Matthew Zickus

Opening Day on the South Side

admin — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 06:27:02 +0000

Opening day at U.S. Cellular field in 2010 was warm and sunny. In fact, I’m pretty sure by the end of the day I had a mild sunburn. The same couldn’t be said for opening day 2011. It was damp and foggy, barely breaking 40 degrees. While the day wasn’t necessarily bright, the fans’ disposition certainly was. Covering opening day is always a blast, simply because the atmosphere is so lively. Despite the gloomy weather, everyone in attendance was ready for the eventual White Sox winner.

2010 Blackhawks Convention

admin — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 15:06:38 +0000

Two events from my time at Comcast SportsNet are etched into my brain more than any others. The first occurred on July 23, 2009. Mark Buehrle tossed the 18th perfect game in Major League Baseball history, and sure enough I was the editor assigned to the game that day. I’ll never forget how the tension built as the game wore on. The other event occurred June 9, 2010. Two months into an epic playoff run, it had all come down to one final game in Philadelphia, and in overtime, Patrick Kane sealed the first Stanley Cup Championship in Chicago in 41 years with a clinching goal that nobody saw. While I couldn’t know for sure that it was going to happen that night, the Blackhawks hysteria that engulfed the city in the days after rivals anything I’ve ever seen in Chicago sports. That hysteria carried over into the 2010 Blackhawks Convention held the following July at the Hilton Chicago. There was definitely a special buzz in the atmosphere. While the current Blackhawks aren’t seeing the same success, thing’s are still buzzing at “The Madhouse on Madison.”

And just for fun…

It’s nice working somewhere that actually encourages you to grow a playoff beard.

Behind the Scenes

admin — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 05:27:34 +0000

In March of 2010, I documented a busy night at the office when both the Bulls and Blackhawks were in action on our network. While I was satisfied with the final product, I wanted to try to document a night with one focus, and this piece is the result. I worked with the Bulls pre/post-game show producer to chronicle everything that goes on for a typical Bulls broadcast on CSN.

Big Hurt TV

admin — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 04:58:21 +0000

As I made clear in the “White Sox Favorites” post, I’m a die-hard White Sox fan. So perhaps you can imagine my surprise when I was told I would have the opportunity to produce a season-long web series with White Sox legend Frank “The Big Hurt” Thomas. Each episode featured Frank talking baseball, from verbally sparring with CSN Sox analyst “Beltin’” Bill Melton, to busting the chops of MLB-bad boy A.J. Pierzynski. Below is
the culmination of the series, when Frank’s number was retired by the White Sox and added to the outfield wall at U.S. Cellular Field.

Top 5 Plays of the Week

admin — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 04:40:24 +0000

If it weren’t for the big plays, watching sports would be about as exciting as mowing the lawn. That’s why each Sunday, CSN compiles the top 5 plays of the week for both the Blackhawks and the Bulls. It’s an interesting yet easy way to put together video that’s already in house, yet present it in a way that’s compelling to visitors. The following were the top plays
for March 21-March 27.

The Best of Joakim Noah

admin — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 00:12:13 +0000

In the time I’ve worked at CSN, the network has produced several original programs. None, however, have been as in-depth as the “Inside Look” series, which gives viewers an exclusive look into the lives of some of Chicago’s biggest names in sports. Earlier this year we featured Joakim Noah. Promotion on the website in the past typically consisted of posting the same teaser video that would run on the TV network. For this edition of the program, I tried to do something a little different. Instead of the standard :30 sec “tune in on Wednesday” promo, I compiled a “Best of Joakim Noah” montage in an effort to both promote the show and entertain viewers.

SoxFest 2011

admin — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 07:26:28 +0000

I’m a Bears fan. I’m a Bulls fan. I’m a Blackhawks fan. Above all else, however, I’m a White Sox fan. So when I had to opportunity to work directly with the White Sox at the 2011 Sox Fest, I was more than a little excited. Through CSN’s unique team partnership, I was able to edit a series of 1-on-1 interviews that were published on CSNChicago.com as well as both WhiteSox.com and MLB.com. After the traditional 1-on-1 questions, we had a little fun and asked each person a series of “favorite” questions. The video below is a montage I edited using their answers.

Watch on WhiteSox.com/MLB.com:
http://www.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=13096759

I also worked with our White Sox beat writer, Brett Ballantini, to cover the festivities at SoxFest. The main event on day one was the media social, where the team mingles with the media and shares their take on the coming season. Day two is comprised of player Q&A panels, autograph sessions, memorabilia sales, etc…

Day One

Day Two

The CTL Negotiations

admin — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 06:47:27 +0000

This was a fun one. With the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement set to expire, Chicago Tribune producer Tom Cooper approached me about shooting and editing a mock negotiation to open that day’s show. He gave me a script and we went to work. A couple hours later and we ended up with this.

Hawk Harrelson Day

admin — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 08:05:52 +0000

While hated by some, but loved by many (including me), Ken “Hawk” Harrelson has carved out his spot as one of the most quotable broadcasters in all of sports. In June of 2010, Hawk was honored for his 25 years with the White Sox Organization. To commemorate his time, I shot and edited fans, players, coaches, and CSN personalities offering their congratulations and giving their best Hawk impersonations. The following piece ran on Comcast SportsNet, CSNChicago.com, and the video board at U.S. Cellular Field.