DEDES A 'HIDDEN GEM' IN RADIO BOOTH.Byline: TOM HOFFARTH The encounter was brief, maybe 10 minutes tops. For Spero Dedes Spero Dedes is a Greek-American sportscaster born in Paramus, New Jersey. He is a 2001 graduate of Fordham University in New York. Dedes is the radio voice of the Los Angeles Lakers,[1] as well as a play-by-play announcer and host for the NFL Network. , it'll have a long-lasting effect. Dedes had just been hired by the Lakers to be their new radio play-by-play man. After finally moving all his stuff from New Jersey to L.A., and still a bit disoriented dis·o·ri·ent tr.v. dis·o·ri·ent·ed, dis·o·ri·ent·ing, dis·o·ri·ents To cause (a person, for example) to experience disorientation. Adj. 1. in his new surroundings, he was invited to the Dodger Stadium press box by veteran statistician Doug Mann for a mid-September game. The purpose was for Dedes, Fordham University class of 2001, to finally meet Vin Scully, Fordham University class of 1949. ``That was just amazing,'' Dedes recalled the other day, resting up in an Indianapolis hotel before going out to do another game on the Lakers' current extended road trip. ``Of course, I knew all about him. He's all you ever hear about at Fordham. ``He puts his arm on my shoulder, tells me about how it was for him to make this move about 50 years ago, about how you have to avoid all the distractions of L.A., to listen to tapes of your work and the importance of self-evaluation. ``If all he did was shake my hand and give me a smile, that would have been great. We ended up taking a picture together and he autographed it for me. It's the only picture I have up in my bedroom right now.'' Fordham alumni newsletters aside, if somewhere down the road Dedes ends up being mentioned in the same class of Scully, it won't come as much of a surprise to many in the business. He won't turn 27 until the end of this month, but Dedes' ability and adaptability - not just relocating to the West Coast for the first time in his life but handling the frenetic demands of radio after most of his experience in television - has left those he works with even more impressed than they were after their first impression. ``I have never had the opportunity to work with someone who, at his age, has displayed the talent, maturity, poise and sincerity in a position such as the one he holds now,'' said Mann, a stat man in the L.A. market for the past 32 years, many of them with working alongside Scully, Chick Hearn and Bob Miller. ``Spero came into the second largest market in the country as a virtual unknown, and several announcers both in and out of L.A. have remarked to me about how impressed they are about how he sounds and is able to constantly update the score, the time remaining and the players' current point total. In radio, that's really a lost art. ``The other rare thing in this business that he has shown is that he's polite. I've never heard him raise his voice or seen him come unglued un·glued adj. 1. Loosened or separated; unfastened. 2. Informal In confused distress; upset. Idiom: come unglued Informal To lose one's composure. during a game. Having met his parents, I can see how the acorn doesn't fall far from the tree. ``He'll be a familiar presence on major television within the next few years. His upside is only going to get bigger. My only regret is I probably won't be around 30 years from now to work with him.'' Adds Mychal Thompson, Dedes' radio partner: ``Spero is a true pro. He's so smooth and so knowledgeable about the game, and very low maintenance. ``He's almost too humble. I don't think he realizes how good he is and how far he'll go. He's really a hidden gem in this business, and I'm sure someone will discover him and try to steal him away.'' Dedes gave himself ``about a one-percent chance'' of landing this Lakers job, which came open in March after the team somehow decided not to rehire Re`hire´ v. t. 1. To hire again. Paul Sunderland and then moved Joel Meyers from radio to TV. Dedes had some radio experience - college basketball and football for the syndicated Westwood One and with the Arena Football League's New Jersey Gladiators gladiators [Lat.,=swordsmen], in ancient Rome, class of professional fighters, who performed for exhibition. Gladiatorial combats usually took place in amphitheaters. They probably were introduced from Etruria and originally were funeral games. , plus some events for his Fordham station. But most knew of him as a host on NBA TV, or from his spot duty on the New Jersey Nets games for the YES TV network. His New York-weighted resume was definitely impressive considering that, just a few years out of college and after a gig doing sports updates on WFAN WFAN Women, Food and Agriculture Network (Atlantic, Iowa) radio, CBS (Cell Broadcast Service) See cell broadcast. used him on college basketball, Fox had him on NFL Europe as well as NFL