LAWRENCE, Kansas – This week I had the pleasure of interviewing CBS Sports director Bob Fishman for my podcast, “No Relation.” I have known “Fish” for seven years, meeting him by chance as a senior in high school. It didn’t take long for me to see that there is something truly special about him.

He commanded the respect of everyone working with him, but not the kind forced by title or protocol. It was more of a collective fondness and warmth for their leader. I shadowed “Fish” as his unpaid assistant for the SEC Football Championship in December 2002. Surrounded at a round table of camera operators, most of whom were twice my age if not older, they marveled my unique opportunity. “He doesn’t know yet how lucky he is,” one said. I didn’t then. I do now.

Although I had only worked fewer than a handful of games at the time, I eventually discovered “Fish” to be one of the smartest, most innovative and, above all, kindest people working in television.

Like any decent director, he always knows exactly what he wants when he wants it. Like any good director, he knows exactly why. Like any great director, he knows exactly how to get it.

As one camera operator told me, “What makes him so good is that he never tells you what to do. He just gives you parameters and lets you work within them.” A videotape operator once said, “To most directors you’re just a machine. To ‘Fish,’ you’re a person.”

Indeed, his legacy for many people will be inextricably linked to the events he covered. And he has covered plenty of memorable ones. But for those who have worked with him or had the opportunity to talk with him, the most enduring memories will be those moments where instead of talking about shots or game-winning situations, he asked, “How are you?” or “How’s your family?”

A pat on the back, nod of approval or simple “Great job” means the world coming from a guy who truly knows great when he sees it. But knowing how much he genuinely cares for the people he works with will forever set him apart from the rest.

The full interview with Bob Fishman is available for free download on iTunes or the SWP Radio website

Filed under: Sports TV, Television