However, this isn't about the Cleveland Cavaliers on the floor.
It is about the man that has brought the team into the homes and vehicles of Ohio and beyond and described the game in a way that was interesting, but not hysterical.
One could tell that Joe Tait wanted the Cavaliers to win, but he wasn't afraid to criticize and tell the truth of what was developing on the floor.
Joe Tait was not a Johnny Most type homer and he was not as smooth for television as Chick Hearn, but he was the best play by play man in the business.
More than any player, coach or owner-Joe Tait was the Cleveland Cavaliers to their fans as it will be Tait's voice that they remember as the soundtrack to the greatest memories in Cavalier history.
Tait has been that voice for the entire history of the Cavaliers with the two-year exile during the Ted Stepien years being the only exception and that was for being too honest about the way that the franchise was being run.
It was Joe Tait's voice on my lost tape (GRRR..) of the Miracle of Richfield, his voice that chronicled the World B. Free years (Dan Gilbert-please retire World's 21 NOW!), the near misses of the Price, Daugherty, and Nance teams of the late 80's and early '90s, and the great games of the mayor of South Beach as well.
If you are from Ohio or spent time there/near there-Joe Tait is likely the first person that you think of when you think Cleveland basketball.
Joe Tait might have the record for most bad basketball games watched as well between the expansion days, the Stepien years, and the pre-23 time period, Tait had to watch some pretty horrid teams every night and make the broadcast still entertaining.
Tait has several signature calls with a few personal favorites being "3 ball-Got it!" and for a Cavalier dunk
"WHAM with the right hand!".
Listening to some of those makes you almost "see" the action through the eyes of Tait-which is exactly what a good radio play-by-play man is supposed to do.
Tait also is one of the last (could even be the last) of the breed of solo radio announcers without a color analyst.
Tait never needed one and I think that having to set another person up might have taken away from his game a bit as well.
Joe Tait was the best basketball announcer that I have ever listened to and basketball in Cleveland can never be the same after his retirement from the team last night.
I'll say goodbye with a paraphrase of the Joe Tait signoff that he used to conclude last night's game
"Have a good life, everybody"!
Same to you, Joe.
Same to you.
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