Spring Break
The Voives of Panther Backetball
Eastern professors Mike Bradd and Jack Ashmore reflect on Eastern's best teams and players of the last 20 years
Ben Turner/ Verge Editor
Issue date: 2/13/03 Section: The Verge
Bradd and Ashmore have different influences because each grew up in different areas of Illinois.
"I listened to the stations out of Bloomington. They always had really good play-by-play people," Bradd said. He credited Jim Durham as his earliest influence. Durham did play-by-play for Bloomington high school teams while Bradd was growing up before moving on to The Bulls and later to TNT to broadcast NBA games.
"Art Kimble was the first guy to pay me to do games. I've borrowed a lot of stuff from him over the years," Bradd said. Kimble is known throughout the state for broadcasting the basketball state tournament on television. Bradd worked with him in college at WJBC in Bloomington.
Ashmore on the other hand admitted his influences were more from the pro level. Vince Lloyd and Lou Bodreau broadcasting Cubs games, Harry Caray while he worked for The Cardinals and even Skip Caray calling St. Louis Hawks basketball games before they moved to Atlanta.
"My influences were a little less local. I thought that would be a great way to make a living," Ashmore said.
Bradd and Ashmore try to keep up-to-date on what's happening in the professional sports world. This fall they jumped at the opportunity to see The Bears in Champaign, each purchasing season tickets. Although Bradd asks "Are The Bears a professional team?"
Some of the other sports are a little harder to keep up with.
"I don't follow the NBA at all, it's such a blur. Around here we never followed hockey a whole lot, although I kind of like hockey," Bradd said. "I follow baseball and football but not as much as a lot of students do."
When it comes to amateur basketball, each broadcaster has their specialty. Ashmore is well versed on the happenings at the high school level, while Eastern men's basketball head coach Rick Samuels keeps Bradd updated on what's happening throughout the division one collegiate level. Samuels votes in the weekly coaches poll and keeps a close eye on who's hot and shares his knowledge with Bradd before tapping their pregame interview.
"I listened to the stations out of Bloomington. They always had really good play-by-play people," Bradd said. He credited Jim Durham as his earliest influence. Durham did play-by-play for Bloomington high school teams while Bradd was growing up before moving on to The Bulls and later to TNT to broadcast NBA games.
"Art Kimble was the first guy to pay me to do games. I've borrowed a lot of stuff from him over the years," Bradd said. Kimble is known throughout the state for broadcasting the basketball state tournament on television. Bradd worked with him in college at WJBC in Bloomington.
Ashmore on the other hand admitted his influences were more from the pro level. Vince Lloyd and Lou Bodreau broadcasting Cubs games, Harry Caray while he worked for The Cardinals and even Skip Caray calling St. Louis Hawks basketball games before they moved to Atlanta.
"My influences were a little less local. I thought that would be a great way to make a living," Ashmore said.
Bradd and Ashmore try to keep up-to-date on what's happening in the professional sports world. This fall they jumped at the opportunity to see The Bears in Champaign, each purchasing season tickets. Although Bradd asks "Are The Bears a professional team?"
Some of the other sports are a little harder to keep up with.
"I don't follow the NBA at all, it's such a blur. Around here we never followed hockey a whole lot, although I kind of like hockey," Bradd said. "I follow baseball and football but not as much as a lot of students do."
When it comes to amateur basketball, each broadcaster has their specialty. Ashmore is well versed on the happenings at the high school level, while Eastern men's basketball head coach Rick Samuels keeps Bradd updated on what's happening throughout the division one collegiate level. Samuels votes in the weekly coaches poll and keeps a close eye on who's hot and shares his knowledge with Bradd before tapping their pregame interview.
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