Wayne Larrivee

Last updated
Wayne Larrivee
Born
Wayne Larrivee

Education Emerson College
SpouseJulie Larrivee
Children2 [2]
Sports commentary career
Genre Play-by-play
Sport(s) National Football League, Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, College football, Minor League Baseball, College basketball [1]

Wayne Larrivee is an American sportscaster. Larrivee is currently the radio play-by-play voice of the Green Bay Packers on the Packers Radio Network alongside color commentator Larry McCarren and calls college football and basketball for the Big Ten Network on television. Despite his current job with the Packers, Larrivee has long been associated with Chicago sports, having spent time as the voice of the Chicago Cubs, over a decade as the voice of the Chicago Bears and nearly twenty years as the television voice of the Chicago Bulls.

Contents

Biography

Early life and career

Larrivee was born in Lee, Massachusetts and attended Emerson College in Boston, where he graduated in 1977 with a degree in mass communications. [3]

During his time at Emerson, he practiced the craft of play by play by spending many nights in the old Boston Garden, calling games from high above courtside into his trusty tape recorder. He would astound the regular news staff at WECB, the Emerson carrier current station, with after game interviews, and up-close reflections on the actions of the night during the 10 PM extended news broadcast.

After beginning his professional career at KGRO Radio in Pampa, Texas in 1975, Larrivee moved to KSTT Radio in Davenport, Iowa where he announced University of Iowa football games, Quad City Angels minor league baseball games and high school basketball games. [4] [5]

From 1978 through 1984, Larrivee did play-by-play for the Kansas City Chiefs on KCMO radio. [3]

In 1985, Larrivee was hired to be the radio voice for the Chicago Bears and held that position until the end of the 1998 NFL season, when he took over as voice of the Packers the following year. At each stop, Larrivee succeeded iconic play-by-play announcers, Joe McConnell in Chicago and Jim Irwin in Green Bay.

He has called two Super Bowl victories; the Bears' in Super Bowl XX and the Packers' in Super Bowl XLV.

Larrivee 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 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.

In his spare time, Larrivee voices the Badger Mutual Insurance Sports Minute in Wisconsin and several other states. In addition, he voices the Badger Mutual Insurance "In the Tunnel" for Green Bay Packers games.

Other broadcast assignments

Throughout the NFL season, Larrivee also hosts a nationally syndicated radio show with Pro Football Weekly publisher Hub Arkush.

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 October 10, 2017, Larrivee was announced to be the television play-by-play announcer for the Milwaukee Panthers men's basketball team. [6]

Trademarks

At crucial moments at the end of games, Larrivee refers to a clinching point as "The Dagger." An incorrect 'dagger' had never been called until the 2012 NFL season in which he presumed a Packers victory near the end of a September 24 game against the Seattle Seahawks, but the Seahawks scored a controversial touchdown to give them the victory. In 2011, Larrivee teamed up with Sheboygan, Wisconsin-based advertising agency DuFour Advertising to start selling merchandise with his signature phrase. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green Bay Packers</span> National Football League franchise in Green Bay, Wisconsin

The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Competing in the National Football League (NFL) as part of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division, the Packers are the third-oldest franchise in the NFL, established in 1919. They are the only non-profit, community-owned major league professional sports team based in the United States. Since 1957, home games have been played at Lambeau Field. They hold the record for the most wins in NFL history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Hornung</span> American football player (1935–2020)

Paul Vernon Hornung, nicknamed "the Golden Boy", was an American football halfback and kicker who played for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL) from 1957 to 1966. He played on teams that won four NFL titles and the first Super Bowl. He is the first Heisman Trophy winner to win the NFL Most Valuable Player award, and be inducted into both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame. Packers coach Vince Lombardi stated that Hornung was "the greatest player I ever coached".

Kevin Robert Harlan is an Emmy nominated American television and radio sports announcer. The son of former Green Bay Packers President and CEO Bob Harlan, and a three-time National Sportscaster of the Year, he broadcasts NFL and college basketball games on CBS and the NBA for TNT. 2024 will be his 40th consecutive season doing NFL play-by-play, and 2024–25 is his 38th year doing NBA play-by-play. He has broadcast 14 consecutive Super Bowls, the most in radio or television history. He is also the lead NFL radio voice nationally for Westwood One and Monday Night Football since 2009. Overall, he is third all time in the total number of network television sports broadcasts doing play-by-play for one of the four major sports. Harlan has also broadcast more than 500 NFL games on network TV, top 10 all time joining names like Al Michaels and Pat Summerall for play-by-play.

Ray Eugene Scott was an American sportscaster, best known for his broadcasts for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). His brother Hal Scott was also a sportscaster.

