We look back on Mike Lacett’s path through WJPZ and Syracuse, and the conversation quickly shows how deeply those years shaped him. Mike explains that he first heard about Z89 from a Radio Disney DJ (you probably know who) before arriving on campus, and once he got to Syracuse, he threw himself into everything he could. He took early morning DJ shifts, worked on basketball shows, contributed news, and balanced that with time at AER. He describes himself at that stage as completely consumed by broadcasting, to the point where he gave up much of a normal college social life because he was so focused on getting better.
As he reflects on those years, Mike points to several people who influenced him, including Dave Peterman, Brett Bosse, Josh Wolff, Anish Shroff, Matt Lincoln, Brian Goldman, and others. What stands out is not only the talent level he remembers, but also the atmosphere. He says Z89 felt open, welcoming, and full of people who made him feel like he belonged. That sense of connection stayed with him long after graduation, and even when years go by without speaking to fellow alumni, the bond returns right away.
The episode also follows Mike’s professional journey after Syracuse. He walks through stops in Palm Springs, Charleston, Syracuse again, Toledo, Louisville, Grand Rapids, and Charlotte. Along the way, he learned that different parts of the country have different rhythms, values, and sports cultures. He also faced setbacks, including job changes and the cutting of sports departments, but he kept pushing forward. His story is one of persistence and adaptation, built on the belief that if this is the work you are meant to do, you keep going until someone gives you the opportunity.
A big part of the conversation centers on lessons. Mike says preparation became one of the most important habits he carried from WJPZ. He learned that talk radio and sports coverage only work when you show up ready. He also learned that trying to do everything at once eventually leads to burnout. That realization helped him narrow his focus and better manage his energy. Looking back, he wishes he had allowed himself to enjoy college a little more, but he also sees how that intense drive laid the foundation for the career he built.
The episode closes with advice for current students who want to work in sports media. Mike says they need conviction, originality, and the willingness to stand apart. For him, success comes from developing a distinct voice, taking creative chances, and constantly asking how a story or segment can be made better. He shares examples from his television career where he used animation, visual creativity, and unusual storytelling choices to make his work memorable. In the end, this episode is about ambition, growth, friendship, and the lasting identity that comes from being part of WJPZ.
You'll also hear about what happened to this freshman when he was rooting for the Rams in Super Bowl 36 - in a house full of 30+ Patriots fans. That, too, was a learning experience.
(00:00) Intro
(02:12) How BB Good helped Mike discover Syracuse and Z89
(03:19) Early influences at the station
(05:40) The famous 4:00 AM Saturday shift
(07:06) Looking back on college intensity and some regret
(08:00) Mike’s career path across the country
(10:44) Super Bowl memory and Boston sports culture
(14:47) Friendships built through WJPZ and AER
(15:43) The Comrex road trip story
(20:11) Memories of September 11 at Syracuse
(22:34) Lessons from WJPZ: preparation and burnout
(25:17) Advice for students pursuing sports media
(35:37) Closing reflections and thanks
(36:33) End credits
WJPZ at 50 - Mike Lacett
Speakers: Jon Gay & Mike Lacett
[Music Playing]
Voiceover (00:01):
For half a century, WJPZ Syracuse has been the greatest media classroom on the planet. We've trained students from the 1970s to the 2020s on how to run a professional radio station. But the lessons learned and relationships formed go far beyond studios and transmitters. Taking a look back through the eyes of those who experienced it, this is WJPZ at 50.
Jon Gay (00:26):
Welcome to WJPZ at 50, I am Jon Jag Gay. I met today's guest as a freshman when he went by Mike Ladolcetta, he now professionally goes by Mike Lacett. If you're watching the video, we're recording this on March 24th, the day Gerry McNamara was announced as the Head Coach at Syracuse. He is wearing a Carmelo Anthony jersey, so that's a 15, not a 3, but we still love him.
Mike, welcome to the podcast.
Mike Lacett (00:48):
I'm so happy to be here. I got to be honest, I've been jealous all this time of all the people that you've brought in. I'm like, "Man, oh man. I hope one day it's going to be me."
Again, the stuff that you've been able to do and listening to some of these podcasts, it brings back so many good memories of my time at JPZ and Syracuse. So, to join you here today, this is fun. I'm excited about this. I've been looking forward to this for quite some time.
Jon Gay (01:16):
I appreciate you coming on, and I do want to clarify a misnomer about the podcast. You don't have to be invited out to the podcast. It's not like-
Mike Lacett (01:23):
No, I didn't know that. And the second I saw that people could sign up, I'm like, "Done. I'm in, baby."
