T.J.Oshie was a nervous wreck before ESPN debut
Photo credit: NHL
The reviews are in! T.J.Oshie was a hit in front of cameras on May 27 - peers and fans loved him. Oshie debuted as an analyst during game 4 of the Western Conference Finals between the Oilers and Stars, sharing his insights for ESPN, with host Steve Levy, and ex-players Mark Messier and PK Subban.
Yet, despite his calm, cool and collected demeanor, Oshie was a nervous wreck. The 2018 Stanley Cup champion spoke about his ESPN experience during an interview on Empty Netters this week.
TJ Oshie panics before ESPN debut
"It was wild. I hope you couldn't tell, but my leg was shaking so bad. And we're on stools, right? So your legs are up, just like high as a desk chair...And my legs were shaking so bad that it was shaking my whole body. So I had to dangle my leg off the chair. Then it could shake on its own down in the corner," Oshie said during the interview.
T.J. compared his case of the nerves to the first time he participated in the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship saying, 'That's the most nervous I've been since my first round at (Lake) Tahoe. 100%. Those are the only two times in my life that I've been nervous.'
Professional athletes do have a way of appearing confident in high-pressure situations, in particular champions, who've been atop the mountain.
"It was an amazing experience. But all the guys on the show made me feel really comfortable, even though I was nervous. And the producers were great. I mean, ESPN, completely first class. And it was fun."
T.J was impressed at how easy the analysts made their work seem, what with producers talking in your earpiece while you're trying to speak, and making sure you hit your cues, the lights and cameras. Even for a pro athlete, juggling it all is not a walk in the park.
"And then they're like counting down like, alright, give it PK in 3,2,1 or whatever it is. Like that's so hard to do. And everyone makes it look easy on TV. So it was a cool experience, man. So fun. A lot harder than I thought. ESPN is phenomenal."
I guess it helps when you're working with good people, pros that know what they're doing, like Oshie's Cup-winning teammates in 2018. When you have the right team, magic can happen.
| POLL | ||
JUIN 2 | 45 ANSWERS T.J.Oshie was a nervous wreck before ESPN debut Do you think Oshie can have a career as a sport's analyst? | ||
| Yes | 40 | 88.9 % |
| No | 5 | 11.1 % |
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