Cleveland - It's one thing to endure the losing. It's another for Cavs fans to adjust to a season without one of the all-time greats. Hall of Fame broadcaster Joe Tait could lift fans through even the harshest of winters and losing streaks with his descriptive play-by-play and often biting observations. But early into his 41st -- and final...
Cleveland - It's one thing to endure the losing. It's another for Cavs fans to adjust to a season without one of the all-time greats.
Hall of Fame broadcaster Joe Tait could lift fans through even the harshest of winters and losing streaks with his descriptive play-by-play and often biting observations. But early into his 41st -- and final -- season as voice of the Cavs, Tait fell ill and now faces heart surgery in a few weeks.
So the responsibility of replacing a legend has fallen on Mike Snyder, a longtime Cleveland broadcaster and huge Tait fan.
"It's really a great opportunity," he said Friday. "I just wish it wasn't coming under these circumstances."
Snyder, raised in East Cleveland and a 1970 Shaw High School graduate, grew up a longtime listener of Tait's. He's worked as the Cavs' studio host for the past 18 years and even filled in for Tait for a couple of games along the way.
But taking Tait's place behind the microphone would be intimidating for anyone.
Tait has called more than 3,000 Cavs games -- all but two seasons -- since they first took the court at the old Cleveland Arena in 1970. Last summer, he was honored with a Curt Gowdy Media Award by the Basketball Hall of Fame.
So it's kind of like replacing a two-time MVP at small forward.
"I guess I had to let myself not think too much about it, just kind of let's just do it," Snyder said, "because he simply is the best play-by-play voice for basketball that I've heard in my lifetime. To think that I'm sitting in that chair. I kind of put it this way: You don't fill Joe Tait's shoes, you keep the big seat warm. I think that's what we've tried to do."
Snyder said he spoke Thursday with Tait, who said doctors have told him he could be scheduled for heart surgery the first week of January, and, if all goes as expected, could be back in the broadcaster's booth -- christened "Joe Tait Perch" at The Q -- by the All-Star break.
Meanwhile, the challenge falls to Snyder, in some respects the James Brown of local radio.
He co-hosts a morning show on WTAM AM/1100 with Bill Wills, often returning from Cavs' road trips so late that he only has time to swing by the house for a few hours before heading to the station for the 5 a.m. broadcast. Oh, and on weekends, he handles studio work for the Browns.
The Cavs' play-by-play gig came up and he's loving it -- especially working along side Jim Chones, former Cavs center and Snyder's game-day radio analyst.
"It's really been fun working with Jim," he said, "and we're doing something different in terms of what people have heard in basketball broadcasting in this area, where you've had two men doing the game, a play-by-play guy and an analyst."
Different, but with a little familiar sprinkled in.
Listeners will often hear Snyder acknowledging the sidelined broadcaster with Tait-isms during games: "As Joe Tait would say, 'You'd better call the bus driver, it's been one of those games,' or "As Joe would say, 'This is trench warfare tonight.' "
"It's not like I plan it at that moment," Snyder said, "but when it comes along, as I've listened to Joe for all these years, we feel like we're in for Joe Tait every night. We're waiting for Joe to come back, because Joe Tait will be back this season."