The Optimist

You might be thinking that this was a game preview for the matchup with the hated Celtics in Boston, but it's not. Even though everyone knows that the C’s get the Big O’s Irish up (and I’m not even Irish), I’m not going to waste my juice on game previews just yet. Covering the preseason is for chumps and beat writers.

No, friends. I’m writing because I wanted to tell you that the Boston v. Cavs game is a golden opportunity for you to soak in one of the NBA’s all-time greats and an integral part of Cavalier history. And I’m not talking about TheBron.

For the second year in a row, our beloved Cavaliers will be televising all 82 games.

The preseason is a different story, however; none of the games have been televised, unless you’re one of the lucky members of the bourgeois class who can afford NBA League Pass.

Don’t beat yourself up if you’re not, though. Because therein lies the golden opportunity I spoke about earlier.

When I was coming up as a young Optimist – still in my pupal stage – only a select few Cavalier games were broadcast on TV. There was no cable back then. When a game was not being televised, we had to depend on the great Joe Tait to bring us our Cavaliers action – and we liked it! WE LOVED IT!!!

For those of you reading around the World Wide Web who may be unfamiliar with the prolific Joe Tait – he is, and has been, the Cavaliers play-by-play man for 34 years. And to quote Carly Simon: Nobody does it better.

Joe Tait was the franchise’s original play-by-play man and, save a couple seasons during the Ted Stepien era, has been ever since. He was named “Sportscaster of the Year” in Ohio in 1974, 1976, 1978, 1991, 1996, 1999, 2002 and 2004. I don’t know who won the award in those other years, but I can tell you that they’re not fit to carry Joe Tait’s microphone.

Joe’s trademark calls include: “It’s basketball time at the Arena/Coliseum/Gund/Q!” and “WHAM with the right hand!”

But awards and hallmark calls don’t begin to describe the greatness of Joe Tait.

When Joe Tait calls a game, you get the flavor and the feel. When Gordon Gund owned the Cavaliers, Joe Tait painted the canvas that allowed the former owner to understand what his team was doing – Joe helped him “see” the game. As the Wine and Gold move from left to right on your radio dial, you move with them. Joe Tait weaves the narrative.

Last Thursday night, while jonesing for some Cavaliers basketball, I turned my radio to the Joe Tait broadcast and it took me back to a more innocent time. Many moons ago, I listened to Joe Tait call the Miracle of Richfield; playing along with the game on my NerfHoop. And I’ve tuned in to countless Cavs games since then.

Players have come and gone. Uniforms and arenas have come and gone. Owners, too.

Through it all, there has been Joe Tait.

Do yourself a favor, Cavalier fans. If you live in the region, here’s a list of our broadcast affiliates. (What else is going on in McConnellsville tonight?)

If you’re listening from anywhere around the globe – this goes especially for my International Junior Optimists like Little Ramesh in the Phillipines and Gunther, Dolph and Otto in Lichtenstein – you can catch tonight’s game on NBA.com’s Audio League Pass.

Look, you can either watch the Chicago White Sox sweep the sorry Astros out of the World Series as George and Barbara Bush stare dyspeptically on from behind home plate. Or you can treat yourself to an NBA legend, and tune in to hear Joe Tait calling a victory in Beantown.

You know where I’ll be.

Keep the faith, Cleveland. And have a GOOD night, everybody.

Your pal,
The Optimist