Tennis Channel Inside-In featuring Dana Mathewson: A wheelchair tennis champion making history and changing perceptions

Patrick O'Neal has the job many sports-enthused kids dream about. He covers the teams he grew up watching, works in a variety of sports, and has remained closer to the action than anyone in his more than two decades working as a broadcaster.

His journey was not traditional, and in many ways, was never supposed to happen at all.

Both of his parents are actors, as well as many members of his intermediate and extended family. That was "Act I" for O'Neal, who lived the life of a struggling actor in his 20s; when the opportunities dwindled, the self-reflection began. It was time for a career change—a difficult and humbling decision for any adult. O'Neal knew that sports pulled at his heartstrings, and he followed his passion at full force. More than 20 years and many roles later, the Southern California native is a mainstay on Los Angeles' sports coverage.

He joined the Tennis Channel Inside-In Podcast to explain why his journey was so uniquely perfect for him, and discuss why he's always had a connection with the sporting world. This podcast is full of tennis memories, personal anecdotes, and lessons for people who are looking to better their own situation.

O'Neal's dream of acting got him some small roles on the silver screen early. But there were moments along the way that seemed to signify a change was needed. The final notice came when he was passed over for a role that appeared to be specifically designed for him.

"It was when I didn't get this job on a show called 'Band of Brothers,'" he says. "I got to the final callback, and didn't get it. And that's when I had this epiphany like, 'This is over.'"

Sports was the new path he embarked on, but the next steps were murky at best. O'Neal knew he had to get his foot in the door and work relentlessly, which he proved by taking the overnight radio update role at a local station, from midnight to 5 a.m. The schedule was not for the faint of heart, and O'Neal added TV assignments to his plate as well.

The true value was not in money, but in the process of learning how to become a broadcaster, he says.

"I was very green there," he adds. "You had to figure it out on your own, nobody is going to tell you how to do it. But I learned how to do it, and then I got confidence."

Advertising

Patrick O’Neal was firmly on the Hollywood path. But the sports world was his true destiny, and the dream he ultimately realized.

O'Neal began a steady rise up the sports broadcasting industry, eventually landing with several of his favorite childhood teams including Los Angeles Kings, who won their first Stanley Cup in 2012.

O'Neal was along for the ride, and also with the team during their second championship run in 2014. He embarked on a different journey with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, where he was temporarily switched from studio host to play-by-play broadcaster due to technical issues. Ever the true professional, O'Neal was ready for the assignment and shined superbly, voicing Reid Detmers' no-hitter last year in what was in a surreal moment for everybody.

"It was not something that I was actively pursuing, that job," O'Neal recalls. "I was approached to give it a try when they had some openings for some games. When I sit in that seat and I'm calling a Major League Baseball game, it's incredible. What a feeling, what a rush."

While baseball and hockey occupy much of his professional time, O'Neal remains a loyal tennis fan.

"I have vivid memories of watching Bjorg-McEnroe in those epic finals at Wimbledon. So that was my initiation to the love of tennis," O'Neal professes, and when his sister married McEnroe (they have since divorced), O'Neal got a first-hand glimpse into the life of an international athletic superstar.

He followed McEnroe's career around the world, and was able to witness firsthand the extraordinary ability and resolve of the game's very best. At that time, O'Neal got VIP access the rest of the world could only dream about, from locker room chats with Mats Wilander to golfing with legends like Pete Sampras and Jim Courier.

Advertising

"He was such a star, and I was so enamored," he adds. "I could not believe I'm hanging out with John McEnroe, he was just an enormous star."

His appreciation for tennis has stayed strong in the current era, where he followed Roger Federer's graceful career every step of the way. It's a game O'Neal still plays with his wife, and a sport that remains beautiful to him in as each generation of pros put their unique spin on it.

At its core, O'Neal's career is a lesson in accepting one's shortcomings, and learning to take the positive elements from one's own failures. He saw one path wasn't working, so he created another one, in an area where he was comfortable and willing to work hard.

His humility sets him apart from many others, as he regularly says 'Hello!' and exchanges pleasantries to everyone he comes in contact with. Lasting more than two decades in a competitive environment is no easy task, but O'Neal has ensured that staying positive and completely in the moment will equip him well for the road ahead.

"I think every day is an opportunity for something good to happen," he says. "I really take the approach of, 'Let's make today a good day.'"

Advertising

Baseline