NFL abbr. National Football League NFL (US) n abbr (= National Football League) → Fußball-Nationalliga regional contests and NBC NBC in full National Broadcasting Co. Major U.S. commercial broadcasting company. It was formed in 1926 by RCA Corp., General Electric Co. (GE), and Westinghouse and was the first U.S. company to operate a broadcast network. hired him as a reporter for the 2004 Athens Summer Games. About a month after Dedes decided to apply for the Lakers' job last spring, Don Martin, the program director at the team's flagship station AM-570, established contact. ``Until then, I didn't want to get my hopes up because I figured all the top guys would be gunning for that job,'' said Dedes. ``But after Don called, it was all I could think about. I invested so much emotionally that it would have taken me a long time to get over it if I didn't get this job.'' The fact that he was a fresh voice to the L.A. market and had strong support from those in the business - including his mentor, Mike Breen, the New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Knicks and ESPN ESPN Entertainment and Sports Programming Network NBA NBA abbr. 1. National Basketball Association 2. National Boxing Association NBA (US) n abbr (= National Basketball Association) → Basketball-Dachverband (= broadcaster - helped his cause. From there, it was just a matter of Dedes becoming acclimated to the grind of an NBA season, starting with training camp in Honolulu. He had to figure out how to prepare for a broadcast without trying to cram in all the information he had diligently accumulated, which was easier to insert into a TV broadcast. The most games Dedes had ever done in a season was about 20, and the pace recently caught up with him, forcing him to see a doctor because he feared he was losing his voice due to the now-busy travel and climate changes. At least he had a homecoming Tuesday when the Lakers visited New York and he was able to have dinner at his parents' home in New Jersey with close family members. ``I had lived all my life within 10 minutes of my immediate family, and that was the only real downside about coming to L.A.,'' admitted Dedes. ``When my father (Peter) picked me up from my downtown hotel (Tuesday), I felt as if I had been away for years already. My mother (Eleni) isn't into sports and has been upset since I left, but I had to explain to her the magnitude of the job.'' Dedes actually entered Fordham as a business major, but couldn't get past his first math class. He went back to his dad to explain that either he starts working at the family restaurant or he goes back to school as a communications major. As reluctant as Peter was to see his son enter such a competitive field, he's become Spero's biggest fan, subscribing to the NBA Audio Pass online so he can sit in the dark and listen to him call Lakers games via his home computer. ``I just feel so lucky to get my first real play-by-play job with a first-class organization like the Lakers, watching someone like Kobe Bryant in the prime of his career,'' said Dedes. ``A lot of this still hasn't sunk in. I've had such a string of good fortune, I sometimes feel I should be bracing myself for something bad to happen.'' Don't count on it. THE BEST AND WORST OF L.A. PLAY-BY-PLAY ANNOUNCERS THE TOP 10 1. Vin Scully Dodgers TV (FSN (Full-Service Network) A communications network that provides shopping, movies on demand and access to databases and a variety of interactive services. , Ch. 13) and radio (980-AM) Any day now, the team's upper management will finally get around to executing its most important offseason move: Renewing the Hall of Famer's contract past its 2006 expiration date Expiration Date The day on which an options or futures contract is no longer valid and, therefore, ceases to exist. Notes: The expiration date for all listed stock options in the U.S. . Seems pretty logical, eh? Last year: 1. 2. Bob Miller Kings hockey TV (FSN) A date hasn't been locked in yet for his Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a pavement along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States, which is embedded with more than 2,000 five-pointed stars featuring the names of not only human celebrities but fictional characters honored by induction ceremony, but it's long overdue. Imagine, a guy who broadcasts puck gaining stardom in Tinseltown. Last year: 1, bottom 5 (based on NHL lockout). 3. Spero Dedes Lakers radio (570-AM) Opa! Last year: Not ranked. 4. Matt Vasgersian USC An abbreviation for U.S. Code. basketball TV (FSN) It's best for him to keep some kind of profile in the L.A. market for when the time comes Adv. 1. when the time comes - at the appropriate time; "we'll get to this question in due course" in due course, in due season, in due time, in good time to, you know, jump on a major opening. Last year: 2. 