The weekend Brown was interviewed by The Crimson was a good example of what life is like for the Fox star. Brown flew from his home in Maryland to the studios in Los Angeles on Saturday. Sunday, he hosted Game One of the Stanley Cup Western Conference finals, a 2-0 victory for the Detroit Red Wings over the Dallas Stars. Later that afternoon, Brown was on a plane back home.
"There is a challenge associated with most jobs, and for mine, it's travel," Brown says. "Family is very important to me, and I have a 17-year-old daughter and a mother who's a widow. I could get a home in Los Angeles [the home of Fox Sports], but I have roots back East. The job is so rewarding and stimulating that it's worth it."
Brown's love of his profession has translated into a career recognized by others in the industry as superb. In 1995, the Quarterback Club of Washington named Brown its Sportscaster of the Year. His most visible role is as a co-host of "NHL on Fox" and the Emmy Award-winning "Fox NFL Sunday," the most-watched football pre-game show.
Without a doubt, Brown has a full plate. In addition to his sports duties, he hosts "World's Funniest" on Fox. He also has a nationally syndicated radio show, "Coast to Coast with James Brown." Brown appears on "Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel" and "America's Black Forum," discussing non-sports topics. He also produced a business leadership series with RTN, a company that works with executives examining management issues.
Brown began his media career on local television in Washington, D.C. He worked Washington Bullets games and hosted several other area shows from 1978 to 1983. Then he moved on to anchoring in 1984, making a break-through onto the national stage with CBS Sports.
Besides working NFL games at CBS, Brown hosted 11 NCAA championships, the Winter Olympics, the NBA championships and the Tour de France. He also climbed Mount Kilimanjaro with the Special Olympics in the Emmy-winning program "Let Me Be Brave: A Special Climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro." Four years ago, when Fox won NFL broadcasting rights by outbidding CBS, Brown faced a tough decision. Then Fox came calling.
"I love working with Fox," Brown says. "Everything happens for a reason. CBS lost a lot of its inventory by losing the NBA and NFL, and my schedule was radically affected. I was considering local TV, but things worked out well. I think we're a part of TV history and are pushing the envelope with our aggressive coverage."
"Everybody tries to have fun, and we have injected a tone of levity," he adds. "We really enjoy it, and others are trying to copy us. Our motto is to give the viewer an education pill with Kool-Aid."
No one is more qualified to give the sports fan that education pill than Brown. After all, balancing sports and education has always been Brown's specialty.