When Sportscasters Fall in Love

At a mutual friend’s wedding in 2004, TSN’s Jennifer Hedger and Sportsnet’s Sean McCormick found their playful eyes locked in an epic game of “No, you blink first.” Six months later, he proposed to her on a Mayan Riviera holiday—and in 2006 they returned to Mexico to get married. Here’s what these cross-channel lovers have to say about each other.

On Sliding Headfirst Into Their Relationship
Jen says: It was a total physical attraction. I thought Sean was really hot, and then when I found out he was single, I decided to put my fishing line out and see if he’d take a bite. It was lust at first sight, and then I fell in love with him pretty quickly.

Sean says: Well there’s no secret that she’s drop-dead gorgeous. But after I got to talk to her for some time, I realized she’s also the wittiest and most engaging person I know. That, combined with the good looks, is a deadly combination.

On How Tying the Knot Changed Things
Jen says: It just feels more permanent. It feels like there is more security. It is very comforting that the man I live with and am in love with will go to bat for me over anything, and there is absolutely nothing we couldn’t get through together.

Sean says: We’ve taken the support system to another level. Now that I’m married, I always think about how my decisions are going to impact Jen.

On Flagrantly Cute Couple Tendencies They Have That Might Warrant a Ref's Whistle:
Jen says: We tend to call each other ‘dude.’ There’s a lot of "dude…" and "duude!" and our friends are like "Ah, come on, enough with the dudes already."

Sean says: I probably call her "babe" more than anything else. Sometimes I’ll be out with my boys and I’ll go "but babe," calling them "babe" by accident.

On Marriage Proposals at Sporting Events
Jen says: Don’t do it. I can’t be any more emphatic about it. If you’re thinking about it, don’t do it. It’s just not romantic.

Sean says: Whenever I see that, I’m like "that poor girl." That’s not really a cool thing to do. It flies in the face of everything cool about being a dude. If someone said that the only way you could be married to Jen was to propose to her at a sporting event, we’d be common law for the rest of our lives.

On Watching Each Other on TV
Jen says: He’s a good broadcaster, so I don’t critique that part, but I look out for his style issues, like whether his hair looks good, or if his shirt goes with his jacket.

Sean says: TSN doesn’t know this, but Jen is an unpaid clothing consultant for me at Sportsnet.

On Their Fan Bases
Jen says: I get both men and women coming up to me. Guys go, "Hey, I watch you all the time," and girls go, "My boyfriend loves you," or "can I get a photo with you? My husband is going to go crazy when he finds out I met you."

Sean says: I’m a little more likely to get the drunk guy stumbling up to the bar to shoot the shit about sports, the Leafs or whatever the case may be.

On What Their Spouse Gets a Gold Medal For
Jen says: Guitar Hero.

Sean says: With all due respect to my mother and her mother, Jen is the best cook I have ever met. So, if that isn’t the cherry on top of the sundae, she’s also hot, funny, thoughtful, and she likes sports.

This article first appeared in 2 Magazine