NBCSN is pretty amazing! Some of the best memories I have here at [Brother] Rice is when I am donning the orange blazer.”

Colleges are actively recruiting members for their college programs. “Gaining experience with professional equipment is second to none, especially in a Catholic school on the southside of Chicago,” said Pat McGann. The skills I learned will hopefully allow me to call hockey games for the University of Utah next year.”

BRTV is open for all grade levels from freshman to seniors. It is a fantastic and interesting club learning editing, camera and commentary skills.

Sophomore Connor Durkin said, “I love being able to broadcast all of the amazing sports here at Brother Rice.” Connor will be a leading factor next year due to a lot of senior members leaving this year. Connor said, “I am very grateful for all of the guidance and mentorship shown by the seniors this year.”

Out of all these wonderful things, there is the crown jewel of the program.

Game Day.

Game Day is a pregame show BRTV hosts for most sports. The anchors research teams, players, and stats just like a real broadcasters do. This segment is what separates BRTV from other schools programs.

Brother Rice TV has pioneered the high school broadcasting industry with colleges now actively recruiting the reporters for their programs. Other high schools are modeling their programs after BRTV because of how well known it is.

As a member of BRTV, and a senior, it will be sad to leave this fantastic program behind. I love what I do in it. However, I am very excited to see how much it evolves and to become an avid viewer in college.