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Anchorboy

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TOP TEN THINGS YOU’ LL LEARN WHEN YOU READ THIS 10) Jay was beaten up by an MMA fighter on live television 9) Interviewing Will Ferrell can be a harrowing experience 8) Jay once ruined a perfectly good pair of underwear on Christmas Eve 7) Failing as a stand-up comedian can lead to a job in broadcasting 6) Jay ran a marathon to get a ticket for the 2010 men’s Olympic gold medal hockey game 5) Jay was sexually harassed at TSN by a senior citizen every day for ten years 4) Jay appeared as the Phantom of the Opera on national television 3) Jay was entertained nightly by free live sex shows throughout university 2) Jay was single-handedly responsible for Winnipeg’s second NHL team being called “The Jets” (he claims) 1) Running around in a full-body unitard at the London Olympics is a bad idea All this and more awaits you inside ANCHORBOY !

272 pages, Paperback

First published November 5, 2013

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243 people want to read

About the author

Jay Onrait

6 books7 followers

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5 stars
245 (22%)
4 stars
474 (42%)
3 stars
308 (27%)
2 stars
70 (6%)
1 star
12 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
Profile Image for Brandon.
1,009 reviews250 followers
January 2, 2014
Jay Onrait and Dan O’Toole were the uncrowned kings of sports highlights broadcasting in Canada (one could argue that they’re still unmatched). Yes, it’s an obscure kingdom in which to rule but the fact is, no one came close to matching the entertainment the pair brought to the country on a nightly basis. Sadly, they’ve since flown south to sunny California to entertain our American cousins on Fox Sports 1 but their highlights live on through the wonder of YouTube. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy for the guys, I’m just a little selfish is all.

One half of the team, Jay Onrait, wrote a book about his journey to broadcasting superstardom. Taking us from his humble beginnings as the son of a pharmacist in the small Alberta town of Athabasca to his first internship with TSN to the elusive offer from Fox Sports to co-anchor their new network and everything in between.

I say this completely without hyperbole: there is a chapter early on in this book which may just be the funniest thing I’ve ever read in a memoir. Without giving too much away, it involves a Christmas Eve feast of crab legs followed by several trips to the bathroom. I’ll leave it at that.

A few highlights include his time at both the 2010 and 2012 Olympic Games, his struggles to get a weekly TV clip show off the ground (in the style of Joel McHale’s The Soup), his comedic chemistry with Dan O’Toole and an awkward trip to the bathroom of an elderly man’s home in New Brunswick.

In terms of memoirs, it has its ups and downs. While it was entertaining for the most part, nothing made me laugh quite as hard as that early story. If you’re not watching these guys on FS1 each night or unaware of their stellar podcast – The Jay and Dan Podcast – you’re truly missing out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ9dGi...
Profile Image for Laurie.
10 reviews2 followers
September 9, 2019
I laughed out loud until it hurt, causing great concern to my husband and co-workers. In fact, my husband made me stop reading it in bed because even though I didn't laugh our loud I still shook the bed trying to hold it in (I suppose there's a joke in there somewhere...)

Jay's writing is hilarious, touching, and honest. Aside from the laugh-out-loud stories about the daily glamour of being a sports reporter, this is a book about a man who genuinely loves what he does.

I've never met Jay, but I'm pretty sure that if/when I do I'll be able to say "I will get along with this person. This person and I will be friends."
Profile Image for Jordy.
58 reviews2 followers
December 28, 2021
I've grown up a fan of Jay Onrait on TSN so I was invested in the story from the first page. This book was a quick read that I didn't mind enduring. My expectation when starting the book was that I would be provided with a unique perspective in Canadian sports broadcasting and given a peak behind the curtain. After finishing the book, I was left somewhat confused and with a gross taste in my mouth.

The pacing of the book was rather fast with roughly 30 chapters that averaged out to 5 pages each. I think the chapter length is a testament to Jay's short attention span and inability to create a cohesive string of thoughts. I had to hold out until the second half of the book before I was rewarded with a compelling story. A lot of his 'wacky antics' made me think of him as an annoying frat-boy more than a loveable oaf.

Overall, I found that this book painted Jay in a negative light. The penultimate moment was when he ousted his coworker Kate Beirness so he could spend 3 weeks getting drunk at the olympics. In multiple instances he acknowledges that his different broadcast partners throughout the years, especially female news-anchors, needed some extra time to warm up to him. This makes sense because his humour is targeted towards middle-aged men and proves that he refuses to abandon his shtick. Jay's life story could be interesting but he should have hired a ghost writer who could add some substance to this book.

