John Anderson is the coolest man on planet earth.
No, I’m not exaggerating when I say that.
The longtime ESPN and SportsCenter veteran has a passion for what he does, and that’s bringing sports in a creative and fun way to the audience that watches him.
But there’s something about the sport of track and field that stands out compared to the rest.
It could be because he competed collegiately in the sport at the University of Missouri in the pole vault. Or, it could be that Anderson, who is a Wisconsin native, grew up wanting to be like one of the legends that he works with while covering track and field meets.
“I’m just a track fan,” he said. “All I wanted to do in life was be Dwight Stones.”
Regardless of the reason, Anderson is covering the sport that he loves and is using his platform to elevate the athletes.
When the NCAA Track and Field Championships air on ESPN, you can expect to see Anderson on the infield, interviewing athletes. Anderson said that his role in covering track and field for the network was a decision of economics.
He was negotiating his new contract with ESPN, 15 or so years ago. They asked him if there was anything else that he’d like to cover that he thought ESPN would like to be in. Anderson had covered the NBA Finals, the U.S. Open, the British Open among other prestigious events. But there was one thing that he hadn’t done that ESPN went for.
“I said welp, oddly enough, I would like to do track and field, if there’s a place to do it,” he said. “That was literally them saying that we don’t have 10 more dollars, but is there something you want to do? And I said, this is what I’d like to do.”
That led to Anderson covering the Indoor and Outdoor NCAA Championships and getting a chance to interview some of the stars of the sport.
Anderson loves being on the field as a part of the action that’s taking place on the track and in the field. But he does feel that he can also contribute from the ESPN desk in Bristol, CT.
“Sometimes I feel that I can do more good if I’m in studio, than if I’m at the NCAA meet or if I’m at the World Championships,” he said. “I’ve been there long enough, I have some pull. I can make sure things get in the show – I can kind of leverage some things.”
Anderson has covered many track and field meets and championships, including this year’s World Championships in Oregon. The experience in Eugene was one that enhanced his love and passion for the sport.
“It was neat for the first time to be there and see that,” he said. “I’m old enough that I remember when the first World Championships happened in 1983 in Helsinki, and I can remember watching that. I had just finished my senior year in high school and just watching in amazement that first off they had this World Championship, but all of those people that were so good and so amazing. And that just further lit my fire for the sport. So to actually go see it was phenomenal.”
Anderson covered the Olympics in Tokyo last summer. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, fans or family weren’t allowed in the respective venues. Having fans in Eugene to witness the incredible performances added to the intrigue and hype of the performances at the meet.
“To see it with people and fans there, because I was in Tokyo where there weren’t fans,” he said. “And covering that which was really just crazy to watch some of those performances. You watch the 400 hurdle race with Warholm, Dos Santos and our guy Rai Benjamin and watch everyone destroy the world record and everyone is setting PR’s and National records, but there’s just a smattering of clapping. You’re up 30 rows calling it and you’re screaming, and you’re like ‘I bet they can hear me.’
So this time, when (Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone) is coming down and you see her and you know she’s going to bust the world record – but now the place is exploding. And so that was amazing too.”
In terms of what it would take to grow the sport, Anderson believes in quality over quantity when it comes to meets and access.
“I want to see more of it, but that might mean seeing less of it,” he said.”I think there are maybe too many meets. I’d like to see it – I’d like to not have it all be behind a paywall. I get it, those people have businesses, and to televise it costs money – they either show it or stream it, so I understand that. I’d like to have more access of it, and I’d like to have the best people meet more often.
I think that’s part of it. I get people that say we need more rivalries – Yeah, that helps, but you just need to see more good on good. There’s a reason that Alabama/Georgia rates better than Alabama/Wofford.”
Anderson believes that track and field is still the simplest and the purest sport. The fact that track and field doesn’t rebuild, but replenishes, is one reason that he has great hope for the sport.
“I always have hope just because of the athletes,” he said. They just keep coming – one replaces another. The sport replenishes. Because of that, there’s hope for that. That’s my hope all the time for it.”
