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Cavaliers Play-By-Play Announcer Search

DToTheJ

DToTheJ

As the mystery of which FM frequency will take on WKNR in local sports radio has been solved, there is another local sports radio unsolved mystery: Who will be the new play-by-play voice of the Cleveland Cavaliers?

Mike Snyder, sports director at WTAM, which airs the Cavs' games, appears to be a near-lock for the gig. Meanwhile, WKNR alum Marc Kestecher has bowed out of the race to replace Joe Tait after re-signing with ESPN Radio.

http://news-herald.com/articles/2011/08/04/sports/nh4336888.txt
 
Truthfully, I think that due to the uncertainy with the lockout, Snyder/Chones will be the announce team.

It wouldn't make sense to hire an outsider, only to have him sit and twiddle his thumbs in the event games are missed.
 
At the rate this NBA lockout is going, it could last a long, long time. If not torpedoing the entire upcoming season, which will delay any announcement of Joe Tait's successor.

For all we know, the Cavaliers already tentatively *hired* someone, but aren't able to have them sign on the dotted line. Or the team shut down entirely when the lockout started, regardless of whatever progress they were in.

Gerd your Oswalds. It's going to be a tough one.
 
Nathan Obral said:
For all we know, the Cavaliers already tentatively *hired* someone, but aren't able to have them sign on the dotted line. Or the team shut down entirely when the lockout started, regardless of whatever progress they were in.
Click to expand...

It's actually a win-win situation for everyone, except, well, NBA fans. :D

At least one team (Charlotte Bobcats, IIRC) has laid off its PBP talent. The Cavaliers don't HAVE incumbent radio PBP talent now, so they have to do, well, nothing.

Snyder continues to work at WTAM, so he's not on the street. He may even pick up more Browns radio PBP depending on when Jim Donovan gets back (no, I don't know when).

He'll be doing Browns radio PBP anyway in pre-season, when Donovan normally does WKYC games, and with no pesky NBA season to get in the way...the only thing Mike loses is whatever extra $ the Cavaliers pay him to do the games.

Meanwhile, Matt Dery can sit in a suburban Detroit studio, do his WXYT-FM work (all the while waiting out the Pistons, of course), and pick up some extra change and exposure in his hometown doing part-time hosting or something on 92.3 The Fan via ISDN.

He doesn't have to decide WXYT/Pistons/CBS vs. being Joe Tait's successor with the Cavaliers (on CC stations, at least for now) for some time.

That said, if he's really interested in the Cavaliers' gig, he's probably really hoping the lockout is resolved soon.
 
CleveRadioInsider said:
Mike Snyder has the gig. Take it to the bank. No way do they alienate a loyal employee who played 2nd banana to Joe Tait for 19 years or so.
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Two words: Michael Reghi.
 
Big difference between Mike Snyder and Michael Reghi. Mike Snyder is a very humble individual who works hard and people like. Joe Tait is probably pushing for Mike. Michael Reghi is an egotistical maniac who Dan Gilbert blew out and won't bring back.
 
CleveRadioInsider said:
Big difference between Mike Snyder and Michael Reghi. Mike Snyder is a very humble individual who works hard and people like. Joe Tait is probably pushing for Mike. Michael Reghi is an egotistical maniac who Dan Gilbert blew out and won't bring back.
Click to expand...

I hope you're right. But years of loyalty may not mean much in this day and age.

IMO, it's either Snyder or Dery.
 
John Telich tweeted this morning that the team may announce soon. And he's name-dropping WEOL/930 sports director Tim Alcorn.

Tim's relationship with the team actually dates back to the mid-80s, when he was WOBL/1320 Oberlin's sports director, and WOBL was the Lorain County affiliate for the Cavs.

It could be argued that Tim is also keeping WEOL afloat just by virtue of their high school sports coverage (he doubles as sales manager).
 
Nathan Obral said:
John Telich tweeted this morning that the team may announce soon. And he's name-dropping WEOL/930 sports director Tim Alcorn.

