I am proud to be the weekday sports reporter and weekend sports anchor for Eyewitness News. It is a privilege telling the stories about the great athletes that call Kern County home. There are so many great sports, athletes and games to cover here, I can't pick just one favorite sport I enjoy covering the most. From Condors hockey to Jam basketball to the CSUB Roadrunners and High School sports, every event is action packed and filled with excitement. I enjoy being the eyes and ears for the fans who can't attend the games.

My passion for sports began as a child growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area and watching Joe Montana throw touchdowns to Jerry Rice, but my reporting career has taken me all over the country. After graduating from the University of Southern California with a degree in Broadcast Journalism, I took my first television job in Grand Junction, Colorado. From there I headed to Southwest Missouri before returning home to the Golden State when I joined the Eyewitness News team in 2007. I have been lucky enough to interview great sports personalities, including Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig and Bakersfield's NASCAR stars Kevin Harvick and Casey Mears.

Of course I am a huge sports fan and I bleed Cardinal and Gold for my beloved USC Trojans. As a native of San Francisco, I grew up with the 49ers, Giants, Sharks, and Warriors and I still find myself pulling for those teams. Following sports isn't my only passion. I am a big fan of classic television and film. My favorite television show of all time is "Seinfeld" and my favorite film is the 1934 classic, "It Happened One Night." I also enjoy working out at the gym and traveling around the United States.

You can catch my sportscasts every Saturday and Sunday at 5, 6, 10 and 11 p.m. You can also find me co-anchoring Hometown Sports on Sunday nights during the fall on Fox 58. If you have an idea for a sports feature story you would like me to cover just give me a call at (661) 325-6397, ext. 203, or send me an e-mail using the link below. If you see me at a sporting event please stop by and say hello!

You can e-mail John at jfranchi@bakersfieldnow.com