Beauties by James Duthie

Author:James Duthie [Duthie, James]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-08-14T00:00:00+00:00

It’s early in the morning on June 20, 1999. The most controversial goal in Stanley Cup history has just been scored, and the guy about to talk about it on ESPN hasn’t really seen it. He catches a glimpse of the play live, on a tiny five-inch black-and-white monitor in the bowels of the rink. But then, instantly, he has to switch into work mode. Now he’s about to interview the hero, who probably—maybe? . . . arguably?—shouldn’t have been the hero. Except the broadcaster doesn’t know that yet. Nor does the hero.

Wait. I’ve already confused you. So, hold that scene for a moment, and let’s flash back to the early ’80s.

Steve Levy is a hockey-crazy high schooler on Long Island, New York. A boy in love with the wrong team.

“I’m a diehard Rangers fan,” Levy says. “And that isn’t easy on Long Island. My four years in high school are the years of the four Islanders Stanley Cups in a row! I’m a total outcast, the only Rangers fan in the whole school. The Nassau Coliseum is 15 minutes from me. And yet, all I want to do is jump on the train and go meet my dad in the big city. My Rangers are just awful, losing to the Islanders every year. So, that’s my childhood. Wearing my Carol Vadnais jersey everywhere. An outcast Rangers fan.”

The Lone Ranger (fan) studies broadcasting and applies for a play-by-play job with the Rangers’ farm team in Binghamton, New York, while still in college.

“I come eighth on their list,” Levy laughs. “Not even kidding. The job would have paid 12 grand a year, working year round, doing sales in the off-season. You room on the road with the bus driver, which my mom has an issue with. And none of it matters because I finish eighth!”

Yet, somehow, the kid who can’t come close to securing a small-town gig ends up landing a job in New York City with WNBC radio, rare for a budding broadcaster right out of college. He would eventually do updates on the legendary Mike and the Mad Dog show at WFAN radio and anchor at WCBS-TV.

“Never having to leave New York, it’s unheard of on air. It’s the luckiest, flukiest thing ever,” Levy says.

It’s neither luck nor a fluke. The kid from Long Island is a natural at sports broadcasting, no matter what they think in Binghamton. In 1993, he gets a job with ESPN. The timing is perfect. A year later, his beloved Rangers are on a historic playoff run.

“I go to the ‘Messier guarantee’ game as a fan with my friends. I’m at the ‘Matteau, Matteau, Matteau’ game as a fan,” Levy says. “Then ESPN assigns me to cover Game 7 of the Cup final! The dream! I’m going to get to see my Rangers lift the Cup!

“But I don’t. I never see it. Because you have to be downstairs in the Rangers dressing room with 10 minutes left on the clock. And then it gets worse.

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