Hey Hockey Ambassador readers! It’s been a while I know but don’t worry. I am safe, healthy and going only a little bit stir crazy. I hope all of my readers are also staying safe and healthy during this time and keeping yourselves busy! I have been staying connected with old friends and I've met some new friends online as well. Recently I had the opportunity to interview Jamie Campbell who is a Canadian Sportscaster with Sportsnet. Jamie is currently the host of the Toronto Blue Jays telecasts and during the pandemic shut-down, he's been delivering PPE to those in need. He was kind enough to take a moment out of his day to chat sports with me.
We all know that Jamie Campbell is an incredible sports broadcaster. From announcing Canada’s first gold medal on Canadian soil in 2010 to his famous line “You can kiss that one goodbye” but what you may not have known is Jamie is an incredible human being. He told me that he may be coming back again to deliver PPE to those in need in Ottawa and surrounding area. You can learn more about Jamie and his drive to give back to the community during these unprecedented times by following him on Twitter :@SNETCampbell @ConquerCovid19. Please consider giving to Jamie's PPE campaign HERE https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/jays-twitter-in-support-of-conquer-covid-and-jamie/ if you can!
Do you think that baseball and professional sports will be forever changed? How do you think this will affect the business of sports overall? This is question that has been on my mind since the pandemic was announced. As a sports fan, I think that going forward the world of sports is going to change and be forever evolving but what will not change is my passion and love for live sports.
Our agreed chat time of 4PM finally rolled around and my telephone rang. My assistant Shantel answered the phone and it was Jamie Campbell asking for me!
“Hey Shantel” Jamie exclaimed. “I'm looking for Nicholas Wright”
Shantel passed the phone to me and I wasted no time to dive deep into my interview.
“Nicholas, Hello- It’s Jamie Campbell!”
“Hey Jamie, How is it going?”
“Things are great! How are things up in Ottawa? Is it a beautiful sunny day”?
“It is! I enjoyed some time outside yesterday with Swiss Chalet and a cold beer.”
“Oh Nick! Wow my goodness! I’m completely envious. Oh my lord!! Although I must admit when I come to Ottawa I go to St. Huberts.”
“Well in that case post pandemic- St. Huberts on me!”
“Awesome! In fact I was in Ottawa last week delivering some PPE to some of the hospitals in the city and surrounding area. It was 15 degrees and sunny- I got a sunburn!”
The conversation continued as we talked about everything from sports to our favourite beer. Jamie told me about a brewery in Timmons he went to that makes a beer that requires 50 boxes of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal to make! He said it was delicious and I added it to my brewery tour bucket list!
I then told Jamie that along with being an avid sports fan, I have been writing a sports blog called “The Hockey Ambassador” for the last 10 years. I asked him if he had time to answer a few questions. Jamie was kind enough to accept this interview.
“Alright Jamie, I have a few questions for you and some Blue Jays specific questions as well. Are you ready?”
“Perfect- ask away!”
“I see that you grew up in the Toronto area. Does this mean you are a Leafs fan?”
Jamie laughed and quickly reassured me that he also appreciates other teams in Canada one of which is my beloved Senators.
After informing Jamie of my love for the Ottawa Senators, I then asked him about how he got to where he is now.
“After living out west, I moved to Ottawa about 22 years ago and I got a job with CJOH TV. I covered the playoff run in 1998 between New Jersey Devils and Ottawa. It was pretty incredible experience seeing guys like Ron Tugnutt and Bruce Gardner. The Sens were a really good team.
Now I'd like to ask you a couple of Blue Jays related questions, Jamie.
Who, in your opinion, is the better Blue Jay- Bichette or Guerrero Jr?
Oh my Goodness! You come with the hard questions! I wasn’t expecting to be drilled by a journalist today, I’m going to say Bo Bichette has become the better player, overall.
Why do you think so?
I think he has an ability to be a better defender, hitter and base runner. It's about his overall ability. I do think Guerrero will become the better hitter but they both are incredible athletes so its hard to pick just one.
Okay Jamie- Next Question is do you think Nate Pearson has Ace potential?
Yes. He. Does. Nate is a great kid who comes from a great family. Just because he doesn’t say much doesn’t mean he won't go out on the mound and blow fans away. Pearson grew up near the Jay’s training facility which proved to be very convenient for him. When he was drafted, he only had to travel about 15 minutes by car. If the season begins, which I think it will, I don’t think you’ll see Nate playing in the minor leagues. I really believe if they decide to do an 80 game schedule starting in August they can start from the beginning.
Later in the conversation, the roles reversed and I suddenly became the interviewee! I’ll leave those questions and answers between my pal Jamie and me. Suffice to say that there were lots of laughs, stories shared and friendly banter. We even talked about where Jamie used to live in Ottawa which was not far from where I used to live myself.
I would like to give a big shout out to Jamie Campbell for taking time out of his day to chat with me. As a sports fan during this pandemic it was very reassuring to hear that I am not the only one deprived of live sports. This time in isolation has really made me think about how impactful sports are not only to my life but to all of us as Canadians. Jamie reminded me that this will not last forever and that sports will resume soon enough.
I would like to thank my dear friend, Ruth Kapelus for always thinking of me and helping to connect me to the right people. Your dedication and efforts do not go unnoticed!
Here is a link to Jamie in action: https://youtu.be/dcwUsvPBxiA
Here is a link to a video from the Senators vs Devils run in 1998
Signing off for now,
The Commish.
