In his nearly 10 MLS seasons, Bobby Rhine has taken the field more than 200 times for FC Dallas. But last Saturday night he did something for the first time in his career, when he was an analyst on the FCD television broadcast during the second half of the 2-0 win against the New York Red Bulls.
Rhine had previously done work as a color commentator on the club's English radio broadcasts last year but this was his first time on television. Currently sidelined with an injured right hip flexor, he jumped at the opportunity.
"I've done radio a few times but that was my first time with TV," Rhine said. "Any time I watch a game, I try and see it as an analyst and break it down. I look at the game as a coach tries to in many ways. I want to know why a team does things a certain way, what's working for them or what isn't.
"It was great. To work with (play-by-play man) Brad Sham is an honor. He's won every accolade a broadcaster can win. It's funny to work with (color commentator) Dave Dir because he's the coach that drafted me. I know what his mentality is for the game and what he expects. I see a lot of that in him as he broadcasts games. I feel like that was a great experience for me. It's something I'm certainly interested in doing when I'm finished playing but I'm not planning on doing that anytime soon."
One of his teammates, goalkeeper Dario Sala, who last year did some work on the club's Spanish radio broadcasts, admits that he was impressed with Rhine's work.
"He sounded smart, which was great because he's not," Sala joked. "I told him that he sounded smart but that he wasn't really. He sounded good and is very articulate. I think he has a great future as a broadcaster."
Sham, who handles play-by-play on FCD's television broadcasts, agreed.
"I'm happy with what he did," Sham said. "I've had conversations with Bobby (Rhine) in the past that led me to believe that he's got an interest in doing this when he's done. This was not my idea but when I was approached about it, I said absolutely. The first people you try to take care of are the viewers so that they get the insight from a current player but knowing him, I knew that it wouldn't be the standard injured current player pap. I knew that it would be more analytical because it was something he had a little stake in and wanted to do well in."
Sham also feels that Rhine has a promising future in broadcasting should he decide to go that route after retiring as a player.
"It's good for the league to find guys like this to bring along into these roles," Sham said. "I think the networks are looking for the American analyst who is really going to be able to connect with viewers and I really think Bobby Rhine might be able to be that guy. I'm really anxious to find opportunities to give him to do some of that. Considering that he had never done it and we only had a half. There were also three of us up there, which wasn't a problem for me or Dave (Dir) but I think Bobby was really conscious of that, I was really pleased."
Rhine admits that it was tough being injured and having to watch from the broadcast booth but at the same time, that afforded him a different viewpoint to see the match unfold.
"It's tough because from above, you can see moments where you would expect to do better in certain situations," he said. "When you can see the play developing from up above, you can see the decisions that should have been made. It's interesting to see it in that way.
"At field level, all the plays look different to you but from up above, you can see things more clearly," he added. "It was kind of fun to take the hat off for a moment and just be an analyst. I didn't tell anyone on the team that I was doing it. It was a running joke that I was slaying them during the game. It was good fun and I certainly welcome the opportunity to do it again."
Rhine said he has no intention of retiring in the near future, yet still admits that broadcasting is something that interests him once that time comes.
"I've made it known to the FCD media department and talked to other people with media relations that I've got great interest in that," he said. "I think that I potentially have a future in that as well. If I'm doing that, it's important to pick the brains of guys like Brad Sham and Dave Dir. There is a former UConn guy (Chris Alexopoulos) who is the producer of (MLS) PrimeTime (on ESPN), so I've picked his brain to get some insight as to what they do. It was interesting to see all the things that go on behind the scenes, the production, the guys in the truck and stuff like that. It was a different perspective for me."
Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