Tim's relationship with the team actually dates back to the mid-80s, when he was WOBL/1320 Oberlin's sports director, and WOBL was the Lorain County affiliate for the Cavs.

It could be argued that Tim is also keeping WEOL afloat just by virtue of their high school sports coverage (he doubles as sales manager).
Click to expand...

What a jump that would be! I like Snyder, and I thought Reghi got the royal screwjob a couple years ago in favor of the two clowns who do the TV games now.
 
CleveRadioInsider said:
Mike Snyder has the gig. Take it to the bank. No way do they alienate a loyal employee who played 2nd banana to Joe Tait for 19 years or so.
Click to expand...

Does Snyder even want the gig? At his age, with his sweet gig at WTAM, does he want to be on the road for 6 or 7 months, living out of a suitcase, etc.... Im not totally convinced that he wants the gig.
 
John Michael and Jim Chones are the new Cavs radio team, with Mike Snyder doing pregame/halftime/postgame.

JM was the Lake Erie Monsters radio PBP voice from '07-'09, and then went to FS Ohio to be the Blue Jackets pregame/postgame host and locker room reporter.
 
vjm said:
John Michael and Jim Chones are the new Cavs radio team, with Mike Snyder doing pregame/halftime/postgame.

JM was the Lake Erie Monsters radio PBP voice from '07-'09, and then went to FS Ohio to be the Blue Jackets pregame/postgame host and locker room reporter.
Click to expand...

Honestly, I didn't see this one coming... almost totally out of left field.

Then again, there could be the real possibility that no games might be played until 2013. Who knows how much that affected the decision-making.
 
It looks like that until the NBA gets their $#!+ together, JM is still gonna do his FS Ohio/Blue Jackets gig.
 
The question, which was brought up here, earlier...did Mike Snyder want the gig?

It's very demanding, with grueling schedules and travel, and he'd still have to play some role on the WTAM morning show with Bill Wills.

Did he want it? Did Matt Dery want it?
 
OhioMediaWatch said:
The question, which was brought up here, earlier...did Mike Snyder want the gig?

It's very demanding, with grueling schedules and travel, and he'd still have to play some role on the WTAM morning show with Bill Wills.

Did he want it? Did Matt Dery want it?
Click to expand...

Given the beyond sorry state of the NBA, I couldn't blame Snyder or Dery if they didn't "want it."

Re: Snyder's status on the morning show - remember that Joe Tait did morning sports updates 30 years earlier on 3WE. Remember, Tait's morning drive role was before the era of ISDN lines - AND he called most Indians games on 3WE at the same time.
 
OhioMediaWatch said:
The question, which was brought up here, earlier...did Mike Snyder want the gig?

It's very demanding, with grueling schedules and travel, and he'd still have to play some role on the WTAM morning show with Bill Wills.

Did he want it? Did Matt Dery want it?
Click to expand...

I think 2 things played into Michael's favor:

1. Dan Gilbert's familiarity with him from doing the Monsters

2. $$$

Snyder has the chops and the cred to demand top dollar, while Michael is a young guy who's landing his first major PBP gig.

I also would put credits on the theory that Snyder was tops on the list, but he backed down. It wouldn't shock me if, after living through the NBA PBP grinder for a year he said, "no thanks, I'd rather sleep in my own bed".

On "Talking Heads" today, Jeff Phelps revealed that his name had been in the hopper as well, but even he admitted it was a long shot.

Don't put Dery's name away just yet, especially if 92.3 ever gets the Cavs PBP (Dery's currently with Detroit CBS sister station WXYT 97.1 "The The ticket").

OhioMediaWatch said:
He's apparently done HS/small college basketball and other sports in Western PA.
Click to expand...

That's fine, well, and good, but he's still primarily a hockey guy. So, it's gonna be interesting to see if he's up to doing an 82 game NBA schedule (should there be 82 games).

Gotta wonder if JM is doing a Luke Fickell...a one year bridge until the next big name comes along.
 
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