azdad1978
Championship!!!!
Paola Boivin
The Arizona Republic
Oct. 14, 2005 12:00 AM
If you're a Cardinals fan, this probably has happened to you. You tune in to a game on the radio and hear a hyped-up voice say this:
You want to know what an NFL hit feels like, my friend? Go to your bathroom, stand on the vanity and dive headfirst into the bathtub.
Or this:
It's hot on the field, folks. If you want to experience it, go wheel that blue Dumpster onto the driveway, get in it, close the lid and sit there for 3 1/2 hours.
This isn't your typical NFL broadcast, just a refreshing alternative. Meet Cardinals play-by-play voice Dave Pasch, analyst Ron Wolfley and sideline reporter Paul Calvisi. They've put the "rad" back in radio and have given Cardinals broadcasts a welcome identity.
"I find myself laughing out loud with my headsets on while I'm patrolling the sidelines, and people are looking at me like, 'Why is he laughing?' " Calvisi said. "The other thing I find is that I get totally immersed in their call of the game, and then I realize, 'Wait a minute. You're not supposed to be enjoying the game. You're working.' "
The broadcast, on a new flagship home this season, ESPN-AM (860), seems to work with fans because the three are informative and entertaining, and their chemistry comes through in their work.
Pasch, 33, is a polished play-by-play voice also under contract with ESPN. He works a college football game on Friday nights as well as a full slate of college basketball games. You may have caught his work on the Outdoor Games, where dogs jump hurdles and lumberjacks traverse trees. Or is it the other way around?
"You listen to him and it's like he's singing, he's so good," Wolfley said.
Pasch has a knack for telegraphing plays. During the Cardinals' victory over San Francisco in Mexico, Pasch said: "It's about time Bertrand Berry beats AC (Anthony Clement) off the edge." A second later, the ball was snapped and defensive end Berry rushed around Clement and sacked quarterback Tim Rattay.
"Sometimes that's preparation," Pasch said. "A lot of time it's luck."
His pairing with Wolfley turned out to be fortunate as well. The two quickly became friends. Tom Hanny, Cardinals director of broadcasting, became familiar with Wolfley's work on the team's pregame show last year. He's the first person who came to mind when former analyst John Mistler left.
"I hear from many people that they are a breath of fresh air," Hanny said. "Longtime season ticket holders say they really enjoy listening to them. . . . And you can tell Ron is having the time of his life during the broadcast. He prepares for them the same way he prepared for NFL games, by drinking 10 cups of coffee and banging his head against the wall."
Hanny may not be kidding. Wolfley suffered 17 concussions playing professional football.
Although Wolfley's voice isn't typical made-for-radio, his commentary is. His bathtub and Dumpster suggestions are inspired by 10 years of NFL experience and a desire to make fans understand the nuances of the game. He prepares by watching Cardinals game video. A fiction writer in his spare time, Wolfley said his greatest broadcasting influence is . . . Stephen King?
"He's so hysterical and sarcastic with his analogies and metaphors," he said. "I can't stand clichés."
Calvisi adds a thinking-man's humor as well as an experienced broadcaster's sideline expertise, and producer Jim Omohundro keeps the show running crisply.
During these tough times for the Cardinals, any additional reason to keep fans listening to games is a plus.
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/cardinals/articles/1014nflfeat1014.html
The Arizona Republic
Oct. 14, 2005 12:00 AM
If you're a Cardinals fan, this probably has happened to you. You tune in to a game on the radio and hear a hyped-up voice say this:
You want to know what an NFL hit feels like, my friend? Go to your bathroom, stand on the vanity and dive headfirst into the bathtub.
Or this:
It's hot on the field, folks. If you want to experience it, go wheel that blue Dumpster onto the driveway, get in it, close the lid and sit there for 3 1/2 hours.
This isn't your typical NFL broadcast, just a refreshing alternative. Meet Cardinals play-by-play voice Dave Pasch, analyst Ron Wolfley and sideline reporter Paul Calvisi. They've put the "rad" back in radio and have given Cardinals broadcasts a welcome identity.
"I find myself laughing out loud with my headsets on while I'm patrolling the sidelines, and people are looking at me like, 'Why is he laughing?' " Calvisi said. "The other thing I find is that I get totally immersed in their call of the game, and then I realize, 'Wait a minute. You're not supposed to be enjoying the game. You're working.' "
The broadcast, on a new flagship home this season, ESPN-AM (860), seems to work with fans because the three are informative and entertaining, and their chemistry comes through in their work.
Pasch, 33, is a polished play-by-play voice also under contract with ESPN. He works a college football game on Friday nights as well as a full slate of college basketball games. You may have caught his work on the Outdoor Games, where dogs jump hurdles and lumberjacks traverse trees. Or is it the other way around?
"You listen to him and it's like he's singing, he's so good," Wolfley said.
Pasch has a knack for telegraphing plays. During the Cardinals' victory over San Francisco in Mexico, Pasch said: "It's about time Bertrand Berry beats AC (Anthony Clement) off the edge." A second later, the ball was snapped and defensive end Berry rushed around Clement and sacked quarterback Tim Rattay.
"Sometimes that's preparation," Pasch said. "A lot of time it's luck."
His pairing with Wolfley turned out to be fortunate as well. The two quickly became friends. Tom Hanny, Cardinals director of broadcasting, became familiar with Wolfley's work on the team's pregame show last year. He's the first person who came to mind when former analyst John Mistler left.
"I hear from many people that they are a breath of fresh air," Hanny said. "Longtime season ticket holders say they really enjoy listening to them. . . . And you can tell Ron is having the time of his life during the broadcast. He prepares for them the same way he prepared for NFL games, by drinking 10 cups of coffee and banging his head against the wall."
Hanny may not be kidding. Wolfley suffered 17 concussions playing professional football.
Although Wolfley's voice isn't typical made-for-radio, his commentary is. His bathtub and Dumpster suggestions are inspired by 10 years of NFL experience and a desire to make fans understand the nuances of the game. He prepares by watching Cardinals game video. A fiction writer in his spare time, Wolfley said his greatest broadcasting influence is . . . Stephen King?
"He's so hysterical and sarcastic with his analogies and metaphors," he said. "I can't stand clichés."
Calvisi adds a thinking-man's humor as well as an experienced broadcaster's sideline expertise, and producer Jim Omohundro keeps the show running crisply.
During these tough times for the Cardinals, any additional reason to keep fans listening to games is a plus.
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/cardinals/articles/1014nflfeat1014.html
