“Never meet a champion for the first time in the winner’s circle”
“We will never meet a champion for the first time on the podium” is a slogan of Scott Russell of CBC Sports (Canada). Russell explained in April 2012:
“We’ll never meet a champion for the first time in the winner’s circle. Instead, we promise to reflect their journey every step of the way.”
In February 2015, Russell called this “an old adage that those of us in the sports business endeavour to live by.” If a sports show features only winners after they’ve won, a sports story is lacking what could show the struggles and the challenges that a win represents. Although Russell called the line an old adage in the sports business, the slogan has been exclusively used by the CBC.
Wikipedia: Scott Russell (commentator)
Scott Alexander Russell (born 1958) is a Canadian sports writer and broadcaster.
Russell’s broadcasting career began in 1985 as a reporter for CBC Radio Charlottetown. He has worked on various CBC Sports broadcasts including Hockey Night in Canada from 1989 until 2003, and again from 2005 until now. He is the network’s top broadcaster for gymnastics and has covered them at the 1996, 2000, and 2004 Summer Olympics, the 1994 Commonwealth Games and the 1999 Pan American Games.
CBC/Radio-Canada
Who we are, what we do
“We will never meet a champion for the first time on the podium.” - Scott Russell, CBC Sports
CBC Sports
Our season’s end and beyond the cut
By Scott Russell Posted: Thursday, April 12, 2012 | 01:52 PM
(...)
Our season has come to an end at Sports Weekend. But we will survive the cut. And we’ll do what this Canadian television program has done for more than 30 years.
We’ll never meet a champion for the first time in the winner’s circle. Instead, we promise to reflect their journey every step of the way.
Twitter
Athletics Canada
@AthleticsCanada
Great piece @SportsWkndScott,love closing line “We’ll never meet a champion for the first time in the winner’s circle.” http://bit.ly/IxFNLT
8:02 AM - 13 Apr 2012
Twitter
Cassandra
@cassgagliardi
You never meet a champion for the first time in the winner’s circle. Instead, you reflect their journey every step of the way.
8:31 AM - 11 May 2012
Twitter
Karin Lofstrom
@klsport
#s4d12 Scott Russell @SportsWkndScott said “Never meet a champion in the winner’s circle for the first time” Too often the case with women.
2:23 PM - 19 Jun 2012
The Ryersonian (Ryerson University, Canada)
Live Blog
By Ryersonian Staff on September 9, 2013
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“As we like to say at CBC, all five screens will carry all Olympics, all the time. At CBC we make a pledge, we will never meet a champion for the first time on the podium,” says Russel, explaining that CBC will cover every step of the athletes and everything about the games.
by Alexandra Sanders October 30, 2013 at 12:41 PM
Marketing magazine (Canada)
CBC’S UPFRONT: EXECUTIVES NOT AFRAID OF RISK
ALICIA ANDROICH MAY 30, 2014
(...)
CBC Sports Weekend host Scott Russell touted upcoming big-ticket events such as the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil and ISU Figure Skating. The crowd cheered when he said, “Everything we do on CBC Sports… is free of charge to any Canadian at any time they want to see it.”
Russell also promoted the coverage surrounding the Rio 2016 Olympics, which will mark the 60th anniversary of the CBC broadcasting the Games. His message: CBC Sports tells the stories of athletes as they pursue their dreams leading up to major sporting events. “[Viewers will] never meet a champion for the first time on the podium,” said Russell.
CBC Sports
Field of Play: Getting to know Team Canada
Generous, eager, articulate just some of athletes’ qualities
Scott Russell CBC Sports
Posted:Feb 24, 2015 5:09 PM ET
Last Updated:Feb 24, 2015 5:09 PM ET
There’s an old adage that those of us in the sports business endeavour to live by.
It goes something like this…
“Never meet a champion for the first time in the winner’s circle. Instead try to know what makes them champions in the first place.”
When you cover amateur, high performance, Olympic-style sport, it’s a gargantuan task to say the least.