布兰登·蒂尔尼 ’96 gets paid to talk about sports on the radio every day, 对他来说，哪个是理想的工作. 工作日中午12点开始.m. - 5 a.m. 在东部时间，他和萨尔·利卡塔一起主持了WFAN的节目.  作为一名玛丽斯特的学生, Tierney studied communication with a concentration in journalism (this was before the School of 传播与艺术 introduced its concentration in sports communication and before the 体育传播中心 was established).  He was also a proud member of Marist’s Division I baseball team.  回顾, 他说, “If you had told me as a student that in 2019 I’d be hosting a show broadcast nationally to 150 affiliates and with a TV simulcast, 出现在CBS周日早上的NFL节目中, 呼叫东部大的篮球比赛, 我不会相信你的.  这超出了我所有的期望.”

回到20世纪90年代初, Tierney was a kid from Brooklyn who was a good writer, 想打棒球, 想找一所离家不远的大学.  理论上，bet亚洲365欢迎投注似乎符合这个要求.  正如蒂尔尼所记得的那样, “我知道bet亚洲365欢迎投注有很强的沟通能力, and I knew I wanted to juggle playing baseball with being a broadcaster, 所以说得通.”  What he didn’t anticipate was that the good feeling he got when he visited campus for the first time would turn into one of the most meaningful experiences of his life.  A quarter-century later, the sense of nostalgia is powerful.  “我的圣母经历对我来说意义重大.  等我沿着9号公路往学校开的时候, I start to experience so many emotions and vivid memories.  Marist is like an old friend for whom you feel an incredible attachment and fondness.”

Tierney has nothing but good things to say about Marist’s faculty, remembering them as both well informed and always willing to help students.  “知识的传递是无缝的，”他回忆道.  The 1990s were a particularly exciting time for communication majors, as the decade saw incredibly rapid growth in technology, and his classes were able to help Tierney assimilate and master this new wave of communication.  教师 were also understanding of his juggling act with Division I sports.  Student-athletes have demanding schedules filled with practice, 旅行, 和锻炼, 学术支持对他们的成功至关重要.  Tierney说, “我的教授尊重我对棒球的参与, especially because I was committed to getting my academic work done.  他们非常支持我.”  He also gives special credit to the Marist Brothers, 谁的指导和建议对你有很大的影响.

Tierney’s time on the baseball team was clearly a key part of his time at the College, 他和他的队友们仍然很亲密.  Marist started its baseball team in 1992, and Tierney played from 1993-96.  He admits that the team wasn’t that good back then, but they had a strong camaraderie.  “为 us, it was all about the process and the struggle.  这是一种无法复制的体验.蒂尔尼在球场上有很多时间.  He played in 118 career baseball games, with 94 starts, driving in 38 career runs and scoring 40.  作为1996赛季的大四学生, 他的得分创下职业生涯新高(22分)。, 分打点(18), 基准百分比(.(395)，及出场率(.994). 

If that sounds like a memorable baseball career, it is.  然而，蒂尔尼回忆起这件事时却百感交集.  He suffered many injuries and is personally disappointed in his contribution to the team.  回顾, he reflects, “I think I wanted it too much and tried too hard.  I was thinking about playing baseball professionally rather than focusing on college baseball.  我的脑袋一片混乱.”  Still, even if a professional career didn’t materialize, Tierney has no regrets.  “我认为这是人生的一课.  I wasn’t lacking in effort or diligence, but I learned that your passion must have direction.”

毕业后, Tierney brought both passion and direction to his pursuit of his goal of being a sports broadcaster.  Like all successful professionals, he worked hard and got help along the way.  他的广播事业把他带到了伦敦, 宾西法尼亚, 底特律, and San Francisco before returning to 纽约 permanently.  Tierney has found sports to be a reflection on society in many ways.  精通棒球, 足球, 篮球, 高尔夫球, 以及许多不同的运动, he has noticed a change in the country’s attitude toward his beloved baseball in recent years.  “The slower pace of baseball requires a certain commitment, and this has hurt it a bit with the public since everything in our culture is so sped up.  人们想要刺激, 作为一名广播员, I’ve shifted along with society to be in line with where the country is.” 

As a sports broadcaster at the top of his game – and a husband and father – Tierney looks back on his career with a sense of both gratitude and reflection.  “我非常感谢我所拥有的一切.“大学毕业二十多年了, he advises current college students to strike the proper balance of enjoying their college experience but also identifying what they want to do professionally and availing themselves of the many resources on campus that can help them get there.  “Know what you want to do, go get it, and don’t let anyone get in your way,” he advises.  But he cautions students not to lose their moral compass in pursuit of professional success.  “Think about what truly motivates you and remember that hard work and ethics are rewarded.  Pursue your goals with vigor, but learn to deal with the inevitable failures.”  As someone who regularly talks with members of the public, Tierney even has advice for making our polarized society a better place: “It’s important to listen, 尤其是对那些你不同意的人.  你不必放弃你的原则, but you need to be willing to converse in a way that doesn’t exacerbate divisions.”

蒂尔尼以决赛结束了谈话, philosophical thought: “While only a few people have the physical qualities required to be a competitive athlete, 人类的思想和精神是没有限制的."献给这位成功的圣母学院毕业生, it seems a fitting reflection on a life well lived and open to whatever the future holds.