Jon Gay (01:28):
This is not like Jag comes down from the heavens and asks you to be on the podcast. This is-
Mike Lacett (01:33):
That's what I thought. I was like listen, in the landscape of the Dave Petersons and the Brett Bosses and Steven Kurtz, I recognize my place on the totem pole was way ... I was more of an AER guy by the time it was over, but I still hold Z89 so high in my life in terms of things I've done. So, I'm happy that I'm here.
Jon Gay (01:55):
The only requirement to be on this show is have you worked at WJPZ in some way, shape or form? You're qualified to be on the show. So, anybody that's listening, you've thought about coming on the show, please reach out to me. Jagthedj@gmail.com, happy to have you on the show.
Mike, tell me how you found Syracuse and the radio station. That's where I start with most guests.
Mike Lacett (02:12):
Well, actually, the first reason, I was on my senior trip, and I met a DJ at Radio Disney. And she was telling me about Z89, it's one of the places you got to go to. And so right away, when I came on campus, I went seeking out, and I think I even named dropped her and I think I called her the wrong name. I think I called her BB King. And it's BB Good.
I think you were the one that probably corrected me on that, if I'm not mistaken.
Jon Gay (02:40):
That wouldn't surprise me.
Mike Lacett (02:41):
I met this BB King person. You're like, “No, no, it's BB Good. Nice try, youngster.”
[Laughter]
And so, yeah, so that's how I found out about it. And I was all in. I mean, I didn't care what shift you guys were going to give me, what I was doing. I wanted my hand in everything. So, that's the type person I still am, but I mean, it started back then.
Jon Gay (03:04):
You have had a long career. You've got more call letters on your resume than I think most people I've had on the show. So, I'm going to come back to that at some point. But tell me what you did at the station and some folks that were influences on you when you got there, and then classmates and after you.
Mike Lacett (03:19):
Dave Peterson or Dave Peterman – when I think back of my time at Syracuse, he's the first person that comes to my mind when I think of Z89. I can't even do his cadence properly. "How you doing? It's Dave Peterson. Hey, what's going on, man?”
Jon Gay (03:38):
You just made Peterman a New Yorker. Wow, alright.
Mike Lacett (03:40):
"Ladolcetta, what's going on? Oh, I see you right there, Ladolcetta. That's a good looking jersey you got on there." But he was just a great guy.
Brett Bosse was another one that ... Bosse was so earnest in that he wanted to be good. And I saw the way he carried himself. He was all about the business.
Josh Wolff was just an incredible DJ. I just remember listening to him do his stuff and I'm like, "Wow, he's really good." You are another one where it's like, "Man, there's so much talent there."
Jon Gay (04:14):
Thank you.
Mike Lacett (4:15):
And so, again, I was so new and raw, but I think Brett Bosse was the News Director at the time.
Jon Gay (4:22):
Sounds right.
Mike Lacett (4:23):
I did some news a little bit just to get my chops. I wanted to do everything and anything under the sun to get good. So, I did that.
I did a basketball show with a guy named Chris Consul, who was the student manager of the Syracuse Orange. And him and I would wake up at like nine o'clock on a Saturday morning and just talk NBA, and I loved it. I absolutely loved it. I mean, it was a paradise.
But the funny thing was, not only was I getting up at nine o'clock in the morning on a Saturday, but hours earlier, I was coming in at four o'clock in the morning and doing a two hour DJ shift on Saturday morning because I had an incredible social life, as you can imagine, not bearing one iota that I was giving up a Friday night to DJ.
But I thought, man, I thought I was just the coolest guy in the world that I was getting to do this. And yeah, so that was my freshman year. And I was also doing AER. I was coming in and doing the cast in the morning at like I think every Tuesday I'd get up in the morning and do my casts, and then one of the writers there would butcher it apart and tell me how awful I was.
And I'd come back and say, "Can I have another sir?" And the next week would be the same thing.
Jon Gay (05:40):
It's funny, I heard in the last week, twice, your shout out on Throwback Z89, mentioning that 4:00 AM Saturday DJ shift. So, did you go to bed in between or you just kind of stayed up and hung around?
Mike Lacett (05:52):
No, I went to bed. I was a freak (laughs). I would go to bed at like 10 o'clock on a Friday night, and then I would get up at like three. I would prepare. I'd go on all the sites, the celebrity gossip sites and get my celebrity stories ready to go. I would do the two-hour thing. I'd probably run to Kimmel, I'd get a donut because I was eating healthy back then.
