It may be 13 years since Gary Striewski has broadcast from KGWN-TV in Cheyenne, but the ESPN SportsCenter anchor remembers it well, and he’s looking forward to doing it again.
Striewski, who got his broadcasting career launched in Cheyenne 15 years ago, told Jake Nichols on Wednesday morning that when he returns July 24 for a Cheyenne Frontier Days segment on ESPN, he will sit in his old seat at the local TV station
“It’s a full-circle moment going back to Cheyenne,” Striewski said on Cowboy State Daily Radio. “They’re going to let me host the sportscast at 5 and 5:30, so that’ll be pretty cool.”
Old Days
Striewski, who grew up in Denver, fondly recalled his two years in Cheyenne as the sports anchor.
He said he was surrounded by people just like him — young upstarts in the TV broadcast industry who were “just trying to find their way.”
Striewski, who wrote in his sixth grade yearbook that he was going to be an ESPN anchor, found his way, and it didn’t take him that long.
After two years in Cheyenne, he moved to Houston and then spent five years at the Northeast Sports Network (NESN) in Boston before joining ESPN in 2018.
Favorite Memories
One of Striewski’s favorite memories in the Cowboy State was being on the sports desk when Cheyenne’s Brandon Nimmo was selected in the first round by the New York Mets in the 2011 Major League Baseball draft.
“That was cool, man,” Striewski said. “I texted Nimmo’s dad and asked him if I could pop over and get the first interview.”
“Brandon was smiling ear to ear,” he said of the outfielder who has played in the major leagues for the Mets since 2016.
To Striewski, Nimmo’s is a Hollywood story. Someone from the least-populated state in the country getting drafted by a team in the No. 1 media market.
“It’s a Disney storybook movie plot,” Striewski said.
The sports anchor said he doesn’t really have any favorite teams anymore. He roots for Nimmo-like stories.
He pulls for the players. He pulls for the storylines.
Like his story of coming back to where he started.
Return To Roots And Boots
Striewski still has friends in Cheyenne. His former roommates still live here.
They’ve already talked and they’re going to get together.
Striewski’s so-called homecoming was set-up by him. When the network announced it was doing a 50 States in 50 Days event, Striewski marched into his boss’ office and requested Wyoming.
“I still have my boots,” Striewski said. “This [location] was my first big assignment, and it was awesome. I can’t wait.”
It’s not just the sentimentality of it all, he added. ESPN’s got insurance. KGWN-TV didn’t.
That means he can ride a bull. Or a horse. Or whatever they come up with.
“I’m getting on some kind of animal,” he said.
Jimmy Orr can be reached at jimmy@cowboystatedaily.com.
