I Talk Funny / But Yo I’m Raising Money

Do you know how hard it is to take a decent screenshot of yourself when you talk a little funny? Damn near impossible.

Hi, I’m Chris Forsberg. I’m a sports reporter for NBC Sports Boston. And I have unilateral hearing loss.

I was born three months premature and one of the consequences was almost complete hearing loss in my right ear. This contributed to speech issues and I’ve always talk towards my left side, presumably because that’s the ear I can actually hear myself.

Listen, single-sided deafness presents a host of challenges, and if you ever say hello to me and I don’t hear you, don’t take it personally. I’m not trying to ignore you. But I’ve also lived with this my whole life, so it’s all I know and, while I’m more curious than ever about ways to help myself, I’d much rather help others that need assistance with their hearing loss.

So, for anyone able to donate, please consider the Hearing Aid Project.

Quick story: Back in August, I was in Los Angeles to do ESPN’s “The Jump” for a couple days. And with it came the usual barrage of social media tough guys — you can stroll through the comments on this video if you want a sample.

But one person told me that, if I was going to be on TV, I should “do something about that.” I like to give these sort of people some grief — hopefully politely — and I told that person that we should both donate to the Hearing Aid Project, which I had just sorta stumbled upon while trying to figure out a good cause for the occasion.

A couple weeks later I got an unexpected email from someone at the Hearing Charities of America saying that they had received a handful of donations based on the interaction, and I was floored. See, as bad of a reputation as Twitter gets, there’s a lot of good people out there. And I’ve been meaning to say thank you to anyone that donated. Kindness never goes unnoticed.

I’m even more thankful for the army of friends, family, and followers that routinely say nice things whenever people give me grief. But, hey, I know it’s a bit unsightly. I’m truly appreciative of all the people at NBC Sports and ESPN that not only keep putting me on the air but have been incredibly supportive.

I remember having a meeting with someone at ESPN and telling them that I hoped viewers didn’t get overly caught up in the way I talked. I joked that I hoped the fauxhawk and glasses distracted everyone from that. Then the person got all serious and said, “I don’t care what you look like as long as what you’re telling me is worth listening to.”

It’s some of the best advice I’ve ever gotten. It shouldn’t matter the delivery, it’s the content.

I’m just honored to do what I do. When I got into this business I didn’t expect to be on TV. But it’s been a blast and the opportunity to be on the air more is a big reason why I’m at NBC Sports Boston now.

And if I can use this platform to help other who are dealing with hearing issues, then that’s the best reward of all. Thanks for your consideration.