When I was a teenager watching the NBA on TNT was a staple of mine. I liked watching the pregame show for many reasons. One of those reasons was because of the host Ernie Johnson. I loved the way he and his colleagues brought you into the conversation. It felt like I was there with them enjoying the game of basketball.
As I got older I started to learn more about Ernie. I became an even bigger fan of his once I saw all the outstanding work he does for his community and anyone who he touches along the way. When I got to interview him about his new book, Unscripted: The Unpredictable Moments that Make Life Extraordinary I saw how humble and extraordinary he is. In his book he shares stories about his marriage, having and adopting children, his battle with cancer, and all the challenges and hijinx of working in live TV in the sports world.
Ernie lives in Georgia with his wife, Cheryl and their six children.
Art Eddy: Let’s first talk about your book, Unscripted: The Unpredictable Moments that Make Life Extraordinary. Congratulations on the book. I saw a small glimpse into your life with that E:60 story on ESPN. What inspired you to share your story with the world in the book?
Ernie Johnson: You mentioned that E:60 piece where it was a situation in our lives for me and my wife, Cheryl in which ESPN reached out to someone on a competing network, TNT and asked to produce a story about our family. We really had to think about it, pray about it and decide if we wanted to allow cameras and that kind of access into our lives for our family of six whom four are adopted and one of them has a disease that has no cure in muscular dystrophy.
We just got many layers of a family story that speaks to many people on a lot of levels. Whether it is the fact that we adopted children or that we have a child with special needs. Also the fact that I have gone through cancer and my special relationship with my father. When Cheryl and I decided to go ahead and do that and if that E:60 piece is going to speak to people that would be great.
The next step was where can we take this from here? Literary agents had called and inquired on whether or not I was going to write a book. I always wanted to Art, but I didn’t know what kind of timing that was going to be. This just seemed like the right time because the response to that E:60 piece was really staggering. Then it was time to put pen to paper and see if I can actually do this.
AE: One of the phrases that you have is called “blackberry moments.” It is a great way to take some time each day to take a look around and be thankful. Now more than ever people are distracted with phones, media, etc. How can people make sure that they take time to enjoy a “blackberry moment?”
EJ: I hope people latch on that concept because it came from years ago as I explained in the book. It was during a Little League game that we had to stop for a moment because a couple of our fielders jumped over a fence to get a ball. They had forgotten about the ball and were eating blackberries that were growing behind the fence. As so often happens as you get older and you think about experiences in your life some of them take on an added experience. That one was one of those.
It was an amusing story for us when we were growing up talking about the day that it happened. I then thought about the times that we get so preoccupied with the game. Whether it is our job, the next conference call or the next responsibility. We get these blinders on and we don’t use our peripheral vision and say wow there are some blackberries growing here. I am going to take a minute and enjoy that.
There are a lot of the moments that God puts out there for us. If we are so into our smartphone and that is one thing that drives me crazy. If I have a pet peeve it is that when I am looking around the workplace or wherever I am at and see people just buried into their phones. You miss so much that is right there on the periphery. You can impact someone else’s life or they can impact yours if you are not so tied up in the game.
Those are the blackberry moments. They come in all forms. It has become something in our family where my daughter will have a great day with her daughter and her husband and say what a blackberry moment today. That is the way we refer to those. I think you really have to be intentional about it. You can’t just go through life just focused solely on your next thing. We can impact each other so greatly if we just try and be intentional about it and don’t be so caught up on what you got going on.
AE: You cover so many topics in your book. You open your private life to the public. I think what you talk about is very important especially for people who are going through things that you have gone through. Were there any topics that you were on the fence about sharing in Unscripted?
EJ: When I decided to write Unscripted I wanted to be truthful. I want to be honest. I am going to tell you how I process things. My wife encouraged me, which was very cool. We both talk about how we came to faith very late in our lives. I was 41 years old.