Or if it was a really good day, I would have like a croissant sausage-wich from Burger King, go back to bed, and then wake up. Remember then, I had to turn around on Saturday and help out with the AER broadcast.
Again, no social life. I did not have a girlfriend. I might have been allergic to females at that point in my life or any other kind of human contact. I just was so all in on broadcasting (laughs). You look disturbed.
Jon Gay (06:53):
No. Well, it's not a story that's new to this podcast, it’s just being all in on sports and being on the air and let everything else ... it's one of those if we'd known then what we know now kind of things too.
Mike Lacett (07:06):
And it's funny, I don't know if I regret any of it. If I could go back in time and meet young Mike Lacett, first of all, I'd tell him to relax because very-
Jon Gay (07:18):
Ditto.
Mike Lacett (07:19):
I still am, as you can see. But I would also try to sit him down and grab him by the knee and be like, "Listen, dude, there's going to be a whole career that you've got coming up. Enjoy college a little bit and just enjoy it, and try not to be so darn aggressive toward getting your goals because they're going to happen. Just stop and smell the roses."
And I wish I would've done that. That's probably – if I could look back and say, "What's your one regret from college? I wish I would've been a college student a little more." But obviously, things turned out okay.
Jon Gay (07:51):
Well, you're setting me up for the transition then. Walk me through your professional journey since Syracuse, because you have seen a lot of this great country of ours.
Mike Lacett (08:00):
Yeah. And one thing I've learned is that when you're a certain age, like my daughter's six now and we try to teach her, people are the same. And it's a good lesson to learn, but people aren't the same. You go to different parts of the country, and you learn people have different passions. They have different wants, they have different needs. There's a certain style – people act a certain way in one area and it's from the region.
So, I've gotten to experience it all. My first job right out of school was in Palm Springs, California. I was there for two years. Then I went to Charleston, South Carolina, cross country, was there for three. Honestly, I look back on my career and things could have gone in a very different path if that had stayed the same, but they decided to cut the sports department like a year and a half in.
Jon Gay (07:51):
In Charleston?
Mike Lacett (08:48):
This was after I left Palm Springs, they're like, "Oh, we love sports. It's the most important thing." And then the recession hit and the first thing they did was cut it. And so, I was doing nightside news reporting, and so I had to leave. I ended up going back to Syracuse, kind of freelancing and doing a radio show. I was working like 15 hours a day, six days a week with one day off.
It got to be too much. So, then I ended up going to Toledo, WTOL. I was there for three. Louisville, WDRB was there for four. Grand Rapids, Michigan, went back to the Michigan area, WZZM, and then here in Charlotte. I've been at JZY for now four years.
Jon Gay (09:34):
I almost feel like this is a Rick Wright speech with all the call letters, but I'm glad you worked them all in.
Mike Lacett (09:41):
Worked for JZY, Mike Lacett (laughs).
Jon Gay (09:43):
And if I remember correctly, I was at a Tigers-Red Sox game in 2012-ish with my eventual wife. We were just friends at that point. It was like an April opening weekend game, Tigers-Red Sox. And you were there covering it probably for Grand Rapids, I would imagine.
Mike Lacett (09:59):
No, I was TOL.
Jon Gay (10:00):
You were TOL, so you had come up from Toledo.
Mike Lacett (10:03):
Matter of fact, not to get too inside baseball here, but something came up recently where someone was looking at me and they were saying, "Gosh, I wish you had Detroit background." And I'm like, "What are you kidding me? I’ve worked in Grand Rapids for four and Toledo for three." I may not be a Detroit, Michigan native, but that's got to count for something. (laughs)
Jon Gay (10:21):
I remember you came up and during the later part of the game, you just came down and sat down with me. I was with a friend and my now wife and her cousin. And you just talked my ear off and they were like-
Mike Lacett (10:34):
I'm sorry, I’m sorry-
Jon Gay (10:36):
No, it's a funny story because they're like, "Who is this guy?" I'm like, "Oh, I went to school with him." (Laughs).
Mike Lacett (10:39):
Much like I'm doing now.
Jon Gay (10:41):
There is one story.
Mike Lacett (10:42):
I know it's coming. I know it's coming.
Jon Gay (10:44):
Alright. I think you know where I'm going here.
Mike Lacett (10:47):
I know what's coming, and I'm ready to do it (laughs).
Jon Gay (10:50):
What night am I going to talk about right now?
