Wayne Larrivee
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wayne Larrivee is an American sportscaster, who is the radio play-by-play voice of the Green Bay Packers and football and basketball play-by-play voice for the Big Ten Network.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life and career
Larrivee was born in Lee, Massachusetts and attended Emerson College in Boston, where he graduated with a degree in mass communications.
Before joining the Packers, Larrivee called games for the Chicago Bears for 14 seasons. He also was the television play-by-play announcer for the Chicago Bulls during WGN-TV (Channel 9) games for 17 seasons. At various times he has also called games for the Chicago Cubs, Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Kings, Iowa Hawkeyes football, Missouri Tigers basketball, and Big Ten football and basketball for ESPN Regional. He has also called NFL and NCAA Basketball Tournament games for Westwood One.
[edit] Other broadcast assignments
In addition to his Packers radio work, Larrivee hosts the team-produced Inside Lambeau television program which previews upcoming games and airs every week on several Wisconsin television stations. He also does a daily sports commentary segment called The Back Page, which originates from Packers flagship WTMJ-AM (620) in Milwaukee, and is syndicated to stations throughout Wisconsin and Northern Illinois and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
On July 18, 2007, Larrivee was named the #2 play-by-play announcer for football games on the Big Ten Network. Larrivee works the telecasts with former Northwestern and Chicago Bears defensive back Chris Martin. Thom Brennaman was named the lead announcer on the same date.
On May 6, 2008, it was announced that Larrivee would no longer be the WGN-TV play-by-play man for their Chicago Bulls telecasts.
[edit] Trademarks
At crucial moments at the end of games, Larrivee refers to a clinching point as "The Dagger", which is perhaps one step under the proverbial "nail in the coffin." For example, after the big play, he will say, "and there is your dagger!" This 'catch phrase' has become synonymous with Larrivee and it is believed that he is the announcer that has led a surge in other announcers' using the phrase as well. Some of his earliest "Dagger" calls include Sunday, November 11th, 2007 when he called it in the third quarter in the Packers' 34–0 rout of the Minnesota Vikings after Green Bay scored a touchdown to make it 27–0, Wayne emphatically cheered, "Dare I say with 3:22 left in the 3rd quarter, THAT is the DAGGER!" and on October 9th, 2005 when he called late in the second quarter of their 52–3 victory over the New Orleans Saints.
Another well known catch-phrase of Larrivee's is "Ring It Up!", used typically as emphasis for a three-point basket made, and, of most recent note, for the buzzer-beating overtime 3-point basket on the Westwood One radio network broadcast of the first round contest between Western Kentucky University and Drake University in the 2008 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament.
[edit] External links
- Larrivee's Bio at WGN-TV
- Larrivee's Bio at WTMJ-AM
- The Back Page Audio Archive (hosted on WTMJ-AM's site)
