This submit was co-written by me and considered one of my co-hosts, Ryan Collins for a category mission. I made a decision to share it on right here, as I needed to focus on the radio present I’ve been part of since my freshman yr on this web site and this felt like the right alternative.
VIC Radio is considered one of two radio stations at Ithaca School. The station facilities round indie-alternative music, however sports activities radio may be very distinguished right here at Ithaca, and takes up a bit of the schedule. Whereas most of this programming is utilized for reside video games, just a few hours each Saturday and Sunday are devoted to weekend sports activities speak: sports activities reveals hosted by numerous college students that cowl all kinds of subjects throughout the business.
Andrew Roberts got here to IC with a imaginative and prescient to begin his personal skilled sports activities radio present. The principles beneath former sports activities director Nick Lubrano said that you simply needed to take part in radio for one semester earlier than doing this, however as soon as spring semester got here round, Roberts started brainstorming. The very first thing he’d want was a co-host.
He recruited a fellow class of 2026 sports activities media main, his buddy Ryan Collins. Given their variations in sports activities fandom, with Roberts being a Boston fan and Collins being a New York fan, they determined to make a present about the very best cities in sports activities, Boston and New York. They might cowl all 4 main sports activities in these cities: baseball, soccer, basketball, and hockey. It might be known as Cities of Champions.
Earlier than starting their present, Collins and Roberts had been trying to herald yet one more co-host who may additionally board-op the present. Their buddy from Intro to Sports activities Media class, Connor Smith, had board working expertise and the right mixture of Boston fandom and unbiased takes. The three of them began making episodes collectively and by no means seemed again.
“Engaged on a present like Cities of Champions has been such an superior expertise. I already love speaking concerning the NY and Boston sports activities rivalry so the chance to do it with buddies and over the air for a reside viewers has been such a enjoyable time,” stated Smith. “I really look ahead to waking up early as soon as per week to only speak ball with the fellas.”
In the present day, Cities of Champions, sometimes called Cities, is a two-time nominee and one-time winner of the Greatest VIC Weekend Sports activities Discuss Present award. As well as, Roberts, Collins, and Smith have all grown from the expertise, whether or not or not it’s as on-air expertise or on the manufacturing aspect.
The present options the three hosts in debate concerning the 4 main sports activities, together with basketball, soccer, baseball, and hockey. Roberts and Smith are normally defending their Boston groups; in the meantime, Collins will argue in favor of his favourite New York groups. Outdoors of debate Cities may even usually preview main nationwide sports activities occasions, reminiscent of March Insanity.
Cities of Champions usually consists of all 4 main sports activities in an hour lengthy episode, which normally permits for every phase to get about 12 minutes when accounting for breaks in between segments. This offers sufficient time for the expertise on the present to speak about each Boston and New York.
Whereas Smith (who went to L.A.), Roberts (who went to London), and Collins (who sometimes has rugby video games throughout the present) have all needed to take time away from the present at numerous factors, it has allowed Cities of Champions to increase its on-air expertise past the unique trio. Visitors on the present have included different Ithaca sports activities media majors like Zach Todd, Jonathan Falco, Noah Abraham, Morgan Spriggs, Luke Fitzpatrick, and Colin Martin. That is used to carry takes from each Boston and New York followers onto each episode, whereas sustaining a three-person crew. These company have all had distinctive experiences of their time on Cities.
Todd said that “being on Cities means loads to me, I imply I don’t come on fairly often however after I do the ambiance is simply electrical. Whether or not it was with Andrew or Smitty simply arguing about sports activities towards a Boston fan made my day.”
Martin was used for many of Spring 2024, the semester that Roberts was overseas, whereas Fitzpatrick, Todd, Falco, Spriggs, and Abraham have appeared on a extra rotational foundation. Martin additionally appeared as soon as once more in Spring 2025 with Smith in L.A., when Collins and Roberts utilized a rotation of all of the above company to fill his spot.
In the newest episode on Might 4, 2025, Roberts and Collins opted to function their outgoing sports activities director, Tobiah Zboray, who can be an avid Boston fan. This is able to be Zboray’s remaining look on a VIC weekend sports activities speak present, and Roberts and Collins needed to offer him a correct sendoff.
They started with a present of their traditional format that touched on all 4 main sports activities.
The breakdown began off with an 18 minute basketball phase. It featured a recap of the Jap Convention quarterfinals, particularly Knicks vs. Pistons and Celtics vs. Magic. This was adopted up by a prediction phase through which the present previewed the Knicks taking up the Celtics in a matchup that includes “Cities of Champions.” It was the primary playoff sequence between a Boston workforce and a New York workforce within the three-year historical past of the present. Per traditional, New York was backed by Collins, whereas Boston was backed by Roberts. Zboray confirmed his Boston fandom and backed up Roberts.
The subsequent phase, round 14 minutes lengthy, featured fast NFL and NHL updates, permitting these sports activities to get about seven minutes regardless of no Boston or New York groups at present in motion. The NFL portion was principally an early have a look at the upcoming 2025 season for the Patriots, Jets, and Giants with the latest NFL Draft in thoughts. The NHL dialogue was principally concerning teaching with the New York Rangers hiring Mike Sullivan to take over the reins from Peter Laviolette. Then the Bruins had been talked about as a workforce who was out there for Sullivan and will presumably hearth normal supervisor Don Sweeney if issues don’t flip round.
The ultimate phase of the present was centered on MLB. It first coated how the American League East has principally been floundering with the New York Yankees main the division, just some video games over .500; in the meantime, the Baltimore Orioles had been on the backside of the division sitting slightly below .500. The Boston Purple Sox nonetheless sat inside putting distance as they too had been hovering round an excellent file regardless of dropping first baseman Triston Casas. The story was completely different for the Mets, who held among the best information in baseball up to now. On the time of the recording the Mets had been in second place behind the Dodgers, with the very best pitching workers in baseball as their starters had an ERA almost beneath 2.10.
The present ended with a specialty outro for Zboray, arguably one of the influential folks Ithaca School Park College of Communications has ever recognized. He saved sports activities radio by rejuvenating curiosity, alternative, and communication after a down yr.
Whereas Zboray will probably be missed enormously, he leaves with belief that the sports activities division is in good palms. His successor will probably be none aside from Cities’ personal Connor Smith, who will return from LA within the fall. Smith can be excited to return to Cities of Champions, reuniting the trio that started this present nearly three years in the past.
“It’s been an extended journey out in LA, however I’m excited to get again and begin speaking ball with the fellas once more,” stated Smith.
