Thursday, May 14, 2009

“The Voice” Don Pardo

By: Frank Carpano

Don Pardo, the famous announcer who is the voice that introduces each Saturday Night Live show was at NBC 10 today.

He is in Rhode Island to be inducted into the state’s Radio Hall of Fame. He worked at the old WJAR radio in the 30’s and 40’s. In fact, he left WJAR for New York and the NBC network where he still works today. At the age of 91!

Our paths have crossed a couple of times.
The first time was when I was an undergrad at Ithaca College. I hosted a 50 hour radiothon to benefit the American Heart Association and each hour I interviewed a different guest via the telephone.

At the time, Pardo was a famous booth announcer for NBC and did a lot of voice work on the then wildly famous “Imus in the Morning” show on WNBC radio. I was a college student working at the school station and held Pardo and Imus in high esteem.

Pardo called in to our little radiothon to spend a few minutes speaking with a wet behind the ears college freshman. I can’t remember how the interview went, (no doubt plenty of ums and ahs by me) but I couldn’t believe my good fortune to speak with one of broadcastings most famous voices.

When I saw Pardo today I told him we had bumped into each other many, many years ago on an elevator at 30 Rock (the building that is home to the NBC network). I was in awe of him then. Not sure I said a word.

He couldn’t have been more gracious today, kindly spending time speaking with me and my co-workers.

I don’t usually go out of my way to approach celebrities whose work I admire. Too many times I discover that they aren’t very nice people and that spoils my enjoyment of their future work.

I am happy to report that Don Pardo, broadcasting legend, didn’t disappoint me. Professionally and personally, he’s the best!

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Taylor stays in Miami

by: Frank Carpano

Reports out of Miami are that Free Agnet pass rusher Jason Taylor has decided to stay in Miami, resigning with the Dolphins. The Patriots had reportedly courted Taylor. Taylor said in the end, he wanted to stay close to his South Florida home.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Red Sox-Yankees, where’s the love?

Frank Carpano

I had to make sure which teams were playing when the Red Sox made their first visit to Yankee Stadium. Surely a Red Sox Yankee game would produce a soldout crowd at the new stadium

However, Many of the most expensive seats again were empty. Just 54 of the 98 first-row Legends Suite seats costing $2,500 were occupied in the first inning of the final game of the series , and three of the first nine rows behind the plate were mostly vacant. Later, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, wearing a Yankees jacket, sat just to the third-base side of the plate in one of those front-row seats.

I don’t blame it on the economy, I blame it on greed. Even in the best of times, who can afford $2500 for a seat at one baseball game!

For me, it took something away from the intensity of the series. I know it usually ends up being the high rollers who get the best seats closest to the field. But shouldn’t it be the biggest fans.

For example, during the Sunday night Red Sox-Rays finale at Fenway Park, I saw a fan in a Boston jersey in the front row of the seats talking to the Rays player in the on deck circle. I have no doubt that he was trying to get into the guys head to mess with him prior to his at bat.

Give the best seats to the real fans is not the way the world works, but it’s a nice thought.

Speaking of thoughts….Who would have thought that 6 weeks into the baseball season, Rocco Baldelli, Jonathan Van Every and Julio Lugo would all have more homeruns than David Ortiz?