I have a deep love for another man and I’m not ashamed of it. In fact, I love many men and I couldn’t be prouder. I hang on their every word, counting the hours until I may next see them again. In the presence of these men, I am uncommonly emotional, shifting from joy to tears.

These men are not family members, not known for heroic acts, and may look plain ordinary, if not drab to the untrained eye. I can barely contain my giddiness over these men any longer. Some of the men that I have such unabashed man-love for are—in absolutely no particular order—are Chris Berman, Paul Maguire and Bill Rafferty.

Sport has the ability to move men on its own, but these men help build a relationship between the viewer and the game. In the process, they have become an integral part of our sports viewing and—to a varying extent—our lives. As a child, I looked forward to every Sunday morning watching Chris Berman romanticize the featured matchups of the day sometimes more than the actual games.

Playing basketball with the guys rarely passes without one of us quoting Bill Rafferty. “Man to man,” said in our best grinding voice or “the kizza” shouted after every bank shot never gets old. Rafferty has made an impact far beyond the college hardwood, but it his work on the sidelines that has endeared him to me so much. He brings an excitement that raises the level of each game he calls to a professional contest, while constantly reminding us that we are watching boys give their all—many with no certain NBA futures.  

There are plenty of men who genuinely and obviously love their jobs. Porn stars. Athletes. But the pure giddiness of Paul Maguire without the hit-or-miss exuberance of, say, a Dick Vitale makes the position of college football color commentator look like a dream. No one—and I mean no one—can make sitting in the freezing cold, sitting with the fans in a seat where only twenty percent of the field can be seen, look like so much, well fun. In the case of Maguire, he is surrounded by a supporting cast of stellar proportions.

continued on next page