Mike Lacett (10:52):
Super Bowl!
Jon Gay(10:55):
So, for our listeners-
Mike Lacett (10:56):
I knew this. I mean, you can't interview me and Z89 and not talk about this. This is it.
Jon Gay (11:03):
Alright. Now, for background, I have a text message thread for probably 10 plus years now with other Patriots fans, it's Brett Bosse, it's Jared Fialko from the class of 2003 and Ashley Luongo from the class of 2005 (your year).
My senior year, Mike's freshman year, so 2002, Patriots play the Rams in their first Super Bowl, they would end up winning. We are at Peterman's house, there's probably 35 New Englanders in this house watching this game on an old tube TV, and so it's a very pro-Patriots crowd.
And for reasons that I do not understand-
Mike Lacett(11:43):
Greatest show on turf, baby (laughs).
Jon Gay(11:46):
24 years later, can you explain to me why you were rooting for the Rams as the only one in the room?
Mike Lacett (11:52):
So, here's another thing of not understanding people. You talk about people are different all over the ... I did not understand at the time how passionate New Englanders were about their sports. I learned it that night and a couple of other ... I think too later when Aaron Boone hit that home run, I was watching it with Adam Kaufman, Pat Riley, Matt Lincoln, a couple of guys that went into the business as well.
And Adam Kaufman, who's done very well for himself in the Boston market doing radio and stuff like that, I just remember because I was a quasi-Yankee fan. I grew up in the area in New York. I mean, so I was more Yankee fan than Red Sox, but I remember seeing it and going, "Yeah!"
And then Adam just glared at me and the color in his face just drained. And those two moments, the night that the Patriots won the Super Bowl and the night the Yankees beat the Red Sox in that fashion, that I truly learned the passion that you guys have.
And as a New Yorker, we love our sports, but you guys need your sports. And at that point, sports in Boston were at a completely different state than they are now. I mean, you guys are essentially the machine now too. Sorry to break this to you.
But back then, you guys, I mean, wore it on your chin and at the time, not reading the room properly, I definitely went a little all in. Although I'm very happy that all these years later, I could still provide a smile and a smirk knowing that that was the night that Mike Lacett almost died.
Jon Gay (13:33):
You almost went through a window that night involuntarily.
[Laughter]
Mike Lacett(13:39):
Glad I'm still here.
Jon Gay(13:42):
My recollection of the Aaron Boone home run is it was the year after I graduated and I was back for homecoming with friends. Bill Leaf (God rest his soul) was there and others. And we went to the bar afterwards and a couple of my Red Sox fan friends got into a fist fight with a couple of Yankee fans because they were so upset.
And I remember just I left the bar, I wasn't feeling it. It was probably the worst day of my life as a sports fan, that moment. And I remember meeting up with my ex- girlfriend who was I think a junior there at the time, and we were outside Bird Library, and I had my Red Sox hat on, and I was just so angry. I took my Red Sox hat off and I threw it into the ground.
She looks at me and goes, "I don't understand why you're so upset over a game." And I looked at her, honest to God truth, I said, "That's why you're my EX- girlfriend." And I walked back to the bar.
Mike Lacett (14:30):
Oh my God (laughs).
Jon Gay (14:34):
It's one of those indelible moments.
Mike Lacett (14:36):
That seems so in character for everything I know about Red Sox fans and Patriots fans. And you guys love your stuff. There's no doubt about it. And I respect it. Tip of the cap.
Jon Gay (14:47):
You mentioned a few college classmates you were with during the Aaron Boone game. Talk to me a little bit about some of the relationships that you formed and folks you met when you were at JPZ and even AER.
Mike Lacett (14:58):
Oh, man. I mean, Anish Shroff has been a good friend of mine all these years. He's now here in Charlotte, so it's kind of funny how our careers have sort of come back together a little bit. Anish got me my first job at Clear Channel. I was in college and you talk about how much pride I felt working at Z89 my freshman year.
The idea that I was in college and had a job doing this, I think all told, the funds came out to like $12,000 a year or something like that. But man, I felt like I was Scrooge McDuck. I was making that money and just lived my best life. So, he got me that job.
Matt Lincoln was another guy who's a news anchor now at West Palm Beach. Matt Lincoln, actually, can I go on a side path?
Jon Gay (15:43):
Sure.
Mike Lacett (15:43):
The funniest Z89 story that I was involved in, he and I went on my first road trip together to cover Syracuse and George Washington basketball of the Orange Women. And Matt's the senior guy; he's sort of leading the way. I'm just the happy-go-lucky new guy tagging along.