5. Nick Nickson Kings radio (710-AM) Like Jim Fox, he's also celebrating his 25th season with the organization -- but all as a broadcaster. In fact, he once held Fox's analyst spot before perfecting his role on this list. Last year: 1 (tie), bottom 5 (due to NHL lockout). 6. Bill Macdonald Avengers, college basketball, high school football, everything else TV (FSN) And now the NBA Hall of Fame has Billy Mac's call from FSN West of Kobe Bryant's 81-point game a couple of Sundays ago. Timing is everything. Last year: 3. 7. Rory Markas Angels radio (710-AM) and USC basketball radio (1540-AM) When the Angels' lawyers finally finish dancing around this lawsuit against the city of Anaheim, they might want to lock up the broadcasters - especially Markas - to long-term contracts. Last year: 4. 8. Paul Sunderland College basketball TV (FSN) He's got no reason to sit off to the side and try to figure out just why the Lakers unceremoniously dumped him. There are more games to call. Last year: Not ranked. 9. Charlie Steiner Dodgers radio (570-AM) and TV (FSN, Ch. 13) Compared to Ross Porter, it's a wash, but Uncle Charlie has made the best of it after his inaugural season. His enthusiasm is infectious and he's almost done the unthinkable - made Rick Monday listenable lis·ten·a·ble adj. Being such that listening is pleasurable: an undistinguished but listenable soundtrack. lis . Last year: Not ranked. 10. Matt Pinto Clippers radio (1150-AM) Take the time to check him out, as it's easy for him to slip under the radar This article is about the magazine. For other uses, see Under the Radar (disambiguation). Under the Radar is an American magazine that bills itself as "The solution to music pollution." It features interviews with accompanying photo-shoots. . He's come a long way from Fred Wallin's former sports talk-show partner, and it wouldn't be an upset to see him vault up this list soon. Last year: Not ranked. Honorable mention: Chris Roberts, UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX football and basketball radio; Jim Watson, college basketball TV; John Ahlers, Mighty Ducks TV; Larry Kahn, Avengers radio; Randy Rosenbloom, high school sports TV; Al Epstein, Pepperdine basketball; Dave Caldwell, high school sports radio (1220-AM); Pete Arbogast, USC football radio; John Jackson, FSN high school football; Bill Courtland, Cal State Northridge and Long Beach Ice Dogs The Long Beach Ice Dogs were a professional ice hockey team in the ECHL. They had suspended operations at the end of the 2006-2007 season. The Ice Dogs trace their origins to the San Diego Gulls, a team in the now-defunct International Hockey League that began play in 1990. cybercast cy·ber·cast n. A news or entertainment program transmitted over the Internet. [cyber- + (news)cast.] . BOTTOM 5 1. Joel Meyers Lakers TV (FSN, Ch. 9) Karma karma or karman (kär`mə, kär`mən), [Skt.,=action, work, or ritual], basic concept common to Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. may best explain why Meyers was off doing a football game for another employer instead of working for the Lakers (which we're told is his primary job) when Kobe Bryant scored his 81 points a few weeks back. Meyers the Mercenary also missed another Kobe whopper Whopper - WarGames against the Clippers, and then he missed ... aw, who's counting? At least Earl can finally cross the man with the computer-generated voice and robotic demeanor that makes his better suited as a train conductor at Disneyland off his list. Last year: Requested not to be ranked. 2. Terry Smith Angels radio (AM-710) You snooze, you win. With or without FDA FDA abbr. Food and Drug Administration FDA, n.pr See Food and Drug Administration. FDA, n.pr the abbreviation for the Food and Drug Administration. approval, the most effective cure for anyone with sleep deprivation sleep deprivation Sleep disorders A prolonged period without the usual amount of sleep. See Driver fatigue, Poor sleeping hygiene, Sleep disorders, Sleep-onset insomnia. . Last year: Horrible mention. 3. Ralph Lawler Clippers TV (FSN, Ch. 5) Oh, me. Oh, my. Oh, no. Last year: 9, top 10. 4. Steve Physioc Angels TV (FSN, Ch. 9) and college basketball (FSN) A pleasant man. It's just that it comes with an unpleasant two-plus hours of vapidness. Last year: Horrible mention. 5. Pete Arbogast USC women's basketball radio (AM-1540) How do you do these games with a straight face? You go girl. Last year: Not ranked for this assignment. CAPTION(S): 2 photos, box Photo: (1 -- color) Spero Dedes, pictured, got help in adjusting to the West Coast after meeting up with fellow Fordham alum Vin Scully. (2) Spero Dedes gave himself ``about a one-percent chance'' of landing the Lakers radio-announcing job. Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer Box: THE BEST AND WORST OF L.A. PLAY-BY-PLAY ANNOUNCERS (see text) |
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