Author Archives: Keith Hirshland

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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.

Golf TV in NOV/DEC Should Stop Being TV-OM (Television Old & Male)

I’m not going to go all Howard Beale on you and say “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore” but I will say, “I’m bored out of my mind and I’m not going to watch it anymore.” I … Continue reading

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Hey ESPN, What Are The Chances?

“If you change your mind, I’m the first in line Honey I’m still free Take a chance on me”                                                                                                   ABBA I have mentioned, on numerous occasions, in this space that I am a four decades veteran of sports television … Continue reading

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Five More Things I Would Tweet… You Know The Rest

I thought the Golden State Warriors might suffer their first defeat last night in Indiana. I was wrong. why does Geico continue to run the annoyingly awful “final countdown” and “Peter Pan” commercials while keeping Ickey Woods “get some cold … Continue reading

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Golf Digest’s TV Survey is Oddly Interesting While Being Downright Odd

I recently came across and read Golf Digest magazine’s poll on golf television coverage and came away realizing now, more than ever before, what little I have in common with the people who pay attention to this particular publication AND … Continue reading

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Five More Things I’d Tweet…

Stanford vs Ohio State should be a heck of a Rose Bowl if I were a betting man I’d put some donero on Clemson Zach Greinke may need Paul Goldschmidt to hit 100 home runs dog is mad… Christmas tree … Continue reading

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Five More Things I Would Tweet If I Was Still On Twitter

I used to think the worst job in the world was sitting in a toll booth all day. Now I think it’s White House Press Secretary One problem with advancements in sports television technology is that we have stopped celebrating … Continue reading

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Five Things I’d Tweet If I Was Still On Twitter

Things I’m not shocked by… The on air patsies at ESPN making excuses for ingrate Ezekiel Elliott There should be a third choice on The Voice eliminations… Send them both packing I am going shopping in several real stores with … Continue reading

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Five Things I’d Tweet If I Was Still On Twitter… (It’s just too hard to keep coming up with ten)

The maybe more than slightly senile Dick Vitale just compared Duke’s Grayson Allen to John Havlicek Silly things football announcers say, “he’s got the first down, AND MORE!” Does anyone get “the first down EXACTLY” or the “first down, AND … Continue reading

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How Did The Caddies Do As Announcers? My Thoughts From The Couch

NBC/Golf Channel just announced it has hired Jim McKay as an on course announcer for its coverage. He’ll start getting paid at the upcoming British Open. The announcement came as no surprise considering the network gave “Bones” an audition last … Continue reading

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Caddies To Become TV Announcers This Week… Oh The Humanity

If you are one of the few that is still paying attention to golf on tv these days you have no doubt heard that the NBC golf announce team will add a couple of fresh, new voices in PGA TOUR … Continue reading

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