When Brent Thompson was little, he and his dad Rick would watch wrestling. Little did the duo know that what started as an activity between between father and son would turn into a hobby for one and a calling for the other.
Rick Thompson is a name synonymous with sports in Owensboro for the last couple of decades as his voice filled the airwaves for the Cromwell Radio Group.
Rick started his radio career in 1999 and while it was a hobby, he dedicated many, many days to high school and college sports in Kentucky.
“I was probably doing close to 80,90,100 games a year for almost 20 years,” he said.
After nearly 20 years behind the mic, Rick stepped away in a few years ago.
“It’s been a labor of love,” he said. “I got out about three years ago and I always said when if it got to be like work instead of fun, it was time to get out of it. The Friday night football games, I used to always love but after a while Friday nights you get grandkids coming up.”
But when one career was winding down, another was ramping up.
What started as Rick and Brent in their living room watching wrestling, turned into Brent setting up a toy ring and announcing the matches as he played.
It was then that Rick noticed something but given how young Brent was, he didn’t put much stock in it.
“I never thought much about it and as time went on, he would come to some of the games with me and he would watch me do the games,” Rick said. “Finally, I knew his sports knowledge. He loves basketball and he had a lot of knowledge about it. He played golf but he just kind of picked up on it and one day he said dad, I think I’d like to get into sports announcing.”
Growing up, Brent said he’d remember his dad telling him he’d have to go to work nearly every evening at around 6 p.m. and Brent would always wonder where he went.
“We’d turn on the radio and I’d hear him,” he said. “Oh I know that voice. That’s my dad. I would be so fascinated by hearing him on the radio and as I got a little bit older, I would actually go to the games and help him set up. He was very picky about his equipment, he wouldn’t let anybody set it up or break it down. He had a certain way and I’d always try to help him out, learn his method.”
During the 2012-13 high school season, Brent’s sophomore year, he got to be behind the mic with his dad.
The two remember a very different experience.
“I was nervous for him and he wasn’t nervous at all,” Rick said. “I’m thinking how he’s going to sound and everything. I’ve been doing it for a while and it became second nature. I was telling him all this stuff before, just talk like you and I are at home watching the game on TV. Try not interrupt me, I’ll try not to interrupt you. You can never give the score too much. I was going through all this and he was looking at me like dad I’ve got it.
“Sure enough, as soon as the game got started, he picked up the flow and it was like wow.”
Brent said he doesn’t remember the event quite like his dad.
“I’m glad he thinks I was fine because in my head, I was the biggest critique of all,” he said.
Brent said he was able to get into the industry when the 3rd Region has a slew of talented hoopers.
“You had Aric Holman, Justin Miller, Stewart Currie, Eli Wright, you had all those names up there in the Owensboro region,” he said. “I came on at such a fun time for me to start broadcasting. Freshman year I just kind of got that itch a little bit and then my sophomore year is when I was like okay, I’ll give it a shot.”
With Brent now doing games for the Sporting Times in Bowling Green, the two got to get behind the mic together again a few weeks ago when Greenwood took on Owensboro Catholic at Sportscenter.
After the game, several people reached out to Rick to let him know their thoughts on how Brent did.
Former Kentucky Wesleyan Panther coach Happy Osborne, along with Joel Utley and Tommy Wade, all told Rick they were stunned at how good Brent had gotten.
“Brent has come such a long way from where he got started,” Rick said. “I used to have some tapes that I would listen to when he and I were doing games 4-6 years ago. From then to where he’s at today is just unbelievable. He’s so smooth.”
Brent said he feels he has a lot to improve on but to have those people reach out to his dad gave him a feeling of pride.
Rick said he feels that pride too in his son.
“I told him the other night after the game that the student has become the teacher.”
