A Man for All Sports Seasons: Anthony LaPanta '90 Turn on a Minnesota sporting event and chances are Anthony LaPanta '90 is on the television. But it took a lot of time and energy for the Emmy-winning LaPanta to reach this stage of his career. LaPanta always dreamed of being a broadcaster, from the time he was 7 and called “play-by-play” action for Wiffle Ball and electric football games. Sports played a big role in bringing LaPanta to Collegeville— specifically, the school’s football team. When LaPanta—a TotinoGrace High School grad—received his driver’s license, he often drove with a buddy to Saint John’s. They attended the game, played touch football, grabbed a sandwich and headed home. LaPanta eventually enrolled at Saint John’s, even though the school didn’t have a communication major until after he graduated. “It felt like the right place to be,” he says. “It just kind of felt like everybody up there was happy.” LaPanta started dating his wife, Margo Wallin LaPanta, CSB ’90, his senior year and left school preAnthony LaPanta ’90 is an Emmy-award winning sports broadcaster for Fox Sports North in Minneapolis, where pared for the often-brutal world of he covers the Twins, the Wild and the Wolves. broadcasting. Everyone had different advice. “Some people told me to go to the biggest station and take whatever they’ll give you, even postgame dissections of the Twins, Wild and Wolves. But even if it’s sweeping the floors, just so you have your foot in the door. today LaPanta savors his time with amateur sports. To him, there’s Others said do whatever you need to do to get on the air, even if it’s nothing as exciting as broadcasting an intense high school hockey doing the weather.” LaPanta instead listened to those who insisted game. In 1999, the same year he called Twins games on the radio, he needed play-by-play experience. He approached public access LaPanta worked the radio for the SJU football team, ably balancTV stations in the Twin Cities, asking if they needed a broadcaster. ing MLB duties with Division III football. LaPanta’s connection to Eventually he called volleyball, football, wrestling and basketball, Saint John’s remains strong. He has two sons and two daughters, making $50 a week but gaining experience. He called everything, and they all visit the campus, taking part in familiar traditions: the including the world championships for ringette, a sport that’s a games, the woods, the hike to the chapel. little like hockey and unlike anything LaPanta had ever seen. LaPanta also works as an assistant with the Totino-Grace football A devotion to lower-profile gigs played a key role in earning team and has coached youth football and summer baseball. “We higher-profile jobs. A KFAN executive called LaPanta, asking him don’t get a lot of free nights,” LaPanta says, “but it’s all good. I to broadcast MIAC football games. He explained that he’d attended couldn’t imagine doing anything different.” the state high school hockey tournament and was impressed when Especially since he’s imagined this life since he was 7 years old. he heard LaPanta treat the Class A third-place game “like the StanAnd he's not the only Johnnie living the dream in pro sports. ley Cup Finals.” Kirchner says his wife, Jessica, tells him she’s jealous that he can “That supported what I always believed,” LaPanta says. “You wake up every morning and say, “Man, I can’t wait to go to work. always do the best job you can, and you never phone it in just beAnd that’s really a blessing.” cause in your perception it doesn’t seem like it’s the biggest event.” LaPanta and Pfeiffer know the feeling. Now he works the big events for Fox Sports North, calling play-by-play for one of the elite college hockey programs, playShawn Fury ’97 is the author of Keeping the Faith: In the ing point guard on pregame shows and directing traffic on the Trenches with College Football’s Worst Team.
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