She said don’t be afraid to tell folks out there how messy it got in our household at that time. I did. If you are coming at faith in different directions it can get a little hairy. I went there. I described how it is. My wife and I are both Christians. We both kind of came to it late. We were questioning is this all there is in our lives? I am trying to be as honest as I can. I try and be as honest as I can about adoption. I am not going to sugar coat it. I am not just going to come out and say we adopted these four kids and from that moment life was a breeze. It was far from it. It is a book about how we navigated through that. I am not telling anybody else how they should do it.
Just navigating this whole parenthood thing and being cognizant of the moments that do make life extraordinary. Sometimes they are disguised, but you just have to be on the lookout for it.
AE: As a father I am really proud of what you and your wife do to make sure all of your kids feel special. I know you have learned a lot from your father on what it is like to be a parent. From adoption to caring for a special needs child what is the biggest lesson you have learned from your dad that you use every day in your life as a father?
EJ: I had the best upbringing a kid could have from a dad who played Major League Baseball and became a broadcaster later and a guy who loved sports. I couldn’t ask for anything more than to tag along with my dad to the ballpark when I was growing up. It is surreal sometimes to think back to those times when I would be hanging out at the Braves batting cage before a game and Hank Aaron is asking me how my Little League team is doing. That kind of stuff just doesn’t happen.
I spent a lot of time with my dad at his work. When you broadcast games for a living as my dad did that takes you away from home a lot. That is a long baseball season. What I learned from him was to make the most of every moment you can when you are with your family. Also to realize that your kids are watching you with an eagle eye all the time. That is what I did with my dad. He didn’t have to preach to me. He did now and then sit down with me and had talks with me, but a lot of what I learned was what I picked up from watching my dad interact. How he went about his daily life. How he treated people. Now being a father of six I have to be mindful of that all the time. How did I treat that person in that interaction that was kind of dicey? Did I treat that person with respect?
His best advice to me as a broadcaster was be yourself. Don’t try and be something else because of the job that you are doing. Just be who you are. I tried to instill that into my kids, but always mindful that they are watching you to see what kind of example you are. My dad was a great example for me.
AE: What were some of the first few thoughts that popped into your mind when you found out that you were going to be a dad?
EJ: Oh I was terrified. (Both laugh.) It was really exciting. I have to think way back because my oldest son is 32 now, which means I am really old. You make a conscious decision with your wife. Let’s start a family. For some it takes forever. For some it is like wow here we go. We decided to do this and suddenly we are going to have a baby.
There was this great unknown. There was this wonderful excitement, but this trepidation at the same time. There really isn’t a guide. Sure a lot of people have written books. Here is what you do. Here is how you change a diaper. Here is how you do this. Nothing prepares you for that moment when you see your child. You can try to prepare yourself. No words can describe it. If you think that is good wait until you become a grandparent. You see your daughter holding her daughter. That happened for me during the playoffs two years ago. I stopped by the hospital at two-thirty in the morning after I got off work just so I could get a look at the baby. I saw Maggie holding Katie and it just buckled my knees. It does that when you have your children too.
It is a lot of on the job training. It is funny now to have my son and daughter call me and ask if it ever gets easier. I say no. It only gets crazier. It only gets more confusing as you go. At the same time there are those blackberry moments that come and make you say how blessed am I to be doing this? Parenthood is a glorious thing even in all of its uncertainty and all of its unexpected twists and turns. We adopted four of the six and believe me it can be a circus, but the good thing is that we get in for free.
AE: You use the phrase “Trust God…Period.” So to go along with that what are some of the core values you look to instill in your kids as they grow up?
EJ: I think it is all about legacy. I trace it back to my father. I think about all the things that he has taught me about hard work, respecting other people, and about not taking yourself too seriously. Be yourself. Take the high road. It is my responsibility now to pass that on to my sons and daughters. This is the way we live our lives.
You can say it, but you have to model it. Your kids are keen enough to say I know that is what he said, but that is not what he did. You have to be consistent with that. If I boil it all down, one of the things that I try to have taught my kids is to add value. Add value to every situation that you are in. Was the classroom a better place because I was in it or was I a drain? Was I whining? Did I not do my work? What about my interaction with that person at the mall? Did I add value to that? Was it better because I was there or was it worse because I was there? I think you have to be constantly in that mode of making that world a better place because you were there for that moment. Did you diffuse a situation that was getting out of hand or did you put gasoline on it?
