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Don Taylor (sportscaster)

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Don Taylor is a Canadian radio sportscaster and former television sportscaster. He worked for TSN Radio 1040 in Vancouver until being laid off on February 9, 2021, as part of the end of that station’s sports radio format. On April 5, 2021, he and fellow sports broadcaster Rick Dhaliwal started hosting Donnie and Dhali - The Team on Victoria station CHEK-DT.

Early life

Taylor grew up in Burnaby BC. He is the youngest of four brothers and two sisters. Taylor graduated from Alpha Secondary School in 1977.

Sports broadcasting

Taylor was the longtime co-host of CKVU's nightly sports news show Sports Page from 1985 to 2000 and was also briefly a radio broadcaster with CKNW. He hosted Sportsnet Pacific's nightly sports news program Sportsnet Connected from 2001[1] up until August 8, 2014, when it was announced that Taylor would no longer work for Sportsnet.[2]

In 2003 he returned to the radio on what was then called the TEAM 1040, co-hosting the Pratt & Taylor Show. When David Pratt and the station management couldn't come to an agreement for a new contract in 2011, Pratt left the station and Taylor's long-time friend and former CKVU co-worker, Barry Macdonald, became Pratt's replacement for the afternoon show. It would be known as the BMac & Taylor Show until 2015, when Bob "The Moj" Marjanovich was added to the show, which was called the BMac, Donnie and the Moj Show, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on TSN 1040.[3]

During his nearly three decades on television, Taylor was known for his canned delivery of the nightly sports highlights,[4] which consisted largely of a set of recurring themes including:

  1. Referring to obscure players or players with unusual names. For example, Taylor might refer to Brad Isbister as "The Isbisterian One".[5]
    1. Similarly, Taylor might refer to a play by the same player as having been performed "in Isbisterian fashion."
    2. Taylor also facetiously inflates the esteem of groups of lesser-known players. For example, a line of players named Adams, Barrett, and Carnegie might be referred to as the "dreaded Adams-Barrett-Carnegie line" when they score a goal.
  2. Describing the colours of either the home or visiting teams jerseys in unusual levels of detail. For example, he might refer to the Anaheim Ducks as "wearing their home blacks with white and gold trim."
  3. Associating current players of a particular jersey number with another player from the same team who wore the same number during an earlier era. For example, Taylor might refer to Vancouver Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom as "wearing Richard Brodeur's old number 35." or Vancouver Canucks defenceman Kevin Bieksa as "wearing Doug Bodger's old number 3." The trivia is typically related to long-retired players or little-known players, especially with a Canadian or west coast connection.
  4. Associating a play in terms of particular qualities of an obscure or long-forgotten player, especially for goalies. For example, Taylor might describe a goaltender's performance as being "like a modern-day Gerry Cheevers".
  5. Taylor is also known for his lacking, yet recognizable, imitation of Jerry Lewis's babbling when describing frantic plays (usually in front of the net in hockey).
  6. Remarking, "the mesh ripples" or "top shelf where mom keeps the peanut butter" when a goal is scored.
  7. Describing a goaltender as having saved the puck, "in rapier-like fashion" or "it was a scintillating save", in honour of legendary Habs voice Danny Gallivan.
  8. He will also mimic the voice of former Maple Leaf Gardens public address announcer Paul Morris.
  9. Referring to Canadian sportscasters Jim Van Horne’s moustache and Hazel Mae as imaginary referees in deciding the victor of a hockey fight
  10. During basketball highlights, Taylor often imitated Marv Albert's signatures "Yes!", "and it was a gorgeous move!"

Taylor also provided colour commentary for different hockey video games including NHL 2002, NHL 2003, as well as NHL Rock the Rink, which all were released by EA Sports.

Personal life

Taylor and his wife Lisa (a high school teacher) have three children.[6] Lisa was a former All-American heptathlete at Simon Fraser University.[7] They are Roman Catholic.

In March 2014, Taylor wrote an article on Sportsnet's website about his late older brother Dave Taylor who died of cancer at age 62; Taylor dedicated his moustache to his late brother.[8]

References

  1. ^ "VANCOUVER BROADCASTERS". vancouverbroadcasters.com. Retrieved August 9, 2014.
  2. ^ Douglas, Greg (August 8, 2014). "Don Taylor, Craig MacEwen out as Sportsnet moves away from Vancouver". Georgia Straight. Retrieved August 9, 2014.
  3. ^ "Don Taylor leaving Rogers Sportsnet, focusing full-time on TSN 1040". Tri-City News. Archived from the original on August 10, 2014. Retrieved August 9, 2014.
  4. ^ Usinger, Mike (March 20, 2008). "Sportsnet Pacific's Don Taylor needs a new routine". Georgia Straight. Archived from the original on 18 October 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  5. ^ Rose, Mark (May 28, 2010). "Click: 15 Sportscasters That Force Me to Change the Channel". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  6. ^ Drew, Dick (September 1, 2008). "Don Taylor - He's Here, He's There, He's Everywhere -And We've Got Him!". broadcastermagazine.com. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  7. ^ Lalji, Farhan (Jun 28, 2017). "Lalji: Demko shouldn't be rushed if Miller doesn't return". tsn.ca/radio/vancouver-1040-i-1410. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
  8. ^ Taylor, Don (March 8, 2014). "Remembering a hero, my brother Dave". Sportsnet. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
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