By: Marissa Spencer
From a friendly referral to a career in sports broadcasting. That’s the story of how JJ Duke’s 107.7 The Bronc journey began. “We’ve got a good thing going on,” said former Rider and 107.7 alum, Bob Giaquinto to a young JJ Duke, and as they say, the rest is history.
At the time, leading broadcast professionals were calling all the action for Rider D1 games and providing the color commentary that would ultimately air on 107.7 The Bronc and ESPN+. JJ Duke, a true pioneer who paved the way for our now flourishing student broadcasting team(s), was the first to challenge these odds and say, “Why don’t we have the opportunity to call Rider games?” That singular question led to one of Duke’s greatest collegiate accomplishments, which has made a lasting impact on our station’s community of student sports broadcasters across a myriad of sports we still broadcast to this day.
After being rejected for an ESPN+ position while an undergraduate student on campus, this little obstacle eventually catapulted Duke into the executive position as the station’s, Sports Director, “At the time we were given the opportunity to do a lot of stuff out of our comfort zone, whether that was sitting in on meetings with clients…to being given the keys to the wheels to broadcast sports live,” said Duke.
Duke fondly recalls his time learning under station general manager John Mozes during his tenure at the station, “John was trying to get rid of bad habits and knocks on the station… that’s what I really gravitated towards,” Duke said. “Even in our wildest dreams, we thought we were never gonna get out of the basement of the Bart Ludeke Center…never going to be the poster child of what the school wanted it to be,” he added.
With on-air opportunities, introductions to client work, and sales, all the skills Duke necessarily didn’t expect to get while an undergrad at Rider eventually added up, promoting his confident demeanor in the workforce. “The Bronc gave all of us the confidence to say hey we can do this as a job,” said Duke reminiscing on the moments he shared with his co-hosts on The Three Best Friends Morning Show.
At The Bronc you always learn on the job. “Specifically with The Bronc, if you have any drive to work you could get in there in 72 hours. The willingness that the station shows to allow students to get behind a microphone…you don’t see that from other places,” added a grateful Duke.
Post graduation Duke has worked as the on-air radio voice for the Bridgeport Bluefish which transitioned into a job with the Hudson Valley Renegades. After much time spent working in minor league baseball, Duke began working with ESPN+ broadcasting more sports, more games, for more teams and conferences than ever before.
Broadcasters are the connection between the fans and the sport. They are not only responsible for accuracy and coverage but making these events accessible worldwide to fans across any/all platforms. “The best part for me is getting to tell the story of these athletes. Whether it’s their first big moment or something that caps off their career; having the privilege of being the person that shares their story, shares their moments with the world… that’s what I cherish,” reminisced Duke. His motto for narrating these stories is simple, “They’re not just a person who wears a number they’re an authentic individual, so do them justice by showing the world who they are.”
Inspiring the next generation of Rider broadcasters, media professionals, and sports fanatics, Duke advises students across the board to “Try anything. Take those moments, be humble in learning, because you only have four years. Do as much as you can, because you may have an opportunity pass you by and not even know it!” said Duke.
As for Duke’s future as a play-by-play announcer and working in sports media, “There’s no point in doing something if you are not striving to do it at the highest level,” he said. And, JJ has certainly reached heights he never thought possible thanks to 107.7 The Bronc.
For more information on JJ Duke and where you can hear his broadcast voice, check out www.jjduke.com or “wherever there are sports being aired because there’s a strong chance I may have been on that platform or I will be on that platform,” concluded Duke.