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Why Joe Bowen Missed Monday’s Leafs Game For 1st Time In 43 Yrs.
Leafs broadcaster Joe Bowen did something on Monday he’s never done in 43 years of doing hockey play-by-play on the radio – took a game day off. He’s been out sick before but never has he requested actual “holiday” time off until this week, when the Buds took on the Lightning.
What was the reason for his one-time absence after all these years? You may not believe it.
He took time off to watch another sport.
Maple Leafs broadcaster Joe Bowen takes first day off in 43 years to watch National Championship
Todd Crocker, who normally does Marlies games, wound up filling in for him alongside Jim Ralph.
- The Weed
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Re: Why Joe Bowen Missed Monday’s Leafs Game For 1st Time In 43 Yrs.
Joe should have worked and missed the disappointment. Ohio State won.
- betaylored
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Re: Why Joe Bowen Missed Monday’s Leafs Game For 1st Time In 43 Yrs.
Like high level professional sports organizations, radio and television stations need some sort of farm team to allow them to call up a still developing but unquestionably skilled broadcaster from the talent pool, even if it's a small pool, to take over on vacations, unexpected illness etc.
A decade or two ago, Program Directors would hire you only if you had real scope and the ambition and chops to deftly fill in on another person's on-air shift, temporarily or permanently, (even if you were flying by the seat of your pants at first!)
Good for Mr. Bowen for taking a breather. Congrats to Todd Crocker on getting a chance to fill in, it must have been a heck of an experience.
Maybe management in media is realizing that it's time to build a legitimate and strong farm team. Wouldn't it be great if the trend catches on and fresh voices and on-air personalities start to appear on Newstalk 1010, CTV News and others. The same old, same old is getting, well...
Last edited by betaylored (January 22, 2025 10:02 pm)