And we get to the airport. Remember, we’re flying with the team at that point and sitting next to him on the plane and I'm reading some book about the NBA, as I did then, as I still do now. And all of a sudden, it was like that scene in Home Alone where the mom looks up and goes, "Kevin!" Matt looked up same way and said, "We forgot the Comrex!" (Laughs).
Yes, we forgot the Comrex. So, fortunately, the game was the next day, and this is the only thing that saved us. But we get to the airport, explain the situation. We sort of embellished the fact that it looks like our suitcases got switched up and we took the wrong ... we totally forgot it, but we had the violin out and we're laying thick and we are trying …
So, we were able to convince the airline and a friend of ours at Z89 to send the Comrex on a flight to Syracuse that was leaving later that day, and we would pick it up from the airport the next morning.
Jon Gay (17:14):
So, you flew it from Syracuse to where you were?
Mike Lacett (17:18):
Washington, to D.C. Yes. And it worked. And now keep in mind, so then it became the great American journey. We had to go from our airport hotel back to the airport, and there weren't Ubers back then. We'd take taxi cabs.
So, taking train rides, because the airport and the hotel we were staying at, nowhere near each other. This was before Ubers, this was before everything. Somehow, it all worked out. I don't know how, but I mean, just the fact that we forgot the comrex there to a game, but we lived the tail and we survived it (laughs).
So, Matt Lincoln was another one. Brian Goldman, another guy. Brian's family owns the Blue Bug, which is like the biggest extermination services in Rhode Island or something like that. Matter of fact, go to Providence and on the skyline is this big inflatable bug that people wanted to put on the state coin one year. That's how big it was.
But Brian was another guy that was a good friend of mine at Z89 and AER. I mean, we just had so many good times together and I mean, they were just some fun people. And to look back now in our lives, I mean, we don't talk every day, but when we do communicate and we do catch up, chances are it always centers right back around to our Z89 days.
Jon Gay (18:45):
It's one of those things where people, all of us that have gone through Z89, you might go a month or years without talking to somebody, look at you and me right now, and you just pick right back up where you left off.
Mike Lacett (18:55):
And it's like one of those things where even if you one day meet someone that worked at Z89, that you weren't there instantly, and you see how I am – I'm totally talking like, "Oh, what was it like when you were there?" And so, you feel like this kinship. I mean, it's such a wonderful thing to have.
And trust me, I liked AER. I liked my time at AER, but the atmosphere and the vibes were completely different. AER was like that unattainable woman at the bar that you just … for me, a guy like, "I got to get in there." And Z89 was the exact opposite. They were like, "You want to come in? You want to have fun? There's a certain way we do things, but if you want to play by those rules, you're one of us."
And it couldn't have been more welcoming for a guy like me at the time who maybe didn't have the best social skills at that point in his life, but to make me feel welcomed and to make me feel part of something, that's something I'll never forget.
Jon Gay (19:55):
The two lines that always come back around in the podcast are Scotty MacFarlane saying, "You're my friend from school," whether you graduated in ‘75 or ‘25. And then I forget who, I wish I could remember in the podcast, but they called it The Island of Misfit Toys, and we all just kind of got along in that regard.
Mike Lacett (20:11):
There was some fun times. I mean, looking back, I remember ... oh, there was another thing I did. I think on Monday mornings, I did the morning show with Dave Peterman. I was the news guy and actually, I lied. I was doing AER, I think, Thursday mornings and the morning show Tuesday mornings. And I know this for a fact because (and not to get too down or too dark) 9/11 happened the day that we were on the air.
And I'm embarrassed to say this, but my last news hit was I think at like eight o'clock, so I left. I had to go to class. And so, I had an 8:30 history class, ironically, of all things. And I remember leaving that morning and then thinking that I knew everything that was going on in the world because I had just done news updates for Dave. And I go into class and sure enough, all this stuff is happening.
And then I remember the way that you guys handled that. Again, I was a lowly dude back then, so I wasn't going to get involved in the management decisions, but I just was so impressed with the way that everybody stepped up. I think you guys even had CBS News broadcast. Correct me if I'm wrong.
Jon Gay (21:28):
Yeah, what we did, and as a point of reference, I'll link it in the show notes, but we did an episode, Brett, Peterman, Leah Hoffman and me, where we recalled that day. Leah was on the air that day on the morning show.
Mike Lacett (21:42):
Yeah, Leah and Peterman.
