When Charbonneau's Eddie Doucette Talks, Trail Blazer Fans Listen

Photo by fern Uyetake With Portland In the NBA playoffs, Eddie Doucette has been plenty busy of late. \e of experience of the Portland Trail Blazers, first on radio, make it as exciting for fans as they made it for When Charbonneau's and this season on television. He's the play- me." Eddie Doucette talks, by-play announcer, the guy who walks the He attended Michigan State University in audience through the game, explaining nu- the mid-1960s, studying communications, Trail Blazer fans listen ances, describing plays and generating energy broadcasting and debate. And, in 1968, he and excitement, even when the team is playing landed a job. Not in his beloved baseball, but By DANA HAYNES poorly. in the young, unpopular and poorly understood For The Spokesman "It's a hell of a job," says Doucette, his National Basketball Association. booming voice belying his small, wiry frame. His first job was with the Milwaukee Bucks. When Eddie Doucette talks, you can hear "But you gotta know, it's a lot like the blues. "I was young and scared," he jsays grinning. the blues. It's telling people about life; making it sound "The only instructions I had from the general It's in the staccato bursts of words, which interesting. You dress it up, put a little manager were: "Look, this is pro basketball. sound like they're fighting to see which gets whipped cream on it, but it's the same as it This is totally alien to these people. I don't out of his mouth first. It's in the syncopated was a hundred years ago." know how you're gonna do tliis, Eddie, but rhythms of his home-grown banter. you've got one year to do it." It's in the been-there-done-that tone of a Paving a new career And he did, creating a popularity for hoops little boy who clung to every tinny, transistor- Doucette, 52, was raised in and around that can be felt around Wisconsin today. ized word of Boston Red Sox games, who then Boston, where his influences included Jim "I developed a young fan following. That grew up to live his dream only to find the Britt and Tom Hussey, then the voices of the fan following became the season ticket holders dream a bit tarnished, a bit tainted. Red Sox. of today," he says. For the past two years, Doucette, a Char- "I lived and died with those guys," Doucette bonneau resident, has been one of the voices says. "I vowed that, if I ever got to do this, I'd See DOUCETTE on Page 7 Wilsonville Spokesman, Wednesday, May 3,1995 • Doucette Continued from Page 6 ry, plays basketball as a sophomore Jones says. effect. "I've always had these at Linfield College in McMinnville. They became friends. "Eddie has dreams, and I was knocking on the Jon McGlocklin played for the And while his fund-raising re- a phenomenal talent," the door to get to the Big Thing Bucks back then, proudly bearing mains active in Milwaukee, Dou- University of Oregon standout re- (national announcing). And it never the monicker "Jonnie Mac," given cette's voice isn't heard there any- calls. "He's interesting in that he happened. That's been frustrating." to him by Doucette. When more. That's too bad, McGlocklin always has a lot of irons in the fire. If there's another frustration he McGlocklin retired he became a says. "He's the Next Generation of feels, it's with players who strut color commentator — the secon- "I loved working with Eddie. I'd 'Star Trek,'" Jones explains, laugh- and flaunt their multi-million-dollar dary announcer who adds love to still be working with him. I ing at his own farfetched metaphor. contracts. interesting information beyond the think the (Blazers) and your city are "You know on that show, how they "Professional basketball players? play-by-play. the winners for having him. And I all have different faces, different Man, they're a 'different breed of And his first partner was Dou- think I'm saying that objectively, as missions, different reasons for be- cat. They've always been a little cette. / ; ' an announcerl" ing there? That's Eddie. He's got a into themselves, but it's more so "He's: extremely -talented,"'" lot of personalities running around today," he says. "I don't know. I McGlbckiin says. "He's a combina- Covering the territory in there." haven't seen one of these guys tion of creative and entertaining, Doucette stayed in Milwaukee 19 Three years ago, Jones began create a cure for cancer. To my without ; being overbearing or years, but from there he caromed lobbying to get Doucette a job in mind, that's a superstar." egotistical." around the league, serving as an Portland. Lending a hand was Lake Doucette also has little patience If Milwaukee represents Dou- announcer for the NBA's Denver Oswego's Nick Bunick, who had for fans who put too much impor- cette's first great foray into his Nuggets, Indiana Pacers and Los befriended Doucette two decades tance on what is, after all, just a dream-come-true, it also is a time Angeles Clippers. He handled play- ago in Milwaukee. game. of painful memories. Eddie and by-play duties for NBA Radio, "I'd been trying to get Eddie here "Let's get balanced!" he booms. Karen Doucette had their first son, where he called the 1992 Western for years," Bunick said. "He's "People act like it's a gloomy day Brett, in 1974. In December 1976, Conference Finals in which Port- great, especially on the radio. You when the team loses. I've seen my Brett was diagnosed with leukemia. land defeated the Utah Jazz. actually think you're watching the son almost die. Hey — there are Rather than just deal with his He also bounced in and out of game, although you're only watch- more important things." own pain, Eddie and "Jonnie Mac" Major League Baseball, working as ing it in your mind's eye." came up with the idea of Midwest the television announcer for the Los Bunick once served as color Athletes Against Childhood Can- Angeles Dodgers and serving limit- commentator for Doucette, when cer, also known as the MacFund. ed duty with five other big-league the Bucks came to Portland and the McGlockiin remains president of clubs. He broadcast football games regular announcer was unavailable. the fund today. for the Los Angeles Rams and Doucette knew his old friend was in Nineteen years later, the Mac- covered various games for the Mu- the crowd and asked him to help Fund raises close to $1 million a tual Broadcasting Network. out year for childhood cancer research "We go way back," says Bobby When the Blazers hired Doucette at Wisconsin hospitals. "Slick" Leonard, the voice of the to be their radio man for the 1992- "This has been a labor of love for Indiana Pacers. "Eddie came up 93 season, he moved to Lake Os- my wife and myself, and a phenom- with a lot of sayings that were wego. Recently, he moved again, enal job by Jonnie," Doucette says. copied by other people; stuff like out to a bigger place in Charbon- "Helping found the MacFund is the 'up the boulevard' and 'sky hook.' neau. single most important thing I've Dick Vitale (announcer for ESPN Perspective done in my life." and ABC) copied a bunch of Ed- Doucette's working life has re- The Doucettes left Wisconsin die's stuff." volved around announcing, but he because Brett needed a warmer While working for the USA Net- also has a pragmatic view of the climate. They moved to San Diego. work in 1981-82, Doucette was industry and its relative importance Today, Brett is a healthy junior at teamed up with former Trail Blazer in the world. the University of San Diego. Steve Jones. "That's back when the "I've had periods of frustration," The Doucettes' second son, Co- NBA was in its infancy on cable," he says, throwing in a shrug for.

Load more