PROJECT 365: With a voice like mine, no wonder I ended up at a newspaper

There’s an old cliché from the world of broadcast journalism that says, “He’s got a face for radio.”

Well, one thing I realized tonight is I have a voice for print journalism.

Hence my previous career, I suppose.

My realization of this came while doing some color commentating work with Rob Adams of Robcasting Radio via WGCH AM out of Greenwich.

Rob might be a familiar name for regular readers of this space. He’s the man behind the Exit 55 blog, the guy I suggested should join me with his own Project 365 effort.

He’s done his part as much as I’ve done mine.

During my ride home from tonight’s basketball game, while I was wondering what tonight’s 365 post would be, my mind kept wandering back to the game and what I was hearing in my headphones.

His voice. My voice. A 30-point game, which led to a lot of talk outside of the game, as well.

And I realized something.

Rob Adams is very good at what he does. Very, very good.

Rob Adams of WGCH and Robcasting Radio talks with former Duke basketball player Sean Obi. (Photo by John Nash)

Me? Not so much.

I have the Maine accent. I have the slightly scratchy weird voice that is part Johnny Cash, part Stevie Nicks, part Harvey Fierstein.

There were times tonight when I got lost in Rob’s call of the game, where there was a pause and I could have added my two cents, but instead I was wrapped up in his smooth delivery and the way he found and wound the phrases together so effortlessly.

I’ve always been impressed with those who had the ability to talk on the radio.

Mighty John Marshall was a Bangor-area disc jockey that I listened to growing up. So was Chuck Foster.

George Hale, the Maine broadcasting legend at the beginning of his career.

And while I didn’t appreciate George Hale as much as I should have when I was younger, he is an absolute Maine-based radio legend.

I listened to countless games of George painting the picture for me as I listened to Maine high school basketball tournament games, or University of Maine football and baseball games.

In my later years—my first set of drinking years to be exact—I was personal friends with two DJs, as well.

WMDI’s Jeff Solari allowed me to be his color guy for a couple of football seasons.

In my 30s, I once worked side-by-side with Jeff Solari on WMDI-AM radio doing Mount Desert Island High School football and basketball games.

But I never could be as good as any of them.

I’m good with words.

Only when they fly off my fingers, 60 or so of them per minute, and appear before on me on a white canvas.

To have them come out of my mouth and into the ears of others?

That’s a kind of gift I simply don’t have.

Rob Adams has it, though.

And it’s always a pleasure to listen to him whether I’m sitting right next to him, listen to his Doubleheader radio show, or just shooting the shit and talking about why the Red Sox are so much better than the Yankees.