By Eric Powers – Special to the Sydenham Current
Longtime sports broadcaster Rod Black will be appearing and speaking at the Wallaceburg Sports Hall of Fame induction dinner at the UAW Hall on Saturday, April 30, 2022.
Limited tickets are still available for $70 each and can be ordered/purchased from Kim Murray Desjardins Insurance or from a committee member.
Doors open at 5 p.m. and dinner starts at 6:30 p.m.
When asked about the Wallaceburg event, Black told the Sydenham Current he’s “excited to come.”
Black said he has spoken in Chatham and Dresden in the past, has played in a few local golf tournaments and has also watched his children participate in the annual Frank Dymock hockey tournament in Wallaceburg.
“We’ll have a good time for sure,” he said, about Saturday’s event.
“We’re going to have some fun, tell some stories, (I) could do some voices. (I’m) looking forward to meeting people.”
Early career
Black attended Red River College in Winnipeg, Manitoba where he studied creative communications, played multiple sports and participated in several plays/productions with their theater program.
“It was daunting and frightening, but I liked the challenge,” he said.
“I loved to write, create and produce.”
He got his broadcasting start at the age of 18 with CKY-TV, where he soon became the host of their Winnipeg Jets broadcasts.
“It was a dream come true,” he said, noting that he had also previously worked as a disc jockey.
“It was a leap for sure.”
Friendships and relationships
“Relationships are everything,” Black told the Sydenham Current.
“It’s important with the people you work with. I’ve learned to become a listener.”
During the period he was attending Red River College and transitioning towards broadcasting, Black said he had both friends and mentors along the way, including: his father, Don Whitman of Hockey Night in Canada, former NBA player and fellow broadcasting anchor, Leo Rautins, and Canadian WBC light heavyweight champ, from 1987 to 1988, Donny Lalonde.
“Being around them gave me confidence,” Black said.
“I watched their style, watched them prepare. I watched, I listened and learned.”
Black said his friendship with Rautins dates back to before Rautins’ time in the NBA.
“We’re brothers,” he said.
“We always will be. It’s a partnership.”
Black added he and Rautins have “similar ideas about things” and that Rautins is a “great [basketball] coach.”
Around the same time, Black said he was witnessing Lalonde’s boxing career develop and take off.
Lalonde’s drive as an athlete and involvement in the community “taught me about hard work.
“He’d get knocked down and get back up again,” Black said, adding that Lalonde’s appreciation for him came from the fact that Black could be “critical at times.”
“It takes training, fortitude, dedication, and willingness to accept failure,” he said.
“It’s not that they have a desire to win, it’s that they hate to lose.”
What’s next?
“I’ve always filled my time,” Black said.
“Banquets, functions… I’m there.”
Black stated last October on the Bob McCown podcast that he is certainly not done broadcasting. (LINK)
“I love talking sports… I love creating,” he told the Sydenham Current.
After leaving TSN last fall, it was announced in March of 2022 that Black was named a host and brand ambassador for NorthStar Gaming, an up and coming sports media and betting platform affiliated with the Toronto Star.
As host, Black said he will deliver content ranging from stories, Q and A’s, along with historical and investigative pieces.
“We’re not the story… we know how to tell the stories,” Black said.
“I know the people we have will bring out the best stories. We will make people take notice.”
Black said NorthStar Gaming will be launching social media accounts in the near future.
On top of this, Black said he is involved with a production organization that covers films, commercials, along with corporate and sporting events.
Career takeaways
“I’ve learned so much from athletes, people I work with and people who give back,” Black said.
“I’m lucky, I’ve had the opportunities to interview every person in sports that I could want to.”
Some of these players and people include: Michael Jordan, Dennis Rodman, Barry Bonds, Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe, along with former United States presidents George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama.
“Because of my job I’m blessed to do things,” Black added.
“It’s been a great adventure. Every event is so memorable, so I treat the next like it will be the best. If you have a passion you believe in, and put it in front of you… it will take off.”
