Joe Tait - Career

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 radio station WWWE in 1972, the radio broadcasts for both teams were moved from WERE 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. Yet, many Cleveland fans mistakenly believe that Tait was fired by Stepien. In the interim, Tait was the radio announcer for the New Jersey Nets for the 1980-1981 season. The following year he switched to television, calling play-by-play Chicago Bulls games on SportsVision, the team's cable-TV station. He also broadcast the CBS Radio College Game-of-the-Week.

When new owners Gordon and George Gund III bought the team, Tait returned to the Cavaliers for the 1982-1983 season, and remained until his retirement in 2011. In 1987, he was named vice president of broadcast services, a job that he continues today.

For fifteen seasons (during the basketball off-season), Tait was also a play by play voice for the Cleveland Indians (on the radio from 1973–1979, then switching to television from 1980–1987).

In 1992, he was inducted into the Radio/Television Broadcasters Hall of Fame of Ohio.

From 1997 to 2003, Tait also served as the radio play-by-play voice of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) Cleveland Rockers.

In 2004, Tait was selected as a founding member of the Indiana Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

Beginning in 2008, Tait has done play by play for the Mount Union College Purple Raiders, a Division III college football team, on regional cable-TV sports network SportsTime Ohio. He is on the school's board of trustees.

He also calls high school basketball games for WEOL-AM 930.

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, has been forever 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 has a lifetime agreement with team.

In May 2010, the Basketball Hall of Fame announced that Tait would receive the 2010 Curt Gowdy Media Award, which will be presented on August 12–13, 2010.

On May 17, 2010, WTAM announced that he would retire from broadcasting at the end of the 2011 season.

During the 2010 preseason, Tait was hospitalized with pneumonia, and further testing showed he needed heart surgery. This would cause Tait to miss the most of the 2010-2011 season. Mike Snyder and Jim Chones were announced as the interim radio team during Tait's recovery. On March 25, 2011 it was announced that Tait would return to call the remaining home games of the season.

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. The Cavaliers lost 93-82.

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 100-91. As the final minute played out, Frank Sinatra's "My Way" Played throughout the arena as cameras focused on his last call as a Cavalier Broadcaster.

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.