I know he wrote a second book and you would have to pay me to read it :)
35 reviews1 follower
May 5, 2017
I flew through this book in a matter of 3 days! I've been a big fan of Jay & Dan since their days on SportsCentre on TSN and this book was published in 2013, right after they had picked up and left moving to LA and Fox Sports Live. I've been a loyal listener to the Jay & Dan Podcast and have watched as much of their Fox content as I could and with the recent news that they're moving back to Canada to rejoin to TSN, I decided to pick this up and read it.
I went into this book with relatively low expectations, not really sure why, but I was expecting a quick read with a bunch of random stories from Jay's life and career. And that's exactly what I got, however, there was much more flow to the entire thing that I wasn't expecting and that while I have always been a huge fan, I would say I have a much greater appreciation for what he has done with his career.
Looking forward to getting these guys back onto Canadian airwaves and will be reading Number Two before that happens.
107 reviews
June 4, 2020
This was a really enjoyable read and I was actually disappointed to reach the end of it. His voice and personality really comes through. Makes me want to watch some old SportsCentre top tens..
Profile Image for Remi VL.
77 reviews2 followers
July 28, 2024
A quick easy read with a handful of great stories, but I really got the impression that Jay is more funniest-guy-at-a-bar-with-his-buddies than professionally funny, which I know he kind of made a career of... Maybe the low budget improvised nature of SportsCentre hid the flaws?
Profile Image for Justin Robar.
11 reviews3 followers
November 16, 2013
After having the misfortune of having to wait an extra week after release to receive my "pre-ordered-in-Summer" copy (a copy which I actually ended up paying MORE for than I would have had I simply waited for my local store to be stocked with the title, in effect paying MORE to wait LONGER, how Canadian is that?), I finally received my newest on-the-toilet reading material -- Jay Onrait's autobiography, "Anchorboy: True Tales From The World Of Sportscasting"!

Twitter pic: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BY5pcRBCM...

"Anchorboy" takes us from Jay's small-town origins in Athabasca, Alberta, through his early life and journalistic career -- a career that took him from coast-to-coast in the Great White North, finally settling in at the country's biggest sports network, TSN, for over a decade, spending a vast majority of that time co-hosting the flagship "SportsCentre" program with fellow anchor Dan O'Toole -- book-ended by his and O'Toole's recent move to Los Angeles, California, behind the desk of "Fox Sports Live" on the new Fox Sports 1 national network. On the way, Onrait drops dime on such high-brow topics as live sex shows from his apartment steps after work, sh*tting in his underwear on his parents' bathroom floor in front of them, being sexually harassed by a senior citizen every day for ten years, destroying a hotel room in London during the Olympics, and his many triumphs and setbacks along the way.

"Anchorboy" is a hilarious, perhaps a little too personal, and completely enjoyable read. Less than six pages into the book, Onrait has already called former co-worker and Gemini award-winning sportscaster James Duthie, quote, "an a**hole", which sets the tone for the rest of the 260-plus-page read. I can count on one hand the number of times I've read 100+ pages of anything in one sitting, but by the end of my first with "Anchorboy", I sat proudly more than halfway through the full length of the book. Onrait paints himself genuinely and with trademark comedic flair, and even the stories which I was already familiar with felt fresh.

But the one main point to take away in considering whether or not you want to read this book, is simply this: you will laugh. A lot. And if you love to laugh while reading, then dammit, you're going to love "Anchorboy"! I made this title one of my personal "Staff Picks", and I have total faith that you will love it.
680 reviews4 followers
January 12, 2014
I must go on record as saying I think Jay Orait is an IDIOT.

I live in Canada and I have been watching this guy for over ten years.
I feel he is a loud mouth moron who ruins sports. I was never happier when he left for the US and is now on a channel I don't get.

so why did I read the book you say. Well my son does like this guy and asked for this book for Christmas. My wife came through for him. I have started talking to her again.

My son ripped through this book in a very short time and offered it to me. I let it sit for several days while I finished the book I was currently reading. then I picked it up and read the cover. Then chapter one and two and so on.

Like a car wreck. It is a terrible thing but I could not look away.

And so I read it and there is some funny stuff in here but I still do not like Jay Onrait any more then I did before reading it.

The book is all right. It tells some funny stories about behind the scenes of a sports network anchor man.

My opinion is biased because I don't like the guys work. Give it a go as a non biased reader, you never know.

It is OK - it is not Great.
Profile Image for Ryan Trepanier.
186 reviews2 followers
April 21, 2017
I was a huge fan of Jay Onrait while he was on TSN, and I actually looked forward to each morning edition of Sportscenter. However, after reading the book, I find myself liking the guy less and less. His stories were funny, though not particularly well-written or constructed (not that I'm judging him too much for that) but more than anything, reading between the lines, the guy is not a good person. There are several stories where it is clear that he views himself as above other people...the one that bothered me the most was where he complained to his boss that he wasn't chosen to go to London for the 2012 olympics.

