The Voice AUGUST 2013 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of SPORTS PUBLIC ADDRESS ANNOUNCERS
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THE VOICE AUGUST 2013 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SPORTS PUBLIC ADDRESS ANNOUNCERS Fast and Furious: Not Just a Movie Don Essig, P.A. Announcer University of Oregon Ducks – Eugene, OR pening pause for the end of the play University of Oregon Athletics INSIDE (2-3 seconds) to get information lined Fast and Furious: Not Just A Movie 1 Oup in the head. Then you announce, “Jeremy Smith the ballcarrier. That’s a gain NASPAA Football P.A. of 17 yards. It’ll be a first down for the Ducks Announcers’ Clinic 3 at the 43 yard line. Tackle for the Bruins by Oregon Athletic Directors Association Bill Jones and Randy Anderson.” Becomes NASPAA Affiliate Member 4 Now, if the public address announcer Bob Sheppard P.A. Announcer of gives the information in a somewhat the Year Award Recipients Named 5 understandable tone and speed, you will P.A. Announcer Drops Mic and find out that with the opening pause and Picks Up Camera 6 the announcement it will use somewhere between 12 and 15 seconds. For those of Don Essig Students Deserve P.A. Announcing us now announcing for the latest trend in Most important to the announcer with the Opportunities 7 college football, the hurry-up offense when changes in timing is having very competent New Member Feature 8 the team is only taking 12-15 seconds spotters! These offenses mean that spotters per play with their no-huddle game plan, it also have to make some adjustments in NASPAA and NIAAA Provide makes for an interesting adjustment to how how they provide the necessary information Leadership for P.A. Announcing 9 we announce the game. to the announcer. It also means that the Announcing Helps Prepare Future announcer may have to multi-task even Broadcasters 10 In fact, what has really happened is having more than in the past. Watch the end of the to make the announcements of each play play, get ready to announce, listen to both Something to Cheer About 11 without the extra words we used to use. spotters (or watch their hand signals for NFL Announcers Exchange Questions 12 Now, it might sound like this: “Jeremy Smith yardage), look at the taped-down lineups the ball carrier for a gain of 17, to the 43, for the spotter pointing to the tackles (or P.A. Announcing and Internet tackled by Bill Jones and Randy Anderson, listening to him give the numbers), and Broadcasting Have Something in first down Ducks! “ making the announcement. Common 13 Letter to the Editor 14 The newly revised announcement now takes Having a well-understood working only 6-8 seconds. The team is at the line of relationship and agreements between NASPAA Affiliate Members 15 scrimmage, and already starting the next announcer and spotters on how to put all play. For my 46 years in the college football this together is critical to making it all work. Board of Directors announcing booth, I have always tried not to It’s important and necessary because most brad rumble announce when the team was in the huddle of the no-huddle teams are now running president & executive director or at the line of scrimmage. That’s because 75-85 plays per game instead of the old tom busch we have a very loud sound system, and the 55-65 plays. That means the announcing secretary sound down at the field level is even louder team has an additional number of times jeff kurtz p.a. announcer, kent state university than up in the stands. So it was simply a per game they have to be ready. I am really mark mills professional courtesy to the teams to not fortunate because my spotters and I have p.a. announcer, missouri state high school make announcements when they were trying a tremendous working relationship. Jack activities association to get all the teammates on the same page has been providing me with the tackles gary williams stadium announcer, oakland raiders for the next play. all 46 years and Stan has given me the statistics the past 38 years. This issue is sponsored by Sound Director With the no-huddle offenses now being run by a large number of college teams, So, up to now in the article, are you still the P.A. announcer has had to go to a “no- having fun announcing? nonsense” hurry-up announcing system. We still need to get the necessary information Now let’s add to the announcer’s NASPAA Copyright Statement to the fans, but without sounding hurried concentration level with the addition of This newsletter is copyrighted. Therefore, none of or disorganized. That means even more all the marketing announcements being the content contained herein may be reproduced, concentration on the game, the results of added to the position. I’m not sure what shared in part or whole, without the express written each play, and watching where the team is in other P.A. announcers are having to permission of the NASPAA, unless in one of the preparation for their next play. articles the NASPAA indicates that it can be shared. continued on p. 2 FAST AND FURIOUS, continued from page 1 THE VOICE provide the fans during the game, but my As soon as the teams or the television crew us about a certain play made during the announcing “booklet,” which is prepared takes a timeout, the P.A. announcer goes game, and we have to stop and think about for me every game by the marketing staff, to work, listening to the marketing person whether or not we even saw it. now is 15-pages in length and essentially in the booth tell you when and what to provides for not many pauses or breaks announce. So, now your brain has to shift It’s funny how the brain can block out parts during the game. rapidly from game announcements to a of the game because it is so busy making wide variety of marketing announcements. sure that the correct information gets Boom! End of timeout, and back to the announced to the fans. That’s why I always hurry-up game. DVR the game so I can go home and watch to see what really happened and what I This article was not written to scare anyone might have missed. away from the fun job of the P.A. announcer. Instead, I just wanted those of you who I don’t know about you, but it’s still fun. aren’t in the no-huddle offenses yet to be Making all these changes has just made prepared, just in case your coach gets the the game that much more exciting to be boot or decides to move on, and in comes around. And, by the way, it also helps when the young buck who only believes in hurry- your team keeps winning. That’s where up football. I’ve been really lucky! Of course, when most people think of fast and furious, they Oh, I also thought it would be fun for those think of the movie. Not me. It’s announcing of you already in the hurry-up football Duck football! Oregon’s fast-paced offense can not only wear out announcing gig to think about why it is the defense, but the P.A. announcer, too! that after the game, someone could ask Game Operations sponsored by 2 West Coast Football P.A. Announcers Clinic Draws Rave Reviews By Dave George, P.A. Announcer De La Salle High School – Concord, CA THE VOICE nnouncers announcements for football games, they from the west participated in announcing exercises where Acoast arrived they made those announcements. Williams on Saturday, July provided encouragement and coaching. 20, 2013, filling the large meeting room Then, it was time for announcing game with the voices of action using a large screen to show sports programs high definition football game footage. from many areas of Using rosters and a microphone, each California. It was attendee had the opportunity to be the the largest gathering P.A. announcer and announce the game, Dave George of P.A. announcers based on the action that was playing on in the west. The 2013 NASPAA Football the large screen. It was interesting to hear P.A. Announcers’ Clinic was, for the third how everyone sounded. Again, Williams consecutive year, hosted by De La Salle High provided feedback. The information that School in Concord. Gary Williams, Stadium Williams shared was beneficial not only to Announcer for the Oakland Raiders and the individual who had announced, but to Gary Williams (left) addresses questions posed to him NASPAA Board Member, was the clinician. all attendees. Short of announcing a real by a couple of clinic attendees following the clinic. game, there is no better way to learn! “The NASPAA Football P.A. Announcers’ Credit: Dave George Clinic is something that I look forward to Three attendees were from Modesto each year,” commented Gary Williams. Christian High School in Modesto. The main “As a professional P.A. announcer, it announcer for football is blind. With the is rewarding to have the opportunity use of Braille and a spotter, he performed to give back to P.A. announcers. I flawlessly--in-game promo reads and game am a big proponent of the NASPAA’s action. For those of us who had never clinic curriculum, which represents the experienced this before, it was truly amazing! philosophy of our Affiliate Members. Attendees can be assured that they are Even though the clinic was supposed to last getting correct information about P.A.