By Linfielder Rusty Rae, McMinnville N-R/News-Register 8/20/2021
When his dream of playing Major League Baseball soured as an 11-year-old little leaguer, McMinnvillian Joe Stuart turned lemons into lemonade in the form of a career in broadcasting. This summer the 24-year old Linfield University graduate took the first step toward his ultimate dream job, becoming the play-by-play announcer of an NBA team, when he was named the voice of his alma mater’s sports broadcasting team.
Stuart will partner with longtime Linfield analyst and color commentator Dave Hansen to bring fans the action on the Linfield Sports Network beginning this fall. The Wildcats’ first football game in more than a year against Simon Fraser University is September 11. Stuart will also continue play-by-play announcing for basketball and other sports.
It wasn’t long after his baseball career ended that Stuart found his new love in broadcasting. “I think I’ve always known I wanted to go into sports casting. You may find you’re not good at one thing (baseball) but you also find what you’re good at.
“I was always good at writing and at making presentations in school, so it was really natural to gravitate toward broadcasting,” he said. That allowed him to stay involved with athletics while also giving him an outlet for his story-telling passion.
Once Stuart entered high school, he took full advantage of the opportunity to venture toward his chosen profession. That journey began with a weekly sports program as part of the MHS SOAR program featuring other McMinnville High athletes – Tanner Autencio, Garrett Scales, and Kade Mechals. Stuart anchored of the program.
That led to play-by-play announcing of McMinnville football and basketball games on MCM 11, the local access television station during his junior and senior years. He did two or three football games, but was a regular broadcaster of Grizzly basketball.
When it was time for college, Linfield was the last place Stuart considered. His initial choices were of the University of Oregon and Gonzaga, but his mother pestered him into going through the application process at his now alma mater.
“My mom thought it would be a good fit for me if it wasn’t in McMinnville. She was like ‘You might as well as apply.’ I applied, begrudgingly. She got me to go to Discovery Day and there was a lot I liked right away.
“One of my predecessors, Kevin Nelson (now a former Wildcat play-by-play announcer), who was still a student happened to be in the studio when we were getting the tour. The tour guide knew I was interested in broadcasting and called Nelson over and we had a great conversation about the program,” he said.
Nelson believed Stuart’s experience could propel him on air as soon as he arrived on campus. Notes Stuart, “That was a huge selling point to me, and I was really impressed by the mass communication department. That was a big draw for me – knowing I’d get to do on-air work with an athletics program with people who care about a standard of excellence,” he said.
Stuart knew if he attended Gonzaga or U of O, he would have to wait until he was a junior or senior before he’d get a chance at real on-air work, whereas as a freshman at Linfield, he was in the rotation of soccer broadcasters his first year. During his freshman year he also worked as camera operator for football games, and assisted in engineering on volleyball broadcasts, gaining valuable experience.
Stuart’s talent was recognized immediately at Linfield. He became Nelson’s color commentator for basketball games his freshman year. The following year he became the number one broadcaster for soccer, and then they offered him the number one play-by-play slot for basketball.
“I think that’s where things really started to take off, and also where I started to realize that this was really what I wanted to do and what I loved doing,” he said.
As Stuart has progressed through various assignments, he’s found watching sporting games has become an enjoyable academic endeavor. “I’ll watch the game like a fan – but I’m also thinking about how the various guys or gals are telling the story. I’m thinking, I like the set-up for this play, or I like the transition here. Or I like what he said – or how little was said,” Stuart noted.
Throughout his formative years Stuart learned to be the consummate team player. He finds joy working with the broadcast team and says, “Any kind role – whether it’s play-by-play or hosting is like being a point guard or a quarterback. You’ve got to keep things in control – you’ve got to set everybody up, make sure everybody is getting their turn. And you’ve got to got to be able to read things as they come and be able to adjust on the fly.”
Stuart calls Blazer broadcaster Brian Wheeler one of his broadcast heroes. “Growing up here I listened to ‘Wheels’ do Blazer games regularly, and he’s someone who’s helped shape me,” he said. But he also lists Kevin Harlan, Jim Nance, and Joe Buck as voices that taught him.
“I know many people don’t like Buck, but I think he’s a really good broadcaster,” Stuart said.
As he heads into his first full football season as play-by-play announcer for the Wildcats, Stuart admits to some anxiety. He notes, “We all know that the following for Linfield football is really special. Knowing that I’m going to be able to reach out to all those people who love Linfield football, be the go-between between the program and them watching at home – it really means a lot.”
Stuart, however, has always felt comfortable behind the microphone and says, “I’ve taken to it pretty naturally. I’ve never felt awkward or clunky – not that I’m not nervous before the game. But once we’re on, that all falls away and the focus is on doing the best job of calling the game – I kinda get into the zone,” he said.
This is what he’s been working for since his freshman year. He adds, “I love the energy of a live broadcast. It’s the most ad-libbed of any type of media – even news reporters stick to a series of talking points.”
The frenetic job of relaying the story to listeners and TV viewers back home energizes Stuart.
“In play-by-play broadcasting, you never know where the story is going to go. I love telling the story while it’s happening – twirling a nice phrase that captures the moment,” he said.
But the genuine payoff for Stuart happens when a grandparent or parent -- someone unable to attend games regularly approaches to him after a game and tells him they love watching the broadcast.
“Between the excitement of doing a live broadcast and knowing that people at home are enjoying it as it is happening – that’s always been a really great feeling for me.”
Whether at Linfield, or with an NBA team in the future, those feelings of camaraderie with the audience at home lie at the heart of Stuart’s on-air artistry.
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