Interview with Sal Licata!

Sal Licata



After the final game of the 2009 season, my wife sat down with me and talked about how she really thought I should stop working as the Columbia football color commentator.

She had a lot of good points, but the best one was that our then 6-year-old elder daughter Jordan was starting to miss sitting with me at the games and spending time together.

That was all I needed to hear. I didn’t wait long after that night to call the folks in the athletic department to give them as much time and notice as they needed to find a replacement.

When I heard that replacement was going to be Sal Licata, I was happy that someone who was working in the very tough New York sports radio market was going to join Jerry Recco, (who has the same experience in that market), in the booth.

I’ve been a big fan of the job Recco has done over the past seven years, and Licata is doing more than an excellent job as well.

And I was delighted that Sal agreed to do this brief Q & A earlier this week.

Enjoy:

  

Jake: Going into your fourth year now as the color analyst for CU football, what has been the thing that surprised you the most about Columbia specifically and Ivy football in general?

Licata: First of all it has been an absolute honor to be involved with the Ivy League & specifically Columbia. The history & tradition is remarkable. I absolutely love it. I'm having a blast doing the games with Jerry. I'm very thankful Alex Oberweger took a chance on me. I’ll always be grateful for that.
Honestly, I'm surprised how difficult it has been for Columbia to compete with the top teams in the Ivy League. I definitely expected more balance in the Ivies as a whole. I'm sick of seeing Penn & Harvard at the top every year! That will change at some point. I hope I'm still calling games when it does. 

J: You’ve worked in the New York sports talk radio and sports cable TV business for a long time. Do you think there’s anything Columbia could do to get into the sports conversation in this city?

L: Yes. WIN!!!! It all starts with winning. When you talk about a program like Columbia-they have a chance to do something special. It would be the ultimate underdog story. Right here in Manhattan, the greatest city in the world. All the losing over the years would make winning that much more special. I think they would gain some traction with good year & if they had a legit shot to win the league title, it could become a big story. If there were a playoff, it would be huge. Not only for Columbia's exposure but also for the entire league. It has to happen. 

J:  Pretend I’m your typical WFAN listener or SNY viewer, give me your “elevator pitch” for watching Columbia football.

L: It’s a very tough sell because this market isn't passionate about college football. The game day experience at Wien is phenomenal. Not a better place in Manhattan to spend a Saturday afternoon in the fall. I wish more people knew about it because once they experienced it, they would love it. I'd also try to sell the great history of Columbia & the Ivy League in general. I'm fascinated by it. 

J: What are generally the best and worst venues in the Ivies to call a game?

L: As much as I can't stand Penn, Franklin Field is by far my favorite place to call a game. You're right on top of the field. It's awesome! Plus I love the historic catwalk. I mean, Howard Cosell did a Monday Night Football game there! Vince Lombardi coached there in the 1960 NFC Championship Game. I also like the cookies they serve the media at halftime. As far as comfort goes, Princeton's radio booth is bigger than most Manhattan studios. So much space & a great view of the game. Brown Stadium is the worst. It’s always freezing when we go & you have to remove the windows in the booth because you can’t see through them. I usually try and cuddle up with Jerry but he pushes me away. 

J: What Columbia players have impressed you the most over the last three years?

L: 2010 Alex Gross & Andrew Kennedy. 2011 Joshua Martin & Ryan Murphy. 2012 Zach Olinger, Marcorus Garrett & Paul Delaney. My favorite though was Sean Brackett. I fell in love with him as a player early in the 2010 season. I believed he was going to turn this program around. He was arguably the best player in the League that year. Unfortunately it just wasn't meant to be. All the injuries & bad luck he endured in 2011. Then the change in systems last year. He never could regain that 2010 form. He is as tough as they come and was a good leader of that team. It’s going to be strange watching the Lions this year without him.

J: What non-Columbia Ivy player has impressed you the most?

L: There have been some good ones over the years. I liked watching A.J. Cruz, Josue Ortiz & Caraun Reid on defense. Mordecai Cargill's performance in the snow is something Ill never forget. Also think Dominick Pierre is a beast. Watch out for him this year. The two best players I've watched in three years have been Jeff Mathews and Drew Smith. Now I know Drew Smith wasn't an Ivy Leaguer but he caught my eye right away in 2011 when Albany came to Wien. I will be surprised if Jeff Mathews doesn't turn out to be a solid NFL QB. 


J:  What’s your take on the Lions and the Ivy League coming in to the season?

L: I expect to see a very competitive bunch of kids. I believe in Pete Mangurian. I love his NFL background and I've learned a lot about the game just from listening to his interviews last year. He knows what it takes to win football games at every level. He said year two is where you start to see improvements so that's what I'm expecting. He is a very confident guy who lives and breathes football. He has excellent coaching pedigree. Now its time to start to see some results with Columbia. I'm also excited to see Brett Nottingham. 

J: Of all the CU games you’ve called, which win was the sweetest and which loss was the toughest?

L: The two losses to Penn the last two years have been brutal. The one in 2011 hurt more because I felt more of an emotional connection to the team. As die hard of a sports fan that I am, I don't think I've ever rooted harder for a team than I did in that 2011 game against Penn. I wanted them to win that game in the worst way. It would have been such a great scene at Wien. I was absolutely heartbroken for all the players & Coach Wilson. 

Unfortunately I haven't seen many wins. The final game in that very difficult 2011 season vs Brown is the one that stands out. The resolve and fight that every person to a man showed on that sideline was special. No one ever wants an 0-10 record on their resume. I was happy and relieved for all the players, coaches and really everyone associated with the program. I remember doing an emotional on-field interview with Coach Norries Wilson after the game. To see a big, strong man like that with tears in his eyes... I definitely got caught up in the moment. That game meant a lot. 

Be sure to tune in to SNY to catch Sal on shows like "Loudmouths," and "Geico Sports Night." Sal is also hosting some shows on WFAN again, and you can always stay updated on his schedule by following him on Twitter at: @sal_licata

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