Eric Reid has been a Miami Heat broadcaster since the team’s humble beginning in 1988. He’s announced more than 2,000 games and for every single one of them, he’s had a chart right by his side.
"I've never lost a chart and I've never brought the wrong chart," Reid said. "But I always check before I leave my house."
The chart, an open-faced manila folder filled with information, is the broadcaster's bible. It serves almost like a cheat sheet, and Reid creates a brand new one for all 82 games of the season.
"This work probably takes me four to six hours for every game, but the more important discipline is the discipline to not feel compelled to use any of what's on that sheet," Reid explained.
On the chart you’ll find stats for every category you could imagine. Some are entered by a computer program, but most are handwritten, color-coded with three different markers and five different highlighters.
When Reid and his longtime analyst, Tony Fiorentino, describe the action for Fox Sports Sun, they both use charts to help give instant perspective and key stats.
Reid says he actually rarely refers to the chart during the game, but considers it more of a study guide. After creating the masterpiece, most of the information is committed to Reid’s memory.
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"I've always prided myself on preparation," said Reid. "To me, that's the work. When I get to the arena and do the game that's the easy part."
Once Reid is done with his charts, he does save them. They’re all stacked up in storage at his house. So what does he plan to do with 2,000 plus charts? Reid says he’s probably just going to toss them.
