Think about the number of brands that we connect with early in our lives that stay with us year after year. A trusted friend that never waivers. Nothing can come between us and the brand. It is a part of who we are. No brand has a greater grip on our psyche than our sports teams. After all, "fan" is short for "fanatic." It's so true in baseball, where the day-in and day-out, up and down drama of navigating a 162 game season is both exhilarating and depressing. Yet, we keep coming back for more.
The recent passing of Ernie Harwell, the great baseball announcer for the Detroit Tigers, got me questioning who our brand connection is really forged with - the team or the announcer. The outpouring of love and admiration for all things Ernie was incredible. You would have thought that some people lost a close relative or friend. Perhaps they did. It was as if he played for the Tigers, but, of course, he didn't. However he was the eyes and ears that brought the game to millions, not just across Michigan but also throughout the upper Midwest.
Ernie understood his "brand" place in an understated manner. It was best exemplified in his signoff farewell back in 2002. "It's time to say goodbye, but I think goodbyes are sad and I'd much rather say hello. Hello to a new adventure. I'm not leaving folks. I'll still be with you, living my life in Michigan - my home state - surrounded by family and friends. And rather than say goodbye, please allow me to say you thank you. Thank you for letting me be a part of your family. Thank you for taking me with you to that cottage up north, to the beach, the picnic, your work place and your backyard. Thank you for sneaking your transistor under the pillow as you grew up loving the Tigers. Now, I might have been a small part of your life. But you've been a very large part of mine. And it's my privilege and honor to share with you the greatest game of all." What an elegant way to pay homage to a brand relationship.
The best announcers hold a special place in the hearts of fans. Harwell may have been the last of a dying breed. Announcers who were literally connected to the team they covered. Vin Scully now carries the torch, but his days of holding court high over Dodger Stadium are numbered. We're lucky in the New England area to have listened to radio greats, night after night, season after season. I remember sneaking a transistor into bed in the dead of winter and listening to Boston Celtics announcer Johnny Most delivering the epic call of "Havlicek stole the ball." It was as if I were at the Boston Garden rather than in bed hoping my mother didn't check on me. Johnny Most was a homer indeed, but he was our homer. Much like Ned Martin's memorable call of the Carlton Fisk Game Six homer in the 1975 World Series - "If it stays fair, it going to be a home run." There is something magical about listening to baseball on the radio.
Baseball is a game that happens in between the actual action on the game. Soccer is often referred to as "the beautiful game," but baseball is magical in its simplicity and complexity. It's visually arresting and artfully presented. Announcers help paint this visual picture. They also become a part of our lives.
Every region of the country has its own sports announcer character. This is especially true in the NY Metropolitan area. The Yankees had their own folk hero, Phil "Holy Cow" Rizzuto. Their cross-town rivals, the fledgling Mets, featured the announcing tandem of Ralph Kiner, Lindsey Nelson and Bob Murphy and his "Happy Recap" - a trio that survived together for well over 30 years. All were great story tellers and held court night after night. They were always part of the game but never bigger than it. They let the game breathe and left things to your imagination. The "Green Monster" and the "Pesky Pole." You saw the images in your mind.
Love them or hate them - which is dependent on the rooting interest of your team. Sports announcers, like great brands, inspire devotion. All my friends used to mimic Marv Albert's trademark "yes" call when they hit a jumper in a pick-up basketball game. Little did we know at that young age the bond that we'd form with our teams and the announcers who brought the games to life every day and night. That was long before 50-plus sports channels on cable and instantaneous score updates on our Blackberry's and iPhones which today masquerade as our new transistors.
Will new generations have the same sports announcer brand affinity or is that innocence lost forever? I think the sports announcer connection is alive and well, albeit in a different form and across a far more evolved and sophisticated sports landscape. Look no further than the RemDawg himself - Red Sox color announcer Jerry Remy. Based on an offbeat persona and love of all things Red Sox, he has built a brand empire. One that continues in steep ascent with the new Jerry Remy Sports Bar and Grill - a mega-pub tucked away behind Fenway Park. Judging from when I walked by his place after a game a few weeks ago, the Rem Dog is raking in the cash. This isn't the first time a sports announcer has cashed in on his fame to seek out fortune. Harry Caray, the Chicago Cubs long-time announcer, had his own Harry Caray restaurant in downtown Chicago where he was known to throw back a few cold ones. As Harry liked to say, "I'm a Cubs Fan and Bud Man." What a perfect brand tie-in - baseball and beer. What baseball fan hasn't forged that ultimate brand relationship - baseball and beer! Those are friends that you make for life.
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