Kevin Calabro: Sonic For Life

Post #1 » by **Sweezo** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 7:22 am

At least one piece of Sonic history won't be making any trip to OKC...

Kevin Calabro, arguably the best play-by-play announcer in the NBA, will call his final game with the Sonics tonight in San Antonio if the team makes good on its threats and moves to Oklahoma City next season.

These are truly depressing times.

Just spoke with Calabro in a telephone interview and he confirmed what has been suspected for months. If and when chairman Clay Bennett moves the team, Calabro is staying behind and will remain in Seattle.

Be sure to tune in or TiVo tonight's game. Calabro said he doesn't plan to get emotional, but he will let the television audience know of his plans.

Months ago, Calabro made scheduled with ESPN radio to call the LA Lakers-San Antonio Spurs game on Sunday so he will miss the Sonics home finale against Dallas. He also will not attend the regular-season finale in Oakland, Calfif. against the Golden State Warriors because it will not be broadcast on FSN.

"I agonized over this for a few days, whether or not to say anything, but the fans have been so great to me and my family over 21 years and just to not suddenly not show up for the final game on Sunday and disappear from the scene didn't seem quite right," he said. "That's not the way I wanted to go out."

Sonics fans will love Calabro's reasoning for staying put.

"It's just a great market here," he said. "It's home. We got roots. Sue and I have raised four kids in the community. We have friends in the community and are involved in the community. It doesn't make sense to leave and it doesn't make sense to commute.

"And frankly, I'm a Seattle guy. My allegiance is to Seattle. It's not to another market. I do have an allegiance to the NBA as well and would like to work in the NBA, but at some point there's a price that's just too big to pay and the disruption of family life would be too big to pay."

Marques Johnson is the color analyst tonight, which is almost a fitting way to end if this is truly the end.

http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com/sonics/index.html#027242

yearsago · Post #2 » by **yearsago** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 7:30 am

I love kevin, even when rumors about OKC started popping up, KC said he would not leave, and that this was home.

JayMoney20 · Post #3 » by **JayMoney20** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 7:42 am

Good for KC! I really hope that wasn't his last game broadcasting Seattle Supersonics basketball, though.

D5150 · Post #4 » by **D5150** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 2:47 pm

how great was that to hear kevin and marques broacasting together again? that really took me back to 96. that has to be the best nba broadcast duo i have ever heard.

i hope we have not heard the last of them.

jenn_gp · Post #5 » by **jenn_gp** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 4:16 pm

^Agreed.

This may sound corny, but when I was growing up, I had two heroes. The first was Gary Payton (obviously!) and the other was Kevin Calabro. He made the game so exciting. Of course the players back in the early-mid 90's made the game fun to watch, but Kevin was the one who really made the games worthy of watching and listening.

Growing up, I wanted to become a sports broadcaster simply because of how well Kevin did it...when I was in the Ninth grade, one of my end of the year assignments was to write a "portfolio" of my life. I ended up writing a story about my Dream Job of wanting to be a broadcaster (and of course in the end I would take over calling Sonic games when KC retired

) that got school-wide recognition. My teacher loved it so much, he blabbed and gave it to every other teacher in the school.

The teachers eventually brought it up in class and embarassed the hell out of me. People were shocked I wanted to be a broacaster because I was so quiet in school. But that paper got me into AP English.

If the Sonics move, I hope KC broadcasts Mariner games and takes over for Dave Sims. I know KC wants to continue in the NBA, but he's done Mariner games in the past during the NBA offseason. Dave Sims is such a dork, I'm tired of listening to him honestly.

Anyways, we love you Kevin! You are a hall of famer in our hearts!

Det the Threat · Post #6 » by **Det the Threat** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 4:16 pm

D5150 wrote:how great was that to hear kevin and marques broacasting together again? that really took me back to 96. that has to be the best nba broadcast duo i have ever heard.

i hope we have not heard the last of them.

+1

I didn't had the chance listening to KC all that much, but when i had a chance, it was just a blast listening to such a great play-by-play man.

pr0wler · Post #7 » by **pr0wler** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 5:01 pm

Whether this is an empty remark or not by Kevin, it's nice to see that more people are sticking behind Seattle. At the SOS rally the other day apparently there is one confirmed player on the Sonics who wouldn't play if the team moved to Oklahoma City. This has quickly became Clay Bennett and his cronies vs the world.

wiff · Post #8 » by **wiff** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 5:02 pm

A few years back I saw an interview with Kevin and Mac 10 on Fox Sports.

It was set up that Kevin was going to interview Nate about coaching and about being Mr. Sonic.

But they fully set Kevin up and actually Nate turned the table and it was an interview about KC. Fox had a whole history of highlights of Kevin's great calls and bad hair when he had hair. And then Nate said something to the effect of "He wasn't really Mr. Sonic but that Kevin Calabro was truely Mr Sonic". Kevin got a bit choked up. It was a real cool interview.

Hell I'm getting choked up just remembering this.

HELL I HATE CLAY BENNETT! DAMN YOU TO HELL YOU OKIE TRASH!

OnlyInSeattle · Post #9 » by **OnlyInSeattle** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 3:56 am

I missed the San Antonio game. Can anyone tell me what Kevin said? Did he get emotional at all? That can't be his last game though. But you gotta think that with remarks like these Bennett will try to oust Kevin next season if the Sonics have to stay a couple more years.

catch22 · Post #10 » by **catch22** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 4:31 am

Damn, I wish I had seen that interview you're talking about, Wiff.

If Bennett still owns the team next year, he better bring Calabro back or he'll have to watch his back any time he steps outside.

Skum · Post #11 » by **Skum** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 4:49 am

This might be me who is way of, but isnt KC an employee of FSN NW? and not the Sonics..

djthesonicsfan · Post #12 » by **djthesonicsfan** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 5:27 am

Flying chickens in the barnyard!

Some of my earliest memories were of Bob Blackburn calling Sonics games. I never thought he could possibly be replaced. And then came Kevin, and he's been great. So colorful. So many phrases. Such good humor. Seriously, in my opinion KC is the best in the business.

Post #13 » by **bennith13** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 7:24 am

Skum wrote:This might be me who is way of, but isnt KC an employee of FSN NW? and not the Sonics..

No, I believe he is an employee of the Sonics. David Locke our former radio announcer was fired by the team, not the station he was on. I would assume it would be the same thing.