Last week on his nationally-syndicated sports talk radio show, Dan Patrick had on guest Dick Ebersol, Chairman of NBC Sports. Throughout the interview, Ebersol spent most of the segment previewing NBC’s coverage of the 2010 Winter Olympics and waxing poetic in defense of his network’s decision-making in booting Conan and promoting Leno. But what was most interesting in the interview had nothing to do with programming; it was in how Ebersol closed out the segment.
As Dan was running up against the break he told Ebersol that he needed to go; he had former NBA great Reggie Miller in the on-deck circle. Ebersol asks, “Reggie Miller, the basketball player?” Dan says “Yes.” Ebersol says, “Do you know he’s one of only 2 or 3 athletes in the 30-odd years that I’ve been in Sports television, either at ABC or NBC, who wrote a thank-you letter?”
And so Ebersol shares the quick story of when after the 1994 USA Men’s basketball team (known as the Dream Team II) won the World Championship, his network gave each of the players a gift; a small portable Sony color television set. He said it was something that he always made a point to do whenever athletes did something really special.
At the time it was probably a relatively unique, expensive, and pretty cool gift, but considering the giver and the receiver, it really wasn’t that big of a deal. Ebersol was certainly a billionaire at this point (or at least close to it), and although the 1994 World Championship was early in Reggie’s career, he was a millionaire many times over by then too. Understand, we’re not talking about cars or houses or trips to the Caribbean here. It was a TV. From the head of a TV network. To a guy who could buy any TV he wanted. It’d be like me buying you a beer and then you sending me a thank you note. . . . Don’t worry, I won’t hold by breath.
So just to recap: The head of NBC Sports recalls a moment, 16 YEARS EARLIER, that made such an impact on him that he makes it a point to bring up to a third party. Just prompted by the mention of the other guy’s name. A moment in the life of the head of a television network; a man that has thousands of “moments” in his life, every single day. All because of a thank you letter, 16 years earlier.
I won’t draw any other conclusions from this story other than this: should Reggie Miller ever lose or leave his job as an NBA analyst for the network TNT, I guarantee you if his agent called NBC for an interview, he’d have an appointment set-up by the end of the next business day. And it would have absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he’s good at his job (which he is).
Do you want to make a real difference in your own life, in your career, in your personal relationships?
Thank someone.
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Nice article Adrian. Just goes to show, kindness does go a long way……which means I am def. in trouble!!! Take care and keep up the good work!!