Jon Gay (21:43):
Yeah. And Brett was the news director, and I was doing afternoon drive that day. And I didn't do much, but we did run 95X in Syracuse when Citadel gave us permission to run/rebroadcast their feed of ABC News. And then we broke at the top of the hour and gave the legal ID and only day in my life I've gone by Jon Gay on the air. And that was an indelible day for sure.
Mike Lacett (22:06):
And then that was just an education in terms of … I mean, Lord knows you never want that kind of education, but just to see the way everyone handled it. I mean, essentially, we were all just kids at the time.
Jon Gay (22:19):
I mean, you're a freshman like three weeks in at that point, right?
Mike Lacett (22:21):
Yeah. But we were just kids. And to be a kid, to watch more kids older than me do it, it was inspiring. And I just remember that was another one of those like, "Man, I'm in the right field. This is where I want to be."
Jon Gay (22:34):
What other lessons have you taken with you from JPZ, Mike?
Mike Lacett (22:38):
Number one, preparation. And preparation was always a big thing. I remember doing those basketball shows and just being so scared because an hour on the radio when it's just talk is hard. If you do not come in prepared – I remember I won't say who it was, but there was a gentleman that would occasionally do the show with us sometimes and he wasn't always prepared. And I remember seeing certain reaction to it and I was like, "I never want that."
I want people to look at me and be like, "That guy knows what he's doing. He may be a total goofball, but when the light goes on, we can trust him to do his thing." And so, that was a big lesson. The other thing was, there got to be a point where I was just like, "I've got to pick what I want to do."
That was: you can't do everything. As much as you want to do everything, you can't do everything because by the end of my freshman year, I was burnt out. I was also not a Newhouse student freshman year. I was a speech comm, and I did not want to be there. I wanted to be Newhouse. That was the only reason why I was there. I was all about it.
And so, not only did I do AER, all those other things in Z89, but I also got somehow like a 3.98 GPA that year. And again, it wasn't from going out, I didn't go out at all. I argued every point for a grade with a professor. It just got to be exhausting because I'm like, dang it, I'm going to get into this school if it's the last thing that I do.
And at the end of that year, I just was like, "I can't do this again. I've got to take a step back and start taking control of my life and enjoying it because I only get to do college this one time." And while this is fun and I'm having a great time, I'm exhausted. So, those were two great lessons I learned from there, from just the preparation and also learning when to say no sometimes.
Jon Gay (24:35):
Yes. I think there's that misnomer of like, I've got to do everything and that's a great ideal thing to have, but I mean maybe it's different for us in our ‘40s now and to say, "Oh, maybe I can't do everything." But good.
Mike Lacett (24:46):
I think it was Andy Demetra, another guy who I've kept in touch with. He works at Georgia Tech. Andy was a Z89 guy at one point before he switched over to AER, and he was sort of like the same thing. He's like, "At some point, you will have to choose."
And I never really did. I was Z89 all to the end. I did Z89, but there was a pullback point. And I remember thinking when I told him, I said, "Well, I'm not going to choose. I'm doing this, dang it. " And by the time that I got the job over at Clear Channel, again, I mean, I had to at least eat at some point.
Jon Gay (25:17):
(Laughs) You mentioned one of your stops along the way, they cut the sports department. Anything related to TV, radio, media is so hard right now. What advice would you give to a current student at Z who wants to do sports professionally? How do they set themselves apart and find one of these jobs that are fewer and further between?
Mike Lacett (25:39):
The first thing that I would say to them is, "You have to have a defiant attitude. You have to believe that this will work out and you can do this, and odds be darned, this is what I'm going to do. " And so, that's the first thing. You have to 100% be all on board.
Can't be wishy-washy. You've got to dive in headfirst, and you've got to keep driving until someone says yes. That’s the first thing. It's got to be this almost like flipping to attitude like, "Yeah, I know. I know the odds aren't great, but it's going to work out for me. And this is the only thing that I'm born to do."
I'm a big wrestling fan, huge wrestling fan, and Triple H – and I don't know if this is fair. And I don't know if this is a fair advice that he gives, but I think about it because it's true with me. But when he meets new recruits, he always would ask them, "What's your backup plan?" He always feels that the people that are going to make it are the people without backup plans.
Jon Gay (26:36):
That's an interesting take, okay.
Mike Lacett (26:37):
I don't know if that's necessarily fair because there are times in my life where I wish I'd have a backup because I don't. I still love what I do. And to me, that's it. There's no other option for me. I have to do this. So, that's the first thing.