The NFL on Westwood One Sports is the branding for Cumulus Broadcasting subsidiary Westwood One's radio coverage of the National Football League. These games are distributed throughout the United States and Canada. The broadcasts were previously branded with the CBS Radio and Dial Global marques; CBS Radio was the original Westwood One's parent company and Dial Global purchased the company in 2011. Dial Global has since reverted its name to Westwood One after merging with Cumulus Media Networks.

Jim Irwin was an American sportscaster at WTMJ Radio in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He is best known for being the radio voice of the Green Bay Packers for 30 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larry McCarren</span> American football player (born 1951)

Laurence Anthony McCarren is an American sports broadcaster and former professional football player. He played as a center for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Green Bay Packers. McCarren had a long career as the Packers' starting center. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 1982 and 1983. After his playing career ended, he was inducted in the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.

Robert DeLafayette Jeter, Jr. was an American football cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Olsen (American football)</span> American football player and sportscaster (born 1985)

Gregory Walter Olsen is an American football sportscaster and former tight end who played for 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes and was selected by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 2007 NFL draft. Olsen also played for the Carolina Panthers, with whom he made three Pro Bowls, and became the first tight end in NFL history to record three consecutive seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards. Olsen played his final season with the Seattle Seahawks in 2020. Following his retirement Olsen joined Fox as a sportscaster and is formerly the lead color commentator for the NFL on Fox.

Merle Reid Harmon was an American sportscaster who was the play-by-play voice for five Major League Baseball teams, two teams in the American Football League and the World Football League's nationally syndicated telecaster. Harmon also owned a chain of sporting good clothing stores. On July 1, 1987, at 3:00pm EDT. Merle Harmon was the first voice heard on WFAN Sports Radio 1050 in New York. His recorded call of the New York Jets winning Super Bowl III was played prior to Suzyn Waldman’s first live update.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Packers Radio Network</span> Official radio network of the NFLs Green Bay Packers

The Packers Radio Network is a broadcast radio network and the official radio broadcaster of the Green Bay Packers, fully under the team's control in regards to technical productions and on-air personnel. The network's flagship is iHeartMedia's WRNW in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and its coverage is also heard nationwide through NFL Game Pass, Sirius XM, and TuneIn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Graham</span> American football player (born 1986)

Jimmy Graham is an American football tight end who is a free agent. He was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the third round of the 2010 NFL draft. Graham has also been a member of the Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears. He played only one year of college football at the University of Miami after playing four years of basketball.

John Henry Drees was an American sportscaster who worked for ABC and CBS, as well as various stations in Chicago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Benetti</span> American sportscaster (born 1983)

Jason Benetti is an American sportscaster. He is the primary television play-by-play announcer for Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball on Bally Sports Detroit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adam Amin</span> American television and radio sportscaster

Adam Amin is an American sportscaster. Amin joined Fox Sports in June 2020 as a play-by-play announcer for MLB and NFL games after previously working for ESPN from 2011-2020. He is also the television play-by-play announcer for the Chicago Bulls of the NBA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marquee Sports Network</span> American regional sports network

Marquee Sports Network is a regional sports network operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group and the Chicago Cubs, launched on February 22, 2020. It is devoted exclusively to Cubs baseball, replacing a trio of channels as the exclusive broadcaster of Cubs games not shown on national TV.

Though the city currently has no National Football League (NFL) team, Milwaukee is considered a home market for the Green Bay Packers. The team split its home schedule between Green Bay and Milwaukee from 1933 to 1994, with the majority of the Milwaukee games being played at Milwaukee County Stadium.

Kate Scott is an American sportscaster who is currently the television play-by-play announcer for the Philadelphia 76ers. Scott also calls international soccer for Fox Sports and CBS Sports and is the preseason television voice of the NFL's Seattle Seahawks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russ Winnie</span> American sports commentator (1906–1956)

Russell Griffith Winnie was an American sports commentator. A pioneer in his field, he was the first broadcaster for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL), announcing their games for WTMJ from 1929 to 1946. He also announced games for the Wisconsin Badgers football and basketball teams, as well as for the minor league Milwaukee Brewers baseball team.

References

  1. 1 2 "Packers Radio Network". Packers.com. Archived from the original on September 13, 2017. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
  2. "Wayne Larrivee". Bulls.com. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
  3. 1 2 "Wayne Larrivee". WTMJ. 2016. Archived from the original on 2017-05-04. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
  4. "It's yesterday once more …". 24 August 2005.
  5. "Wayne Larrivee". NBA.com .
  6. Zills, Chris (10 October 2017). "Wayne Larrivee Set To Join Milwaukee Broadcast Staff". Milwaukee Panthers. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  7. "Your Dagger" . Retrieved September 13, 2017.