You have to add value. I try to model that for my kids. Sure I fall short. Sure there are times where I don’t handle something the right way. Do you know what I do Art? I make sure that is not the lasting impression. I will talk to them and say I didn’t handle that the right way. Your dad is better than that. You can be better than that. You can’t be so big as to say I am the dad and I am right. You have to say I am the dad and sometimes I screw up. That is an ongoing process. That is the only way that you can ensure that your legacy does continue. I am modeling what my dad modeled for me and I am doing that for my kids. Don’t think that you can slip one by them. They see everything. Their radar is really powerful.
AE: What advice do you have for new dads?
EJ: Relish every moment. Cherish every moment. Realize that the life you are holding in your hands is just the most valuable thing that you have. You now have an awesome responsibility. My wife and I have never confused the fact that these six kids that we have our not ours. They are God’s and we have been entrusted with them in bringing them up the right way. Never lose sight of the enormous responsibility. Also never lose sight of how absolutely glorious these moments are.
That is the great thing. Look, it is going to be tough sometimes. This little girl right now that is squeezing your pinkie, man when she is 15 she is going to look at you like you just landed from some place in outer space. That same little girl when she is 25 is going to come up to you and say I know what you meant right now when we were having those conversations. Then everything is worth it. As long as you can keep that perspective that things are going to happen, but how are we going to navigate them? What is going to be my guide to navigate them? Have a handle on that.
When I see new dads these were the same guys that rolled their eyes when you showed them pictures of your kids. Now they are like look at the video I just shot. (Both laugh.) You are like see it happens. It happens to all of us. It is the greatest thing on Earth. Enjoy every second, even the ones that are tough to handle.
Life of Dad Quick Five
AE: Do you guys have a favorite family movie that you all love to watch together?
EJ: It’s A Wonderful Life. That is my go to. I am almost at the point where I watch it in May even when Christmas is over. Father of the Bride is another one. I love that.
AE: Do you guys have a favorite song that you all like to sing to or dance to as a family?
EJ: We love all kinds of music on our house. We listen to everything. We listen to everything from Country to Classic Rock to Contemporary Christian to whatever. One of my favorite songs of all time is a Jimmy Buffett song called Little Miss Magic. It is the song that my daughter and I danced to at her wedding. It is a wonderful song. I was so thankful to Jimmy Buffett and his folks. I have seen Jimmy in concert a handful of times. I know some of those guys and I know Jimmy. They let me use the lyrics in the book. So I appreciate that.
AE: Describe the perfect family vacation.
EJ: It has to involve your toes in the sand. I love that. I love going to the beach. I love taking walks on the beach. I am a big photo buff. I love taking pictures of sunrises and sunsets. That is the ideal thing. We rent a big place. We have my mom and Cheryl’s mom and dad, the kids and grandkids. It is an absolute zoo, but it is an absolute joy.
AE: I know it is a hard question, but you do have a favorite game or series that you loved covering the most in your career?
EJ: That is hard. I have had the chance to see so many cool things in the course of 28 years at Turner. It was really great to call a playoff baseball game at Wrigley Field. Same for Yankee Stadium or Fenway Park. Nights like that are just electric when it is the postseason and you are in these iconic places. I called the Jack Nicklaus’ final round of Major golf at St. Andrews, the birthplace of the sport.
I can’t even begin to narrow it down. Then having the chance to work during the NBA season and hang with Shaq, Kenny and Chuck is always exactly what it appears to be on the air. Those are all fond memories.
AE: Name one thing that is better about being a grandfather than a father.
EJ: Oh give the kids back. (Both laugh.) No question. As we speak today we have our granddaughter Katie here. We can just spoil her and have the greatest time. Then Maggie will come over later and we will say, ‘Katie we will see you later.’ Then Maggie will be at her home and say, “Nona and Papi let you do this?’ That is one of the fringe benefits about being a grandparent.
Follow Ernie on Twitter at @TurnerSportsEJ and go to his site erniejohnsonjr.com to purchase the book.