The point being, this guy was and is out for himself, and while I appreciate it what he's done for modern day sportscasting, I find myself wishing I hadn't read his book and hadn't supported him.
Profile Image for Nadine.
253 reviews
March 29, 2014
I loved Jay on TSN's Sportcenter and was totally bummed when he left TSN for Fox Sports. I had really never heard of him in his lead up to getting the Sportcenter job, but thoroughly fell in love with him and Dan O'Toole while watching the London Olympics. I laughed out loud several times while reading this!
September 8, 2019
** Finished reading this one back in August, the evening before my birthday and as it turns out, Jay Onrait and I celebrate our Birth Day on the same day every year. YAY for August 29!! Is that a coincidence or what?? To a fellow Virgoan, Happy "Belated" Birthday Jay!! **

First off, I'll admit that my better-half and I are steadfast fans of Jay Onrait! We faithfully watch Jay (and Dan) on SC with our coffees early in the morning, almost every weekday. In fact, it was my better-half who noticed Jay's face on the end cover of his book that was sitting amongst my TBR pile in the living room. Because of this, he asked me if I was gonna read it any time soon (the better-half's not that much into reading "books") so I said sure, I'll read it next. The better-half asked for "brief" updates as I read through it, especially when I'd crack up laughing, he'd want to know why. When I was finished with it my final thoughts were … "it's not the best book I've ever read but certainly not the worst by any stretch of the imagination."

If you like sports, or watch SC or basically if you're Canadian, I think you should give it a read. I found Jay's writing sorta "simple" but actually really "funny" as well. It got a little crude/crass at times, but I did laugh out loud quite a few times. I appreciated his sense of humour in the way he names each short chapter of the book. Chapter #4 for an example - "Pooping In Front Of My Parents" - I'll leave you to imagine what that chapter was all about....

Seriously though, Jay is a little wacky but still very engaging. I enjoyed his stories full of one liners and hilarious anecdotes of how a good 'ol country boy has made it in the big city. I gather being a sports broadcaster isn't always an easy job, lots of competition even in discussing the sports competitions. All in all I liked the book. I'd recommend it. Thanks for sharing some of your stories in writing Jay.
Profile Image for Jason Saunders.
45 reviews3 followers
March 9, 2019
Let me start by saying that I'm a huge sports fan, specifically hockey fan. When Jay and Dan came onto the sportscasting scene with TSN I was intrigued and entertained by their different style. However, with time their antics lost their luster and it appeared to me that they were trying to hard to impress. When it was announced that they were returning to TSN from the American Network (which they left TSN for originally) I was disappointed. I had become quite accustomed to Kate and Natasha, and was fearful that these two would take their spots. Luckily that didn't happen and I haven't watched them since their return.

When I pick this book up I was hopeful that it would provide Insight which would change my opinion about these two guys -or at least one of them. Boy was I wrong! This book had very little substance, and the stories were not very entertaining. The only lasting impression from this book is that a large portion of Jay's memories revolve around defecating he finds it hilarious.

Luckily I bought this book for $2 so I have to admit it was worth that. But I can't help feeling that my money would have been better spent on a medium Specialty McCafe.

2 stars - 1 for each loonie spent to acquire this book.
Profile Image for Nolan O'Reilly.
21 reviews3 followers
October 18, 2023
This book is a great read if you are a fan of Jay. Its a bit outdated now since it was released in 2013 or something like that, but I have had it since then and only just read it now!

One thing i came to appreciate was his genuine love for broadcasting, and specifically Canadian broadcasting. And Canada in general. Its somewhat refreshing to see someone who loves Canada so much.

Genuinely laughed really hard at multiple parts. Some good life lessons sprinkled throughout. But overall just a fun read. Going to crush his next book here, and cant help but think that he needs a third now that he is back from his run in the states, and dan has left the show, etc...
45 reviews
June 14, 2020
I found this book pretty hilarious at times but, also pretty dull at times. The way Jay writes, its as if your listening to him read the sports news on TSN, which does add to the book. Theres some dry humor and such slid into the stories etc. When the book is dull it reverts to your typical sports bio where it reads like a wikipedia page. I did find some kf his personal stories later on in his career more interesting as hes a bit of a wild man. Picked this up at a used book store for pretty cheap, might be less enthusiastic about it if I paid full price.
286 reviews
September 30, 2019
It was entertaining to read about Mr. Onrait's rise to the top of Sports broadcasting. He clearly has a good sense of humour and enjoys his work. However, this book showed his obsession, dare I say, with bodily functions. I did not see the need for so much focus on bad experiences related to his bowels. During those extended parts of the book, I rechecked the back of the book jacket to reassure myself I wasn't reading a book aimed at young preteen boys.
61 reviews
December 27, 2020
I really enjoy watching Jay & Dan, and I think they are hilarious. Unfortunately that didn’t come across as much in this book. This book was also way more focused on broadcasting and his journey of employment in that business, which wasn’t something I was interested in. Some parts were uncomfortable such as when Jay took the spot for the Olympics coverage from Kate. Doesn’t come across as the best human from the book...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for UnusualChild{beppy}.
2,549 reviews59 followers
January 27, 2025
4 stars

