Wayne Larrivee

Wayne Larrivee is an American sportscaster. Larrivee is currently the radio play-by-play voice of the Green Bay Packers over the Packers Radio Network and calls college football and basketball for the Big Ten Network on television. Despite his current job with the Packers Larrivee has long been asssociated with Chicago sports.

Biography

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.

In 1985, Larrivee was hired to be the radio voice for the Chicago Bears and held that position until he took over as voice of the Packers. As the Bears won Super Bowl XX in 1985 Larrivee was behind the mic for the entire season of what was considered by various outlets (including ESPN) to be the greatest Super Bowl team of all time.

He also was the television play-by-play announcer for the Chicago Bulls for WGN-TV for seventeen 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 Plus.

Larrivee also works for Dial Global's Westwood One sports division, calling NCAA Basketball Tournament games and serving as a substitute announcer for NFL games carried over the network.

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. Larrivee also does sportscasts for WTMJ when the station's regular sports anchors for their morning and afternoon shows are on vacation.

On April 23, 2000, Larrivee substituted for Al Albert as WTTV's play-by-play announcer during the Indiana Pacers' 88-85 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series.

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.

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. An incorrect 'dagger' has never been called, though some have been called early and opposing teams have made valiant comebacks before falling short at times. In 2011, Wayne teamed up with Sheboygan, WI based advertising agency, DuFour Advertising, to start selling merchandise with his signature phrase. "And There Is Your Dagger" merchandise is available on YourDagger.com

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.

External links

• Larrivee's Bio at WTMJ-AM
• The Back Page Audio Archive (hosted on WTMJ-AM's site)