Sports on Radio

I enjoy listening to sports on radio.

Brings me back to driving around with Dad, who probably put it on because it mesmerized and shut me up for a minute.

The fact that these few men can explain a fast paced game like basketball, in real-time, so that listeners create a mental picture many miles away... it always boggled my mind. It's a true talent.

I believe that the medium of Television is ruining this fine art. With many camera angles, replays, and instant access to in-depth statistics, the load once carried by the broadcaster is lessening.

T.V. announcers today are thus simple, cookie cutter, hair-gelled, catch-phrase spewing, cliche machines, reading blindly from tele-prompters while interns dig up statistics and editors create highlight reels.

This does not suffice on the radio.

Sean Grande is the voice of the Celtics and his fine work inspired me to write this. Sean has an amazing chemistry with his partner, Celtic legend Cedric Maxwell.

When Maxwell covered the television broadcast this evening, Grande opted, for the second time, to have his Twitter followers act as Maxwell's fill-in. *Joke about budget cuts at WEEI omitted*

Grande read the tweets (and authors) in real-time as the game went on. I sat in my car for the first half, captivated. Chiming in, hoping to hear my own thoughts read on air.

It's a brilliant idea. I'm not positive it was his, but I assume so.

Regardless, the fact that someone (a mere broadcaster) can be innovative in a field such as Sports Broadcasting on Radio (which most people would think is Dead) is truly inspiring.