Brian Sullivan has been exposed to sports for most of his life. The sports director and anchor at Bangor television station WVII, where he started out as an intern in 2006, played baseball, football and basketball for much of his youth. His father, Tom Sullivan, was the head varsity football coach at Bucksport High School, where Brian graduated from in 2002. He earned his broadcast journalism degree from the University of Maine in 2007. His father and mother (Dolly) still reside in Bucksport and younger sister Keely is a junior at Stonehill College. Sullivan will turn 28 on Nov. 11 (11/11/11).
Q — What made you such a big sports fan, and if you had to pick one, what is your favorite sport and why?
A — Growing up, my dad coached the Bucksport High School football team. He was the coach from the time I was born until they early ’90s. So for the first 10 or so years of my life, I was around sports nearly all the time. Being around all these high school kids at such a young age also ensured that I knew all the bad words before my classmates, which made me quite the popular kid with the students, not as much with the teachers. So, being around football as much as I was probably makes it my favorite sport. Particularly to watch. I always enjoyed playing baseball more. I mean who doesn’t love taking batting practice and shagging flies? Now that I’m too old for baseball, that has become men’s league softball, which is where you see the real athletes play. But, I’m going to have to go with football.
Q — When did you first consider becoming a sportscaster and what prompted you to think of it?
A — Funny story. I never wanted to be a sportscaster. I went to the University of Maine in Orono as a freshman with no idea what I wanted to be. Started out as a liberal arts major. Switched to advertising for a year…didn’t take. I have always been a movie buff, so I thought perhaps a director, tried that for awhile. My movies stunk. One was called “Burgled,” starring all of my friends. In the end a few of them come home to find that they are being robbed and proceed to cut off said burglar’s finger! Using a brown hot dog and ketchup for the finger — not a ton of money in the budget on that project. Needless to say my film career didn’t take off. After a few years in college, reality slowly started to creep in. I went to my advisor for what is called a degree audit. With the wide range of classes I had taken, broadcast journalism was one of a couple degrees I was closest to hitting all the requirements for…so I went for it and the rest just kind of fell into place.
Q — You’re an avid fantasy sports participant in different sports. What is the allure, and do you have a favorite fantasy sport and player?
A — Avid makes me sound like some geek. Not the case! I think I am pretty cool, at least my mom tells me so. I do fantasy sports for a couple reasons. It makes games where your team is not playing actually interesting. Lions-Vikings Week 11 of the fantasy football season, I am screaming for them to get the ball to Calvin Johnson. More so, the Live Draft. Online drafts with everyone on at the same time are OK. Auto-pick? Get real. The live and in-person draft is where it’s at. Two years ago a kid in my league picked Miguel Montero (an average catcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks) in the fifth round. To this day he is ridiculed for it. The live draft makes the season, and if you can win some money in the end, good for you.
Q — If you could trade jobs with anyone in the modern world for a week, whose or what job would it be and why?
A — This is a tough question. Could I be Hugh Hefner minus about 60 years? Pro athlete or rock star are too easy. How about Theo Epstein’s gig, general manager for the Boston Red Sox? It’s like fantasy baseball, only not a fantasy. You get to wheel and deal, have nearly unlimited resources to bring in the players you covet, you get to watch all the games from the best seat in the house and I’m willing to bet around Boston it’s none too difficult to get a table at some of the nicer restaurants around the city. I will take the Sox GM job.
Q — What is your favorite nonsports-related activity and why is it a favorite?
A — I like going to see a good movie. Especially if it’s a big summer movie that needs to be seen on the big screen. I like the whole experience of it. For instance, I went to the midnight showing of The Dark Knight a few years back and it was a mob scene, people with their faces painted…not my thing, but more power to you. Every seat was filled. A great time. I still remember my parents taking me to my first “real” movie. On the way they kept saying “now Brian, this is not a cartoon…you are going to be a good boy and sit and watch right?” I may have had a tendency to misbehave. It was Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and I loved it. Sat glued through the whole thing. Ever since I’ve always loved to go.