Relying on his faith, Faust went from unemployment to Channel 7 weekend anchor By Mike Moore Editor’s Note: This is the first story in a summer-long series about individuals who make a living in the world of sports. This week, we’ll take a look at Vic Faust and his journey, the ups and the downs, to WXYZ Channel 7 as the weekend sports anchor. PLYMOUTH — A typical Sunday had officially begun. At roughly 11 a.m., Vic Faust emerged from Our Lady of Good Council Church in Plymouth. With his wife, Jennifer, and three children, he made his way to the parking lot, his left hand clenched by his oldest son, Drake, 4, and his right hand extended for shakes with fellow parishioners. Similar to the couple hundred he had just celebrated mass with, Faust and his family were headed home on the final day of another weekend. Unlike many, he walked out with, however, the coming hours wouldn’t include swimming pools or barbecues. Before the night’s end, Faust would appear on the television sets of thousands of Metro Detroiters reporting on the Tigers’ rise above .500, reviewing the final round of the Buick Open, and recapping the day, night and week that was in sports. This, in other words, would be a typical workday for WXYZ Channel 7’s weekend sports anchor. ‘A dream come true’ “I love it, though. This is a dream come true.” Like many in the broadcasting profession, Faust’s dream was preceded by a nightmare or two along the way. Following a four-year football career at University of Missouri, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in communications, he began his broadcasting career as a color commentator on the Tiger Radio Network. After two years in the booth, he bounced from two different jobs in Missouri before accepting a sports director and anchor position in Tulsa, OK. But in the final months of his time in Tulsa, Faust said, the feeling that it was time to move on became too strong. “I’m not sure what it was, but I knew I didn’t want to be there anymore,” said Faust, who resides in Novi with his wife, also a Missouri grad, and their children, Ava, 5, Drake and Graham, 6 months. “I gave (the station) a month’s notice that I’d be quitting, and I did.” “Things got pretty tough on me and my family over the course of the next year or so,” Faust said. “I couldn’t get work. I had so many people telling me I wasn’t good enough for this profession. My wife and I were essentially broke, expecting our second child, renting a house we couldn’t afford.” What a difference a month makes While watching TV, he came across a story about a news station in Detroit. Digging a little deeper, he learned it was looking to fill a job in the sports department. “Less than a month later, I was covering the 2004 Ryder Cup for Channel 7,” Faust said. “It was hard to believe how quickly everything happened.” Since 2004, he’s been a fixture on the weekend sports cast, also hosting the 30-minute Sunday Sports Update following the 11 p.m. news and working as a reporter the other three workdays. And no, to answer his friends’ question, he doesn’t show up a half hour before the shows begin. In fact, he and his producer work hard at writing the copy and choosing the videotape highlights. “I’m usually in the office around 3 p.m. or so,” Faust laughed. “It takes a lot of time to review tape, write the stories, put video together and write the script for the show.” If the hours seem a bit unusual, they are. “The hours and nights that are most exciting for sports fans are often the most hectic for people in my position,” he explained. “A lot of late nights, a lot of weekends and holidays away from home.” The pros to his work, however, far outweigh the long hours and nights on the road. “I’m living and working in one of the best sports towns in the entire country,” he said. “I’ve gotten to cover some of the biggest events — the Super Bowl, the World Series, the Stanley Cup Finals, to name a few.” Keeping the faith “I wake up every day and ask God to guide me,” he said. “I can’t do all this on my own. … I’ve always believed you have to keep your life in order — faith, family and then work. I tell that to anyone trying to get into this business. If you have the first two things, the third will be manageable, no matter what.” And his advice to those seeking a career in sports broadcasting. “You have to be yourself, and you have to believe in yourself,” Faust said. “You can’t go on camera or on the radio and try to be someone else or try to be something you aren’t. If you have the skill set and the determination, it will happen. “A hundred people could say you’re no good; it takes one to like what they see.” You can reach Sports Writer Mike Moore at mmoore@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1038. |
