Joe Tait

Joseph Tait (May 15, 1937 – March 10, 2021) was an American sports broadcaster who was the play-by-play announcer on radio for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and both TV and radio for the Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball. With the exception of two seasons in the early 1980s and illness during his final season, he was the Cavaliers' radio announcer from the team's inception in 1970 through the 2010–11 season. He won the Basketball Hall of Fame 2010 Curt Gowdy Media Award.

Early life and education Tait was born in Evanston, Illinois, and was raised in Amboy, Illinois. He graduated in 1959. After college, Tait spent three years in the United States Army Security Agency.

Career In 1970, Tait began his longtime association with the Cleveland Cavaliers, who were in their first year of existence. The games were broadcast on WERE for the first two years. After then-owner Nick Mileti, who also owned the Cleveland Indians, bought Cleveland's most powerful radio station, WWWE (now WTAM) in 1972, he moved both teams' radio broadcasts to WWWE. Tait was the radio announcer for the Indians from 1973 through 1979 along with Herb Score, and their TV announcer with a variety of partners from 1980 through 1987. However, prior to the 1980-1981 season, new controversial Cavs' team owner Ted Stepien had a disagreement with WWWE. Consequently, the station gave the broadcasting rights back to Stepien, and Tait was released from his job as a result. The following year, he switched to television, calling play-by-play Chicago Bulls games on SportsVision, the team's cable-TV station. When new owners Gordon and George Gund III bought the team, Tait returned to the Cavaliers for the 1983-1984 season, and remained until his retirement in 2011.

On March 26, 2008, Tait announced his 3000th game for the Cavaliers, against the New Orleans Hornets, where he sat at half court. The radio broadcast location at The Q, at section C126, was renamed "The Joe Tait Perch" in honor of this achievement. In November 2008, Tait signed a two-year contract extension, ensuring that he would be the team's radio voice until at least the 2010–11 season. However, he had a lifetime agreement with the team to serve in some capacity.

On April 8, 2011, in a game against the Chicago Bulls, the Cavaliers honored Tait by having Joe Tait Appreciation Night and by raising a "commemorative banner" with Tait's name, his years as a Cavaliers broadcaster and a microphone next to the other Cavalier retired numbers. Tait's final game was the April 13, 2011, contest between the Cavaliers and Washington Wizards. The Cavaliers sent Tait out as a winner, defeating Washington 100–93. In 1992, he was inducted into the Radio/Television Broadcasters Hall of Fame of Ohio. He was on the school's board of trustees. He also called high school basketball games for WEOL-AM 930.

In 2011 Tait co-authored his memoir, Joe Tait: It's Been a Real Ball with sports writer Terry Pluto. The book covers his early years in broadcasting, his time with covering the Cleveland Indians and his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers. In July 2019, WEOL-AM 930 launched a weekly podcast with Joe Tait entitled Over the Timeline that served as an overview of his career, and also included audio from Tait's extensive reel-to-reel tape collection.

Signature calls "It's basketball time at the Cleveland Arena/Coliseum/Gund/Q!" – opening for Cavaliers home games "Wham with a right/left hand!" – for a Cavaliers slam dunk. "Sights it, shoots it, got it." – for free throw attempts "This is Joe Tait. Have a good night everybody!" – what he said to end a broadcast

Personal life Tait married his first wife in 1963. They were married 18 years and had three children, Christina, Karen and Joe. In 1983, he married his second wife, Jean.

Awards and honors Eight-time NSSA Ohio Sportscaster of the Year (1974, 1976, 1978, 1991, 1996, 1999, 2002, 2003) Cleveland Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame Inductee (class of 1997) Ohio Broadcasters Hall of Fame Inductee (class of 1992) Indiana Broadcasters Hall of Fame Inductee (class of 2004) 2010 Basketball Hall of Fame Curt Gowdy Media Award 2012 OAC Bill Nichols Media Award Cleveland Press Club Journalism Hall of Fame Inductee (class of 2003) Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame Inductee (class of 2005) "Voice of the Cavaliers" banner honoring his Cavs career included with the Cavaliers' retired numbers at Rocket Arena Radio announcers booth at Rocket Arena renamed "The Joe Tait Perch" Cavaliers Wall of Honor (class of 2019)