NAOKO FUNAYAMA | Chirping Zebras Podcast | Ep #114

Naoko Funayama, a sportscaster who has covered multiple sporting events including four Olympic Games, joined the boys for talk about hockey, refereeing and her travels around the globe covering sporting events. Naoko has worked for NBC Sports, NESN, the New England Revolution and is currently working as a reporter for the Snow League, a professional snowboarding and free skiing league. She had a lot of questions for Geno and Mark about refereeing and what it takes to be a hockey referee. Naoko also talked about her career path and the four Olympics she covered. She covered the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, delayed to 2021 due to covid. The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. The 2024 Paris Summer Olympics and the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics. Naoko is a true professional journalist who grilled the boys for information about hockey and officiating. It was more Naoko's podcast than the Zebras. Sit back enjoy a sportscaster that has been around the world.