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Men's Basketball Play-By-Play Announcer Gears Up For Another Season
By: Robert Ivory
Every team has an individual that the fans can recognize as their voice because their announcer paints the vivid picture of their team in action. Cleveland State is no different as Al Pawlowski has been the radio voice of the Vikings for the past three years at CSU.
With the announcement coming last week that all CSU men's basketball games will be carried live by WHKW, 1220 AM The Word, the 50,000 watt station will be more accessible for Viking fans in the Greater Cleveland area.
When Pawlowski is not calling the playby- play of the Vikings, he is the host of the Cleveland Indians pre and post game shows on Sports Time Ohio, as well as the anchor for in-game updates. He is also a freelance sports reporter for WKYC Channel 3 locally and also freelances for Comcast and ESPN, as well as calling local high school football games.
While Al had some off time after the Indians and before the Vikings season, The Cauldron was lucky enough to sit down and talk with him:
The Cauldron (TC): Do you think that men's head coach Gary Waters and women's head coach Kate Peterson-Abiad have changed the culture at CSU?
Al Pawlowski (AP): I think that they already have. It's on the way. What Gary has been able to do with his team (from seeing them up close), the kind of kids he gets and the commitment he gets from them not only being good basketball players, but good students, good citizens and good representatives of the University and the city of Cleveland. Gary is the type of guy who has a vision and he gets his kids to believe in what his vision is for them and they are all on board. That's a huge reason for the success.
TC: Will J'Nathan Bullock and Kailey Klein both win the Horizon League Player of the Year Awards?
AP: They both have a good shot. I have always been impressed with Kailey Klein. I have seen every game Bullock has played since we both came to the program at the same time; his freshmen year was my first year. The Horizon League is a tough league and it's got some real nice looking players this year, but J'Nathan and Cedric Jackson are definitely two tops in the league.
TC: Did broadcasting come naturally to you?
AP: Yes, ever since I was a little kid I would sit in front of the TV and do it. It is one of the things I've always wanted to do. It has been something that has come easy, it comes naturally. Everybody has their calling in life and this is definitely mine and I love doing it.
TC: You definitely have the voice for it, do people tell you that?
AP: Yes they do actually. That's one of the gifts God gave me, was a good voice and it happens to match up with my interest, and so it was perfect.
TC: Who will be the Vikings' toughest opponent this year?
AP: Their conference is always tough. Butler and Wright State will be good. And University of Illinois-Chicago with Josh Mayo will be good, Green Bay is going to be good, too, and Detroit had a good recruiting class. The conference is going to be tough, but the toughest is going to be non-conference games. Kansas State is going to be tough in Cleveland. Playing on the away floors of all these majors; going to Washington, to Syracuse, to West Virginia. The non-conference schedule is the toughest I can remember that Cleveland State has played in the past 20 plus years.
TC: How has Gary Waters changed the way teams play Cleveland State?
AP: The teams know that if you play Cleveland State it can help your RPI, but in the past if you beat them it didn't help your RPI. Now, if you can beat Cleveland State it is a quality win. This year we have big schools on the schedule, but they also play good quality mid-major schools.
TC: What will be the Cleveland Indians' best off-season move?
AP: They need help in several areas, but the good news is that I don't see big glaring needs since they showed the second half of last season that they can compete in the Central Division. They could use another bullpen arm with closing experience, but I really like Jensen Lewis. I like the idea of going out there and getting someone with the experience, but if we can't, I think Lewis is ready to take that job despite him being young. He's got that bulldog mindset, nothing scares him and he embraces the job like he wants it. I also think we need another solid, reliable bat in the lineup, someone that will bat .290 to .300, 20 homers, with 90 to 100 RBI's.
TC: What were your thoughts on Viking Madness?
AP: I thought it was great. It was a good thing to get the school involved and a way to introduce everybody. I would love to see more students at the games; we started to see more come at the end of last year. Big time basketball could be a big hit in Cleveland since Cleveland State is the only Division I school in the town.
TC: Ok Al, you graduated from John Carroll, so who do you root for when the Vikings and the Blue Streaks meet?
AP: I root for John Carroll every other time, except when they play the Vikings. I consider myself a Cleveland State guy now.
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