"An easy, fun book to read and will surely bring back good
memories for Cleveland sports fans who listened to Tait's trademark
calls since 1970." -- 20SecondTimeout.com
Joe Tait is like a family friend to three generations of
Cleveland sports fans. This book celebrates his Hall-of-Fame
broadcasting career with stories from Joe and dozens of fans, media
colleagues, and players.
He was "the Voice of the Cleveland Cavaliers." But to fans, Joe
was also "one of us." Cavs basketball, Indians baseball, or Mount
Union football, he made the game come alive, and wasn't afraid to
speak his mind--even when it might get him in trouble with the
coach or the owner.
In high school, Joe loved sports but wasn't always good enough
to make the team. Then he discovered play-by-play announcing.
Combining two passions, he began to carefully build a broadcasting
career that would eventually touch the lives of countless other
sports fans.
Pluto weaves a roughly chronological narrative that hits the
highlights of a long career. It also uncovers some touching
personal details. For example, one chapter describes how Joe's
father, a stern man with a deep-rooted distrust of black people,
came to become good friends with Cavaliers center Nate Thurmond, to
Joe's surprise and delight.
With fans, Joe was often more popular than the players on the
court--especially during the Cavs' dimmer days. When notoriously
incompetent team owner Ted Stepien fired Joe in the 1980s, fans
protested and staged a rally in his honor. When new owner Gordon
Gund took over the team, the first thing did was hire Joe back. "He
is the franchise," Gund said. "To have a basketball team in
Cleveland, you have to have Joe Tait."
His work inspired a generation of young broadcasters. Language
he invented became part of the common broadcast language in
Northeast Ohio. "Left to right on your radio dial" . . . "Wham,
with the right hand" . . . "It's a beautiful day for baseball " . .
. "To the line, to the lane . . ."
The stories in this book will make fans feel like they're
sitting alongside Joe enjoying a play-by-play recap of the
remarkable career they shared together.
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