 George Blaha
 |
Play-by-Play Announcer
A local broadcasting icon and one of the most recognizable personalities in Detroit and the NBA, George Blaha begins his 33rd consecutive season as the television and radio play-by-play voice of the Detroit Pistons in 2008-2009. The “Voice of the Pistons” is the longest tenured play-by-play announcer in the State of Michigan following the retirement of legendary Detroit Tigers broadcaster Ernie Harwell. Blaha brings a high-energy style to go with his extensive basketball knowledge and demonstrates a true passion for Pistons basketball. His trademark colloquialisms such as, “two and twenty-two to play” and “a high glass gun that goes” have thrilled Pistons fans of all ages for three decades.
Blaha enjoyed a banner year in 2008 when he was named Michigan’s Sportscaster of the Year for the second time by The Detroit News (2003, 2008) and enshrined in the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame. He was also honored by Michigan State as an honorary letterman and member of the “S” Club. Blaha was honored with the Ty Tyson Award for broadcasting excellence by the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association in 2003.
Blaha handles play-by-play duties on either television or radio for all 82 regular-season games plus pre and postseason games on FSN Detroit and WDFN - the Pistons flagship stations. He also hosts the “Pistons Weekly” television program, which airs Sunday nights on WDIV TV4 at midnight, and has handled play-by-play duties for Michigan State Football since 1971. In 2002, he was made an honorary alumnus of Michigan State University.
During the Pistons off-season, Blaha stays active as a Pistons ambassador making appearances at charitable and community events. His annual “High Hopes” golf outing for the Vista Maria home for abused young women in the metropolitan area, has raised well over a half million dollars for the charity. He is also an honorary chairman of the annual golf outing for the St. Louis Center for the developmentally disabled. Blaha serves as spokesman and fundraiser for the Michigan Anti-Cruelty Society, benefiting neglected and abused animals in the City of Detroit.
Born in Detroit, Blaha was raised in Marshalltown, Iowa and Grayling, Michigan. He graduated with a B.A. in
economics from Notre Dame University and earned an MBA from the University of Michigan. He resides in Troy
and Gaylord Michigan.
 Greg Kelser |
Television Analyst
Greg Kelser joins George Blaha for his 12th season as television analyst on FSN Detroit. Kelser has worked Pistons games on television and radio since 1988. Kelser has established himself as a veteran NBA color commentator working the past 16 seasons for the Pistons’ cable partners. In addition to his analytical duties, Kelser also lends his expertise during segments of the pre-game show and is frequently featured as an NBA analyst for FSN Detroit’s Sports Report which airs nightly at 10:00 p.m.
Kelser worked six seasons with PASS Sports prior to his FSN Detroit engagement. He served as the Pistons color commentator for WWJ radio during home games nine seasons ago and has also worked on collegiate television broadcasts in a variety of settings, including the NCAA tournament.
A former All-American and Academic All-American at Michigan State University, Kelser, along with Earvin “Magic” Johnson, captained the Spartans to the 1979 NCAA Championship. He was drafted by the Pistons in 1979 and played in Detroit until he was traded to the Seattle Supersonics for Vinnie Johnson.
An active member in his community, Kelser conducts several basketball camps during the summer and is involved
in various charities throughout the state of Michigan.
 Mark Champion |
Radio Play-by-Play
Mark Champion enters the ninth year of his second stint with the Detroit Pistons as the radio voice in 2008-2009. He functions in this capacity when George Blaha is handling television duties for the Pistons. Champion first joined the Pistons organization in 1992 sharing the airwaves with Blaha until the end of the 1995-96 season. He rejoined the organization for the 2001-02 season in his new capacity.
A radio veteran who brings more than 37 years of sports broadcasting experience to the microphone, Champion served as the radio voice of the Detroit Lions, a post he held for 16 seasons. He has also served as the voice of Michigan State Men’s Basketball and has worked in three Winter Olympics Games.
In addition to his duties with the Pistons and Lions, Champion handled television playby- play duties for the Detroit Fury of the Arena Football League (AFL). Most recognized among NFL announcing circles for his work with the Lions and earlier with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Champion serves as the voice for Disney asking the Super Bowl MVP “Where are you going next?”
A Muncie, Indiana native, Champion resides in Lake Orion.
 Rick Mahorn |
Radio Analyst
Rick Mahorn begins his seventh season as a color analyst for the Pistons radio broadcast on WDFN. Mahorn brings his extensive NBA experience and joins George Blaha and Mark Champion to deliver insightful commentary during Pistons home games.
Following an 18-year NBA playing career, Mahorn served as head coach of the Rockford Lightning of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) for the 1999-00 season. He led the Lightning to a 15-7 overall record and the American Conference title, which earned them a No. 2 seed in the 2000 CBA Playoffs. Mahorn’s coaching excellence was recognized in two CBA Coach-of-the-Month Awards. He then joined the coaching staff of the Atlanta Hawks under Lon Kruger during the 2001-02 season.
In 2005, Mahorn joined the Detroit Shock coaching staff, helping take the team to a sixth straight playoff appearance and second WNBA Championship.
Mahorn was drafted by the Washington Bullets (now Wizards) in the second round of the 1980 NBA Draft. He came to Detroit prior to the 1985-86 season and helped the franchise win its first championship as a member of the original “Bad Boys” team in 1988-89. He also earned All-NBA second team defensive honors that season. He later had a second stint with the Pistons from 1996-98.
A Hartford, CT, native, Mahorn was a four-year letter winner at Hampton Institute (VA). He was a three-time NCAA
Division II and NAIA All-American and owned 18 school records. He graduated with a degree in business administration
in 1980.
 Eli Zaret |
Sideline Reporter
Eli Zaret enters his third season as sideline reporter with the Pistons, partnering with George Blaha and Greg Kelser during broadcasts on FSN Detroit. He began his career in 1974 as the first FM sportscaster in Detroit, first heard on WABX-FM. In 1979, while working at WRIF-FM, he won a nationwide audition to host the first ever nationally syndicated FM sportscast.
Zaret began his television career in 1980 at WDIV-TV while still at WRIF, and became the lead sports anchor there in 1984. He later became the lead anchor at WABC-TV in New York. Upon returning to WJBK-TV in Detroit in 1988, he also began a seven- year stint at WCSX-FM with a variety of morning show hosts including JJ and Lynn.
Zaret hosted the first locally produced half-hour baseball pre-game show in America on WDIV-TV. He also hosted the Emmy-winning Eli and Denny Show on WJBK-TV with former 31-game winner Denny McLain. In 1997 he created the LockerRoom show on WDIV with Kirk Gibson and Gary Danielson that ran on both radio and television until 2004.
He has published three books, including 2003’s “84 -- The Last of the Great Tigers, Untold Stories from an Amazing Season,”
2004’s “Blue Collar Blueprint – How the Pistons Created their Championship Formula,” and his latest “I told you I wasn’t
perfect” with Denny McLain which debuted in 2007 and made it to the top ten in the ESPN/Borders best-seller list.
