Today's guest is none other than the legendary sports reporter and broadcaster for the Edmonton Oilers, Gene Principe. His legendary status comes mostly from his unique use of puns in his pre-game introductions, and don't worry, I ask where they all come from. However, Gene's much more than a pun machine, he's been consistently surrounded by high-performers throughout his career and has interviewed the best of the best in the sporting world. We discuss the impact this unique career has had at home as a father and on the soccer pitch as a coach. If you enjoy this interview, please consider pressing the follow button on Spotify and Apple Podcasts to help the algorithm show my podcast to new listeners. I know it's annoying hearing this all the time, but it's truly a huge help. Thanks!

Timing:

1:29 Start of Interview (The Puns)
5:00 Finding Your Voice
13:49 Career Goals
19:41 Superstitions
22:50 Getting Real Answers
26:50 The Gretzky Story
27:59 Fun Oilers to Interview
31:30 Interviewing McDavid and Draisaitl
39:20 Wins Vs. Losses
41:06 Mindset Learnings from Athletes
47:54 Gene's Healthy Habits
52:21 Downsides To The Job
55:06 Advice for Young Broadcasters
1:07:20 What Don't We Know About Gene?
1:09:23 The Golden Nugget of Wisdom

The Golden Nugget of Wisdom

What's stuck with me most after my interview with Gene is his pure fascination with the small stories behind the athletes that he interviews. His pursuit and genuine love for unearthing these stories has added clarity to what I want to accomplish with this podcast.

The facts that Steven Stamkos puts a red dot on his stick to remind him of a goal light is cool for some reason, and Gene discovered that story and shared it. Whether it's McDavid having 5 different lengths of stick, or Luke Gazdic putting his loved ones initials on his stick, Gene's unearthed some interesting and unique ways that the BEST of the BEST get the most out of themselves. And these ideas will undoubtedly inspire other's to tweak and make the practise their own.

His examples in this interview may all have to do with their hockey sticks, but it's made me realize that high-performers may use reminders for inspiration in other ways with their specific tools for the job. I'm now determined to discover what these reminders are, and how we can all implement them.

In the words of the longest tenured Edmonton Oiler Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Thanks Gene!

Music:
FLAWD SOULS: Spotify / Instagram / SoundCloud