BEHIND THE MIC: Father-son duo of Matt and Mason Robinson discuss their time calling games together

Nov. 28—ALTAMONT — Mason Robinson grew up listening to his father, Matt, call baseball and basketball games on the airwaves of 97.9 XFM.

He was always the one in the middle between Matt and longtime broadcaster and hall-of-famer Greg Sapp.

For a couple of instances during the spring, though, Mason was in a different spot.

He wasn't in the middle, but right next to his father as a guest announcer.

"It's definitely a special experience," Mason said. "I don't know anyone else that's been able to do it. I've just grown up around it and in the back of my mind, I always knew I wanted to try it."

"Being able to broadcast games with him is obviously a lot of fun," Matt added. "First of all, he does have a lot of knowledge about the game of baseball and we're going to maybe see if his schedule can allow him to do a basketball game or two when the station needs any extra help. You never know how someones going to express that during a broadcast and he did a good job of it right away. I thought that we'd maybe do games together; I just didn't think it would be this quickly."

Mason and Matt's first game that they called together was a rather important one — a sectional semifinal in the Class 2A playoffs between Teutopolis and Glen Carbon (Father McGivney).

Mason said he did have nerves heading into the broadcast. The difference between him and other first-time broadcasters, however, is that Mason had been in high-pressure situations before, just as a player, which eased the tension.

"I had nerves, even though I'd been around that. I've played in big games, so I understood," he said. "Once we put the headsets on, he said, 'Talk to me like it's just you and me. That's all you need to worry about and whatever happens, happens. If you mess up, so be it; just tell people what you see in front of you,' so I went from there and as the game went on, I felt more and more comfortable."

Mason said he and Matt chatted between innings on how to better the broadcast for listeners.

Mason added that he felt it was hardest when talking about the same players that he hangs out with on the weekends, though Matt does help him in that regard.

"He keeps me in check because a lot of the games that we do, I'm broadcasting my own friends, so sometimes, out of instinct, I'll say something, and he'll be like, 'Hey, we're not supposed to show favoritism in these games,' so I try my best to keep a level opinion," he said.

The Teutopolis and Father McGivney game wouldn't be the last for them, though.

Following that game, both then got the chance to call the St. Anthony and Goreville super-sectional contest at Southern Illinois-Carbondale.

Getting the call to return behind the microphone shows the work Mason has done has been positive.

Paying attention over the years has surely helped with that, too.

"I always put the headset on when they had it set up and I'd be talking to it when they couldn't hear me back at the station," Mason said. "I'd talk through it to myself and call out the numbers and how it goes. Then, once the game rolled around, I'd usually get my own little stat sheet that he'd print off for me and I'd fill in stats. I'm paying enough attention to it and you hear the realism in their voices.

"They're not monotone; they're having a full conversation with each other while the game is going on and that's the thing I tried to pick up on the most."

Matt said that the experience as a whole has been an enjoyable and fun occasion. To his recollection, there aren't a lot of father-son broadcast duos in the state.

"I really haven't thought about that side of it in the sense of anybody else doing it. I know there's a father-son duo that we ran into at the state basketball tournament when we were announcing games for Teutopolis," Matt said. "I think Mike Wilson had probably done a game or two with Larry along the way, but it's a fun thing."

Both hope that good times don't end with baseball, either.

Matt thinks that a basketball game could be in Mason's future if his schedule works out. Mason is currently a freshman baseball player at Kaskaskia College in Centralia.

Mason said it would be "tough" to call an Altamont game and talk about head coach John Niebrugge.

"That would be a tough one. I know what's going on and I know what he's thinking," Mason said. "That would be a fun one for me. I'd really enjoy doing that."

Contact EDN Sports Editor Alex Wallner at 618-510-9231 or alex.wallner@effinghamdailynews.com.