And when I look back on the things that happened in my career (and there have been many setbacks), things that I think some people would've left the industry over just because it's like, "Ah, it's not worth it." But for me, I've always been like, you know what, on my worst day at work, when I'm not dealing with things I don't like, but when it's just the work itself, there's nothing better in the world. I love it. I still love it.
I still am passionate about it. I'm still that guy that volunteers to do the morning show after anchoring the evening news the night before because I still like it and I still love just the magic of it all.
And the other thing I would just say is you got to be different. You cannot be the same. You have to take chances, and taking chances means sometimes failing, but you figure out what works and what doesn't work.
You cannot just be a run-of-the-mil sports person. You have to find a way to step out, be it with your personality or your creativity, or your opinions. But at the end of the day, I feel like there's a lot of people that can do the job. Once they get past the fundamental round, like early on when you're applying for jobs, they're just seeing if you can do the job.
Can you put sentences together? Can you make it sound entertaining enough for people to watch you? Can you pick up a camera and shoot it? There gets to be a point where I think a lot of people can do that.
Then it's a matter of how do you separate yourself from everybody else? And the only reason why I'm better than everybody else is because it's me. And that comes down to whether or not you like me or not. And that's my only chance, just based on it's my personality and what I bring to the table, I'm different than what this person that's going to bring to the table.
Now, you may still pick that person, but at the end of the day, I've separated myself from them and I've given myself a fighting chance.
Jon Gay (28:36):
Let me put you on the spot. So, what are some of the chances or off-the-wall, offbeat things you've done in your career in TV sports maybe that a John Q Reporter may not necessarily have done?
Mike Lacett (28:51):
I actually started really getting friendly with the promotions people and the creative services people at the station, and I've used a lot of animation in my packages, which are different. You remember JibJab?
Jon Gay (29:03):
Oh yeah, yeah.
Mike Lacett (29:04):
I did a story a couple ... this was one of those weird stories where I ended up meeting former head coach of the Chicago Bulls, Jim Boylan, and I did the story on him. And through the conversation, he was like, "Back when I was at Michigan State, me, Tom Crean and Tom Izzo all lived in a house together. We were roommates."
And I was like, "That's insane." And I was like, "Do you have any pictures of this? " And he's like, "No, but I can tell you where the house was." And I'm like, "Well, I got to do this story." But then it was a matter of like, "Well, how do I do this story when I have no visuals?" And this was COVID.
I could not go into the house. I actually, went to the house and I knocked on the door and I was like, "Hey, I'm a reputable news person. Here's my mic flag. I was wondering if I can do a story around your house." And like, "Well, it's COVID, so you can't come in, but you can be on the outside." I'm like, "Okay, fine."
So, I at least got visuals of the house, but I have no visuals of them when they're young. So, some of the stories that they're telling, I have no way to visualize. And so, I reached out to my promotions guy and I was like, "Hey, this is what I was thinking." And he was like, "That's a great idea. I can do it." And I incorporated that into the story.
Another thing that I was able to do there was a court segment where we argue certain topics and go back and forth, and we'd have counterpoint, and then the final argument, and then we'd throw it out to the viewers and it got good feedback. Just things like that, things that aren’t run of the mill.
I mean, I did one here where I turned myself into a video game character from NBA 2K. I just literally brought my Xbox system into work. I created myself as a character, and then I was able to find a way to animate my mouth. And so, I was like, "Hey, 2K is a real business." And then hold on a second.
And then I morphed into this character and I'm like … I forget what I said, but it's just those visual things. Everyone can tell the same story, but it's how you tell the story that makes you stand out, if that makes any sense.
Jon Gay (31:09):
No, it does a lot. And those are really great examples. This is exactly what I was going for there is you've got one, maybe not have a backup plan depending if you want to end that line of thought or not, but stand out. There's a million people that get to Syracuse that want to do the next Bob Costas, Marv Albert, Mike Tirico, Sean McDonough, Ian Eagle, Noah Eagle, down the line.
Mike Lacett (31:29):
Noah Eagle, by the way, is a great guy. I've gotten to interact with him a little bit. And there's always probably people that are like, "Oh, he's so young," but he could not be more gracious about the opportunities and the times I've interacted with him.
And he's hella talented. I mean, if you watch him on TV and he's like, "That's not fair." He's just so good. He's still young. What about the awkward stages where he's supposed to mess up and he doesn't have that?
I will say, again, another thing that I think of, again, going back to pro wrestling, The Rock also has a great line where he talks about, "Well, yes, it's good, but how can we make it better?” And that's another one that I use when I look at my stuff.
