baltimore — For an avid sports fan, this is a dream job. Travel all over America every week, attend the best sporting events, and get paid to do so.
It may be hard work, but for one Baltimore man, it’s a labor of love.
WJZ Sports Director Mark Viviano met Russ Dolin 30 years ago when he was fresh out of college and looking to get into television sports.
He quickly achieved that goal. Since then, he’s traveled millions of air miles and attended thousands of sporting events, and he doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon.
When Dlin is rarely at home in Maryland, he can usually be found in front of his computer, researching sports statistics and information on the Internet and writing detailed notes.
Dlin shares these notes and statistics with game broadcasters at CBS Sports and ESPN.
His fall schedule includes college games every Saturday and an NFL game on Sunday.
In the winter, I concentrate on basketball games. In the spring and summer, we’ll be keeping an eye on lacrosse games. Dlin attends sporting events 47 weekends a year.
This sporting activity is Dlin’s “side hustle.” He has a full-time job in hotel sales.
“Well, let’s put it this way: To be honest, the last time I took a vacation was June 1st,” Dolin told Viviano. “That was the last day I had vacation. And now it’s January. What? Something? Whatever it is.”
The accumulated media credentials are both a reminder and a roadmap of the path Dlin has taken thus far. He has wrestled matches in 49 of the 50 states in the United States. Alaska is his only outlier.
How many games did Dlin play? Estimates are around 4,000, with well over a million mileage miles. For Dlin, it’s all worth the effort on game day.
“I felt the energy in the crowd and thought, wow, this is a really great environment,” he said. “I can’t believe it. Sometimes I just shake my head because it’s so amazing. I can experience something like this.”
Dolin has the enthusiasm of a spectator, but on game day he is a key player. He provides statistics and information to the play-by-play and color commentators. His information and timing are top notch and that’s why he has continued to do his job for 30 years.
“Being in the NFL booth on Sunday is like being in controlled chaos,” CBS sportscaster Spero Dedes said. “So if there’s anyone next to you that I trust implicitly as much as I do, it’s Russ, who knows what I need before I even ask the question. … That’s Lamar -It could be a specific number about Jackson. It could be something about John.” Harbaugh’s defense. He instinctively knows what I need and is there for me when I need it. And you can’t put a price on it, you can’t put a premium on it. That’s why he’s one of the best players out there. “
Dorin loves his job. He enjoys his job and the personal connections it provides, he said.
“I grew up admiring many of these stations and now I have had the opportunity to work with them and have worked with them over the years,” Dolin said. “Sometimes I have to pinch myself. Wow, I grew up watching these streamers and all of a sudden I’m playing games with them. What do you mean? You know, I’ve become friends with a lot of streamers.”It’s really been a long-standing relationship.
Dlin has some advice for those dreaming of breaking into the world of sports.
“Do your job, do what you have to do,” he said. “Going above and beyond the call of duty will keep you in this industry for a long time.”
