Author Archives: Keith Hirshland

About Keith Hirshland

My name is Keith Hirshland and I am a four decades television veteran who has spent time both in front of and behind the camera. During nearly forty years in broadcasting my path has crossed in front of, behind and alongside some of the best in the business... And some of the worst. Many of those people I count as friends while others wouldn't make the effort to spit on me if I was on fire. This television life started early watching my Mom and Dad found, fund and run a local affiliate TV station in Reno, Nevada. As a teenager approaching adulthood I worked for them, first as an on-air sports reporter/anchor and later as a director and producer. Jobs in the industry took me across the country and then to many places around the world. Sports is my passion and putting it on TV has been my business. Production credits include auto racing, baseball, basketball, bowling, college football, field hockey, soccer, volleyball and water polo but the majority of my time "in the chair" since 1990 has been invested in the game of golf with both ESPN and The Golf. Channel ( I was one of the first forty people hired by TGC in 1994 ). I am a fan and I watch TV sports as a fan but I also have hundreds of thousands of hours watching from inside a production truck. I think that makes me qualified to comment, my hope is you agree. I have written four books, Cover Me Boys, I'm Going In (Tales of the Tube from a Broadcast Brat), a memoir that is a tribute to my parents, the hard working, creative people who started ESPN2 and The Golf Channel and a look back at my life in television. Cover Me Boys was awarded the “Memoir of the Year” in 2017 by Book Talk Radio Club. In February of 2019 it was released anew by Beacon Publishing Group. My second book is a novel, Big Flies, and is a mystery that tells the story of a father and a son with four of the world's most notorious unsolved robberies as a backdrop. Big Flies was named “Solo Medalist” in the True Crime category by New Apple Awards. My third book, another mystery titled The Flower Girl Murder, was published in 2018. Book number four might be the most fun I ever had on a writing project. Murphy Murphy and the Case of Serious Crisis is a mystery, a love story, and an homage to good grammar. It is both the Book Talk Radio Club BOOK OF THE YEAR for 202 and a TopShelf Awards first prize winner in the mystery category. All four are available at Amazon. Book five is in the capable hands of the good people at Beacon Publishing Group and should be available soon. I look forward to sharing new thoughts about golf, golf television, sports in general and the broadcast industry with you. The views expressed here are mine and mine alone. They are not connected to nor endorsed by any other person, association, company or organization.

Back In The Saddle

“It’s just like riding a bike” Moms Everywhere I am 66 years old and spent more than two thirds of those years working in television. Mostly sports and of those sports, mainly golf. I “sat in the chair” and produced hundreds … Continue reading

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Rings Around The Rosie

“They came to collect silver and gold” U2 If you’ve visited here before you know I am an insatiable sports fan. I am also a proud American and a huge fan of the Olympic Games. Summer. Winter. Para. I was … Continue reading

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Let’s Extinguish “The Match”

“Thank you sir, may I have another“ Chip Diller There I was, fingers at the keyboard, a television a dozen feet away, 90 minutes from the fourth iteration of The Match. I watched the first one, Tiger v Phil at … Continue reading

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Doing My Civic Duty

“Juries scare me. I don’t want to put my faith in 12 people who weren’t smart enough to get out of jury duty.” Monica Piper We have lived in Colorado Springs since the fall of 2018. A few weeks ago … Continue reading

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They Are ALWAYS Worth Watching

“I’ll be watching you.” STING If you’re a golf fan you know that because of Covid-19 the USGA is playing the United States Women’s Open Championship this week. If you’re a golf fan on social media (specifically Twitter) you NOW … Continue reading

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The Best Seat in the House

” Should I stay or should I go” The Clash   I used to work in sports television. I was one of the guys who sat inside a converted tractor trailer in a maintenance area, parking lot, or the bowels … Continue reading

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The SKINS Game Finally Met Its Match

“There are no new ideas in television. Just better execution of old ideas.” Don Ohlmeyer   The great producer Don Ohlmeyer created a made for television golf competition that took the world by storm and captured the imagination of sports … Continue reading

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Happy Anniversary Golf Channel

“I ain’t here for a long time. I’m here for a good time” George Straight Twenty-five years ago today, January 17,1995, Joseph E. Gibbs and Arnold Palmer flipped a big ‘ol golf ball switch and the Golf Channel became a … Continue reading

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Another Baseball Season in the Books

“Love is the most important thing in the world. But baseball is pretty good too.” Yogi Berra   The 2019 Major League Baseball season is over for me. It “officially” ended on the evening of October 9th when the Washington … Continue reading

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The Solheim Cup and Me; A Love Story

” There are only 3 rules in sports television. Get on the air clean, get off the air clean, and get all your commercials in.” Don Ohlmeyer   It’s time for the Solheim Cup. Those biennial golf matches that pit … Continue reading

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