The UA athletic department will hold open auditions to be the Voice of McKale Center for 2014-15, meaning that Jonathan Norris, who has been the school’s basketball public address announcer for 18 seasons, will not necessarily return for Year 19. Norris had an extremely tough job to follow in 1996-97, when he replaced Roger Sedlmayr, the voice of UA basketball from 1978 to 1996. Sedlmayr was considered a big part of the McKale Center show; Norris has been less so but he is capable and professional. Clearly, the school wants more “show time” pizazz, and that’s not Norris’ shtick. (He doesn’t do shtick.) A bring-Norris-back petition is being circulated on Facebook. Let’s hope McKale doesn’t become home to one of those NBA-type, shout-to-the-gods hypesters so prevalent in big-time basketball.
UA looking for new Voice of McKale
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Greg Hansen
Columnist
- Updated
The view over the new center tunnel player entrance onto the new floor part of the renovations ongoing at McKale Center, Aug. 22, 2014.
Greg Hansen
Columnist