I first became aware of Jay Onrait watching him be the co-anchor on SportsDesk for TSN. I found him funny and clever, so when I saw that he wrote a book, I was all over that. This was enjoyable, with moments where I couldn't breathe, I was laughing that hard. (The Dominique Bosshart incident. Oh boy. Just thinking about it now makes me chuckle.) There were several amusing anecdotes, as well as several personal ones sprinkled throughout the book. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this.
2 reviews
October 22, 2018
As a male in his twenties, I am well and truly the target audience for this book. It's funny and often gross, but ultimately hard to recommend to anyone other than the devoted fans of Jay and Dan.
Realistically, the writing probably deserves a 3, but I did enjoy the ridiculous stories and the off-beat humour that is a staple of Onrait's sportscasting.
Profile Image for Mike Mali.
119 reviews
July 20, 2019
Jay and Dan are my two favourite sports media personalities on this planet, so it’s a little surprising I hadn’t read this sooner. While a little dated (the book ends with them leaving for FS1; they’re back with TSN now), it was genuinely funny and overall entertaining to read. It would have been better with more stories about Dan.
Profile Image for GREGORY .
51 reviews
Read
January 7, 2021
Let me start out by saying that I spent $1.00 at The Dollar Tree for this book. The book was okay. I wouldn't say "don't read it," but then again I probably wouldn't say "you gotta read this". I think if you were Canadian, live or lived in Canada or watched TSC you would definitely find "Anchorboy" more enjoyable, but like I said for $1.00 I can't really complain.
15 reviews
October 6, 2021
I love Jay Onrait. I really do. The man is articulate, funny beyond reproach, and knowledgeable. Though, his writing style didn't suit my taste. The stories enclosed are fantastic and extremely entertaining. I whole-heartedly recommend for anyone who enjoys Jay's (and Dan's, for that matter) sense of humour.
15 reviews1 follower
March 26, 2023
This was really awesome. Wildly entertaining and multiple parts where I was literally laughing out loud. A light, short, great read. Also like how he very clearly doesn't take himself too seriously, and it's a collection of stories rather than some other autobiographies that get too long and into too much detail. The Olympics!
2 reviews
April 15, 2024
An awesome book about one of the better guys in an industry that sometimes promotes the wrong people. It’s a funny book, not surprising as anything Jay Onrait does is funny!

You learn about his upbringing, his history before TSN and then some of his better moments covering sports at TSN! If you get the chance read this book!
Profile Image for Tisa Tollenaar.
22 reviews3 followers
June 21, 2018
I think I might've appreciated this more if I were Canadian. I appreciated it from a broadcaster's standpoint for sure. And I think anyone with a sense of humor can appreciate the one-line self-deprecation. I recommend this book for sure. Especially if you're a Canadian sports fan.
3 reviews8 followers
January 26, 2020
I laughed out loud a number of times; Jay's got a blunt way of telling stories that just hit to the heart and make you giggle.

Some cool nuggets of information about the Canadian broadcast industry and how he broke into it as well.
Profile Image for Adam Snyder .
108 reviews
July 15, 2020
Jay and Dan I would watch every morning growing up, 6 am Sportcentre was the birth place of my sports humor. Jay provided much laughter all throughout this book, I’m happy these legends are back in Canada 🇨🇦❤️
Profile Image for Nicole Nickerson.
634 reviews7 followers
November 25, 2018
On the whole I fully enjoyed this audiobook although there was a whole lot of toilet talk haha. I did lol at some parts though, definitely want to listen to his other book soon.
14 reviews
March 5, 2019
he has been one of my favourite canadian tv personalities since i moved to this land in 2001. being a fellow virgo, i can relate to his sarcasm and adore his wit!
Profile Image for Adam Cormier.
208 reviews5 followers
June 21, 2019
Insightful view inside the mind of Jay. Pure genius. MmmmmBobrovksy! 😂
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