7
The timing of the Toronto Raptors' play-by-play job opening could not have been better for Matt Devlin.
A year ago, his contract announcing Charlotte Bobcats games for television was not renewed. Devlin said it was a cost-cutting move by the club. He was replaced by the radio play-by-play announcer, and the radio job went to a younger broadcaster, who worked for less.
Last season, he called NBA games for TNT, but ranked fourth on its list of basketball announcers.
"He was kind of caught in a numbers game there," said Chris Hebb, the head of broadcasting for Raptors owner Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment.
So when the Toronto job came up, after Chuck Swirsky suddenly decided to quit and move to Chicago to call radio games for the Bulls, Devlin jumped at it.
"When you look at the Raptors, they have a great reputation throughout the league," Devlin said. "It's a world-class city. It has an outstanding fan base. So, when you put those three things together, I just believe it's one of the best jobs in the NBA."
He also views Toronto as a good place to raise his three young sons. As well, Devlin and his wife, Erin, have relatives living in Toronto and Peterborough, Ont.
He said he will continue to work for U.S. networks as long as the assignments do not conflict with the Raptors' schedule. In addition to his work at TNT, he has called baseball and football for Fox Sports.
Changing cities is something in which Devlin, 41, has plenty of experience. He was born in Syracuse, N.Y. His family moved to New York and then California. He attended high school in Nashville before enrolling at Boston College.
He accepted his first job in sports television with NBC's affiliate in Abilene, Tex. He said a TV interview changed the way he viewed sports broadcasting.
"I'll never forget it," he said. "I was watching Bob Costas interview Vin Scully [the legendary Los Angeles Dodgers voice], and they were saying, 'Hey, if you really want to be a great sports announcer, you've got to try your hand at play-by-play.' And that's really when I changed direction and got into announcing games."
After taking a job with MSG Network in New York, he moved to NBA TV and then became the TV voice of the Memphis Grizzlies. Three years later, he joined the Bobcats' broadcasts, where he worked for three seasons.
Raptors viewers will notice a difference between Devlin and Swirsky, who was very much a hometown voice.
Devlin calls games as a network announcer, which is appropriate because the Raptors telecasts are seen countrywide.
"I take a straightforward approach," he said. "I want to entertain, I want to inform, but ultimately it's about the players on the floor. It's about the game itself. It's about the analysts you work with. And the game always dictates what you do within the broadcasts."
Reviews of his work that have been posted on Bobcats blogs are mixed. On one, he was called hokey. Another described him as competent, but unoriginal.
Whatever the case, Hebb said he is the right choice for the Raptors.
"It's really been a good fit and we're happy to have pulled him in," he said.
Devlin's salary is likely to be similar to Swirsky's compensation, which was more than $300,000 a year.
Devlin said it has been a hectic summer for his family.
They sold a home, bought a house in north Toronto and are in the process of moving. In a few days, he will leave for Beijing, where he will call wrestling for NBC.
"I'm trying to squeeze it all in," he said. "I think in November I'll step back and take a big, deep breath."
Sports pitchmen
During the Rogers Cup men's tennis tournament, the networks were required to show on screen the logo of a sponsor, Iris, when line calls were challenged. But there was more. Announcers were required to report that the challenge, which involves zooming into a spot on the court, was sponsored by Iris. And, twice in each match, the announcer had to utter Iris's slogan - "As unique as your eyes."
The CBC and TSN should have said yes to the logo and given reluctant approval to announcing the name. But a network play-by-play voice reciting a slogan? Not a chance.
CBC tennis announcer Bruce Rainnie was released from a Toronto hospital yesterday after suffering from kidney stones on Sunday. He is hopeful he will call the Rogers Cup women's final this weekend.
Rating the weekend
| EVENT | NETWORK | VIEWERS | SKINNY |
| Friday | |||
| Golf, RBC Canadian Open | TSN | 159,000 | Good second-round audience |
| Baseball, Mariners-Jays | Sportsnet | 324,000 | Above average |
| Football, Eskimos-Ticats | TSN | 397,000 | Strong CFL viewership |
| Football, Alouettes-Lions | TSN | 485,000 | B.C. blackout was lifted |
| Football, Als-Lions | RDS | 176,000 | TSN, RDS together: Huge 661,000 |
| Saturday | |||
| Baseball, Mariners-Jays | TSN | 338,000 | Above average for Jays telecast |
| Tennis, Rogers Cup | CBC | 101,000 | Down from 145,000 in 2007 |
| Golf, RBC Canadian Open | Global | 356,000 | Slim field, good audience |
| Baseball, Yankees-Red Sox | Sportsnet | 75,000 | Up against golf, tennis |
| Tennis, Rogers Cup | CBC | 267,000 | Up from 173,000 in 2007 |
| Auto racing, Rexall Edmonton Indy | TSN | 118,000 | The usual for Indy races |
| Auto racing, Kroger 200 | TSN | 140,000 | NASCAR's core |
| Sunday | |||
| Auto racing, Allstate 400 | TSN | 279,000 | Good racing audience |
| Baseball, Mariners-Jays | Sportsnet | 254,000 | Below average |
| Golf, RBC Canadian Open | Global | 382,000 | Golf clubs tennis |
| Tennis, Rogers Cup | CBC | 158,000 | Way down from 316,000 in 2007 |
| Football, Argos-Roughriders | TSN | 578,000 | Top CFL telecast on TSN for July-August |
| Baseball, Yankees-Red Sox | Sportsnet | 139,000 | Old rivalry pulls them in |
