One of the hardest parts of being a fan is seeing beloved voices decide it’s time to step away from the game.
Today, Aaron Portzline reported that George Matthews, who has provided the radio Play by Play calls for the Jackets since their inaugural game in 2000, will call it a career. A man who found ways to capture the excitement, agony, and enthusiasm of the game for countless fans, he’s always been a true gentleman, willing to lend his time for fundraising, charity efforts, and community events. If you saw the man on the street, he always had time for a smile and a handshake, and like many radio guys, he had a gift for remembering your name, even if he’d only met you once or twice before.
He’s a dying breed, unique and wonderful, and he’ll be sorely missed.
Bob McElligot will be handling radio duties solo, for now, though it’s certainly possible the team may decide to look for another broadcast partner in the future, and the club announced that Matthews plans to stay involved with the organization, including calling a certain number of “highlight” games this season – and one would expect that if the club makes their way into the postseason, wild horses couldn’t keep him away from the broadcast booth at Nationwide.