eSC: Interview with TsN's Bill "Vradi" Ehardt
By Staff Writer - CEVO|Waldt

The eSports Chat is an interview series with those who support the eSports community without the use of weaponry, such as team managers, organization leaders, writers and more. In this week's eSC, CEVO|Waldt talked to the Team Sportscast Network (TsN)'s Bill Vradi. Bill is the Station Manager at TsN and a shoutcaster of highlight Counter-Strike 1.6, Source, Call of Duty 2 and Quake4 matches. Read the interview to learn about Bill's motivations, history and what its like to be a popular shoutcaster and more in this exclusive interview.

Do you wonder what goes on behind the scenes at the number one eSports radio station? Here is your chance to find out! I got the chance to sit down with Bill "Vradi" Ehardt from the Team Sportscast Network and ask him a few questions.

Bill has been working and casting for the Team Sportscast Network for 2 years. Recently he has traveled to China, Dallas, and Los Angeles to cast some of the largest LAN events to bring you the best coverage directly from the event.

Let's start this off with an easy one. For those who may not be familiar with you, please introduce yourself.

Sure, I'm Bill "Vradi" Ehardt from the Team Sportscast Network. I currently am the CS Manager at TsN and I have recently been broadcasting CS (both 1.6 and Source), Call of Duty 2, and Quake 4. In the past I have casted most games that TsN has done since I've joined, but people first starting listening to me when I was casting Soldier of Fortune 2 and Enemy Territory.

Obviously we know you cast for TsN, but outside of that, what other things do you do for fun and do in your spare time?

I'd say the usual stuff. I go out with friends, hit the bar on Friday night, but recently my new passion has been poker. I'm not all that great yet, but I'm a winning player. I'd love to make it to the main event of the World Series of Poker some day but I am still about 9,000 short in my poker bankroll.

How did you first get into gaming/casting and is TsN the first online media agency you have been worked for?

The first game I started playing was Doom. We had local LAN get-togethers using coax network cards, so you can tell that was a bit ago! The first game I started actually competing in however was Soldier of Fortune II when I played for one of the top teams in the game, Deviant Objectives. At the time I enjoyed listening to Wonderdog broadcast our matches, and I started getting hooked on TsN. Warwitch, Wonderdog, and JeffT's Mandatory Metal show were my favorites! (I still yell at JeffT to bring back his show once a week or so).

About this time, one of my friends I knew from SOF2 had a radio station that he was messing around with. This radio station had a DJ that I was listening to one night, and after talking with her a bit we became friends. She convinced me to try and DJ some to see if I'd enjoy it, and eventually I was following her to a game broadcasting station. I had been broadcasting with this other station for about 6 months when things started getting rocky. I started speaking more with Warwitch, Wonderdog, and JeffT and they showed interest in having me join up. I had reservations about joining TsN at first, but when I finally agreed I realized it was the best thing that could have happened to me. Fast forward almost two years later, and I still love doing what I am doing!

Have you ever considered stopping your casting to pursue something else? If so, what?

If you are referring to doing something else in the gaming scene then no I haven't. There had been times I've tried to come back and play competitively again, however I was always so busy with TsN that I couldn't put in the practice time needed to play at a high level again. That was okay with me, as I wouldn't give up broadcasting for anything.

While working for TsN, what are some of the things you have learned about the gaming community as a whole that a regular gamer might not see everyday?

I would say the main thing is that a lot of top gamers are put on a pedestal and are seen as some larger than life figure. In the end you learn that whoever you meet, from a CAL-O CS player to Jason Lake to Fatal1ty, everyone is just normal! I just tend to snicker a bit when people AIM me and ask about meeting Fatal1ty, what he's like, what jeans he wears (I got scared at this point.), etc.

What are the kinds of preparations that must go into place before each match is shout-casted by yourself or another caster?

A lot of it depends on the match and the teams involved. With the amount of games and teams we can cast at TsN, it can be hard to know every detail about all the teams out there. Before any matches I broadcast I try to talk to get recently history about the teams, get season records for the teams, standings for the leagues, etc. Basically we all try to do our homework to give everyone relevant and up to date news on these teams and the league we are broadcasting.

How does yourself, or TsN for that matter take the criticism set out by the community? Do you ever take it personally? Is there anything you'd like to say to all the critics out there?

Well you learn very quickly that no matter who you are, some people will say "Bill you are the best caster ever" and others will say "Wow! Bill is TERRIBLE at casting." In the end we are just trying to bring the best coverage possible to the gaming community, which I think from game to game TsN delivers. The only thing I would say is if you can do it better, feel free to join TsN and show us ;).

Where can you see gaming in the future and what are some of the things you think need to occur before it takes off?

I think the sky is the limit for professional gaming. The gaming industry is bigger than the movie industry already, and I don't think we've even begun to scratch the surface of what gaming could be. The main thing holding back gaming right now I think is corporate involvement. I'm not speaking of the nVidia/Intel's out there, but rather the Coke, Pepsi, Snickers, etc. I think once there is a way to get these sponsors involved (perhaps more on TV?), then gaming could really take off.

And lastly, this may seem like a tough question to answer, but where can you see yourself in say five years down the road? Or perhaps what do you want to be doing in five years?

I would like to say in 5 years I'm on TV weekly in high stakes poker games! Ok honestly, I'd love to be working for TsN doing what I am still doing. It would be my dream to still be broadcasting with everyone here and to make a good living doing it. I have always felt that someone out there will make it mainstream. The question I always asked myself is, "Why not us?" For the record, I do expect and hope to be working for TsN in 5 years.

If I can at the end here I'd also like to give thanks to JeffT, Wonderdog, and Warwitch for believing in me and giving me a chance to join up with TsN. Also, I do have to give special thanks to someone. Thank you Kris, you believed in me and convinced me to start broadcasting, and without you I wouldn't be where I am today. Also a final thanks to everyone who tunes in to my broadcasts. I'm not always sure why you do, but I appreciate it anyway ;)