#MediaMonday – Ralph Amsden
Today’s #MediaMonday comes to us from Ralph Amsden, who recently joined Sports360AZ.com.
Ralph, tell us about your role?
My role with Sports360AZ is to help promote the site’s content while joining in with the glut of talent they have to tell stories about the triumphs and trials of Arizona’s athletes. It’s the premier multimedia sports organization in Arizona and so to be able to jump in and help tell/share entertaining, informational, and inspirational stories is a dream come true.
I’m also the publisher of ArizonaVarsity and have been since 2015. It’s a Rivals.com affiliate website focused on tracking and reporting on the college recruitment of Arizona’s best athletes.
When I’m not covering Arizona sports, I have the awesome opportunity to write and produce for the YouTube-based Unafraid Show, hosted by former NFL and Los Angeles-based George Wrighster.
Can you share a little more about Sports360AZ?
Sports360AZ is closing in on 15 years of being the state of Arizona’s only consistent option for statewide sports coverage from the high school to professional levels. There are other websites, TV and radio stations, but none of them take on the whole state in the way Brad Cesmat’s crew does. And as an independent entity, that isn’t easy. I’ve been able to work alongside Sports360AZ in some capacity since 2013 and the unity of mission amongst the staff to make content that avoids egregious self-promotion or sensationalism is both rare and refreshing.
What is your background in media?
I was a Cronkite journalism student in my mid-20’s hoping to get into sports broadcasting when I came to the realization that having a family already was going to limit my options as an intern, as well as my physical mobility to explore other media markets. I switched to an English Literature course study and went into education, but during my time as a teacher I still harbored the belief that I could make a positive impact in the prep sports media space. I launched my own website (ctownrivals) covering sports in Chandler, Arizona in 2012, and within two years that coverage had expanded to the area entire state of Arizona. In 2015, I took over as publisher of the Arizona preps Rivals affiliate and became managing editor of the Rivals site that covered Arizona State athletics. In 2019, I began covering the entire Pac-12 for Unafraid Show.
Where were you born and raised?
I was born in Sheridan, Wyoming and was raised spending summers there while spending the nine-month school year in Chandler, Arizona. I split time between both places until I was married in 2006. I spent the next 15 years in Arizona, but have been covering Arizona sports remotely from Charlotte, North Carolina since 2021.
What is your favorite sport to watch? To play?
If there’s competition, I’m watching. I don’t care if it’s two kids throwing sticks in a river to see which one will cross under the bridge first, or the Super Bowl. If I had to pick a favorite, however, basketball is the only sport to me where every potential outcome of every possession is interesting and consequential- and it’s played at the highest level by literal giants!
What are some of your favorite local restaurants or attractions?
A perfect day for me in Arizona is a day hanging out with my kids at Milano’s Music in downtown Mesa, a trip to Bookman’s or the library to get something to read, and either Pizza Muffins from Floridino’s, a burger from The Chuck Box, or a bean and cheese burrito from Elmer’s Tacos.
What is something readers would be surprised to know about you?
I think people would be shocked to know that while sports makes up 90% of what I think and talk and write about, it’s not something that really holds my interest in social settings. Or maybe people will completely understand, because who likes to make work 100% of their day? If I’m with friends, we’re talking music, movies, food, or whatever else until we run out of topics. If the Phoenix Suns come up at all, it means our time together is winding down.
How can folks reach you?
Email works great. My address is ralph.amsden@gmail.com.