Yes, it's good, but how can I make that better? And so, that's a mantra that I bring in a lot of times when I'm formulating an idea and trying to figure out how do I make it from okay segment to, oh, people are going to be talking about this, and I can get clicks as they say.
Jon Gay (32:30):
Howie Deneroff, recent Hall of Famer inducted a month ago, was always big on that. At his time as the executive producer at Westwood One, “This is great. What else can I do? How can I make it better? How can I make it better? How can I make it better?”
Mike, this has been a fun trip down memory lane hearing your story and a little bit of our crossover too since we were there for overlap for a year or so. Is there anything else that you wanted to mention that I have not asked you about?
Mike Lacett (32:53):
Well, no, I thought you were going to do it, but I mean, did you mention that back when I was in school, you knew me as Ladolcetta? Did you know that?
Jon Gay (33:01):
I mentioned it in the intro, but can you explain the name?
Mike Lacett (33:04):
So, there was an advisor there who had at one point had alluded to the fact very loosely that Ladolcetta probably would not work on TV, which is ironic now because there are all kinds of great names on TV.
But back in those days, which is going on 25 years ago, I mean, people shortening their names were a thing. I mean, that's the God honest truth. And so Ladolcetta, was the name. And then I remember thinking, I've got to shorten it. I've got to figure out a way to make it better, make it more TV-friendly.
And I was doing stuff for Z89 and for the life of me, I forgot who it was, but at the end of the show, the person thanked me and butchered my name so bad that what came out sounded like Lacett. It was like “Lacetta,” and I was looking for a name and that's how Lacett came to be, was from Z89, and from one person to mess up, spawned a full career of broadcasting.
Jon Gay (34:17):
That is wild. I mean, I can relate. In 1998, Jon Gay was not a name that I could use on the air either, so for different reasons.
Mike Lacett (34:24):
Yes. I mean, but now, I think it's great. I mean, I'm sure my dad wishes I was 10 years later, because I could use the family name. I remember he was really offended. He was like, "You're not going to use Ladolcetta?" And I'm like, "It's nothing personal, dad. It's just that it kind of comes out of your mouth, not very crisp. I want something easy." And Lacett from that mess up is how it became to be.
Jon Gay (34:51):
Names always happen for a reason. I knew Jon Gay wasn't going to work in 1998. And I was asking the guys in my dorm room floor like Jonny G, Jon Grey. There's that TV show, JAG, which is my initials. And they're like, "Oh, Jag's kind of cool. Why don't you do that? "
And anybody from Syracuse, anybody from any of my stops in my radio career and probably about half my clients still call me Jag. So, it worked out just fine.
Mike Lacett (35:15):
Yeah. No, I mean, there's a whole section of my life that don't know me as Ladolcetta. But then all my friends from high school, whenever they'll call me up and on my voicemail, "Hi, you've reached the voicemail of so-and-so."
They'll be like, "I don't know who this Lacett person is (laughs), but I am leaving a voicemail for Ladolcetta" and that's how it happens.
Jon Gay (35:37):
My very good friend, Michelle, that I grew up with, at some point in middle school or high school, I shortened it from Jonathan to Jon and she's like, "Alright." She's like, "I've known you since you were seven. I used to call you Jonathan, I might be able to call you Jon. No way in hell I'm calling you Jag."
Mike, this has been really great. I appreciate you spending some time with us today. Always good to catch up with you. I'm glad to see you doing so well. I think all Z89-ers take a sense of pride in seeing the folks that we went to school with doing great things in their career and I just couldn't be happier for all your success. So, congratulations.
Mike Lacett (36:09):
You're doing great work yourself. I mean, again, the things that you're doing with Z89 and the alumni stuff, it really brings ... every once in a while, I'll be driving a long distance, and I'll put one on and it just brings back such great, great memories. So, not to get too sappy, but thank you for doing this and thanks for having me on.
Jon Gay (36:28):
No, I really appreciate the kind words. Thanks, Mike. Take care.
Mike Lacett (36:32):
You too.
[Music Playing]
Voiceover (36:33):
The WJPZ At 50 podcast is created entirely by the staff and alumni of the world's greatest media classroom. It's hosted by Jon Jag Gay, class of 2002. Imaging by Maureen Cooper, class of 1999. And Ed LaComb, class of 1985. Podcast artwork by Marty Dundics, class of 2001.
Follow WJPZ at 50 on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you're listening right now.