1 of 1- RadioActive
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How Do You Tell A Veteran Play-By-Play Man It's Time To Retire?
It's an intriguing question, posed in an article on the Barrett Sports Media site. The voice of a professional sports team often becomes a beloved institution for the audience, who've come to associate their work with the success and support of a franchise.
But what happens when that long time announcer simply isn't up to the job anymore, but either refuses to acknowledge that or doesn't realize it?
The story is written by one of them - currently the voice of the Chicago Cubs. Do they know when to hang 'em up? And what happens when they're forced out, even if they think it's way too soon?
Broadcasting Can Be a Cold Business for Legendary Voices
- BowmanvilleBob
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Re: How Do You Tell A Veteran Play-By-Play Man It's Time To Retire?
One of the more fascinating stories in Canadian hockey history involves Foster Hewitt and his son Bill. Scott Young's biography of Hewitt mentions Bill's health problems as the reason he quit broadcasting in 1981, but according to this blog, the man literally had a nervous breakdown on the air during a live game. The man who stepped in to replace him on a full-time basis became a broadcasting legend in his own right - Bob Cole.
The story behind Bill Hewitt's last game at Maple Leaf Gardens
- Tomas Barlow
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Re: How Do You Tell A Veteran Play-By-Play Man It's Time To Retire?
BowmanvilleBob wrote:
One of the more fascinating stories in Canadian hockey history involves Foster Hewitt and his son Bill. Scott Young's biography of Hewitt mentions Bill's health problems as the reason he quit broadcasting in 1981, but according to this blog, the man literally had a nervous breakdown on the air during a live game. The man who stepped in to replace him on a full-time basis became a broadcasting legend in his own right - Bob Cole.
The story behind Bill Hewitt's last game at Maple Leaf Gardens
Interestingly, Rogers had to remove Bob Cole after he implied that he would keep going indefinitely despite his increasingly nonsensical play by play.
A lot of people have been calling for the removal of New York Yankees radio play by play man John Sterling who has developed a habit of turning routine fly ball outs into home runs in recent seasons.
- Binson Echorec
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Re: How Do You Tell A Veteran Play-By-Play Man It's Time To Retire?
Damnit, I was expecting a punchline...
- RadioActive
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Re: How Do You Tell A Veteran Play-By-Play Man It's Time To Retire?
The timing is interesting - on the very day the Yankees are playing their first regular season game in Toronto, they'll be without at least one of their long time veterans. John Sterling, the play-by-play voice of the Bronx Bombers for two decades has officially announced his retirement. He's earned it - he's now 85 years old.
John Sterling retires from Yankees broadcast booth at age 85
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