There’s still time to return Joe D to the booth and right this wrong
T his is what Honest Abe said during his inaugural address, March 4, 1861:
"We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature." Better angels of our nature. Has anybody seen them lately? Makes you wonder if poor Mr. Lincoln looks down on us now, shaking his head and gulping Jack Daniel's.
Because the better angels of our nature just lost by two touchdowns to the cold cadence of business, thus leaving the ultimate professional bereft of his life's passion.
This is the story of Joe D'Ambrosio, the enduring voice of UConn sports, who has been relieved of his play-by-play duties. After 26 years. Twenty-six years of love, loyalty, learnedness. Poof. And this is what happens when the better angels of our nature get hijacked by posturing and pretense, the kind of inhumanity that betrays the beauty and meaning of Lincoln's words.
The two-minute drill version: WTIC (1080-AM) announced in February that after 26 years, IMG, which produces UConn sports, struck a 10-year, multimillion-dollar deal with iHeartMedia and 97.9-FM ESPN to broadcast UConn games. It left D'Ambrosio as the wishbone between rivals Entercom, WTIC's
parent company, and iHeartMedia.
Turns out "wishbone" is too timid a word. More like collateral damage. WTIC/Entercom could have let D'Ambrosio's contract expire or negotiated a way for him to continue at the station, while striking a deal to allow his 26 years of good work to continue.
The folks at UConn say that, yes, the school wanted to keep D'Ambrosio. Entercom, according to a source, told iHeart to "make us an offer we can't refuse" to keep D'Ambrosio as the play-by-play voice. Translation: A half-hearted attempt at negotiation, tossing around absurd financial terms that would be quickly dismissed.
This is where we're supposed to cave to the notion that "it's business." Ahhhhh. Yes. Business. You know. It's supposed to explain everything. Business. And should we fail to understand its inherent heartlessness, we are naïve. Color me naïve. Or a hopeless romantic. But I believe in the better angels of our nature.
And the dramatis personae in this sham ought to be ashamed, assuming that the shameless can feel anything whatsoever.
I get business. I like money, too. As Bill Conlin once wrote in the Philadelphia Daily News: "Money's money and there's only one Mother Theresa."
But we're talking about a man's lifelong passion here. Twenty-six years. A man synonymous with UConn sports. The author of virtually every great call in school history, from Ray to Rip to Sue to Kemba. Two magical nights in Tampa, from the Trop to Teggart. Three Texas Two-Steps from San Antonio to Houston to Jerry World. Joe D was the narrator. He has a place in UConn sports and its history. He has been passionate and loyal. Not to mention the pro's pro, modeling himself after the great Marty Glickman. This is how he gets treated? Because we're supposed to shrug our shoulders and accept posturing and greed over humanity? I don't. I won't. This is an appeal to the better angels of our nature. Figure this out. This is Joe D. Worthy of your respect. Surely, there is room for compromise and negotiation. Surely, there are people employed at all entities who understand the better angels of our nature.
D'Ambrosio will stay at WTIC and work the morning show with Ray Dunaway. Two big senses of humor there. A great listen. He has a fulltime job with benefits. He's fine. But his true life's work — what he did better than anybody else — has been taken from him. Not because he's lost one inch off his fastball. But because he's a pawn. Want to dismiss me as a hopeless idealist? Go right ahead. Free country. I don't want to live in your world anyway. I want to be around people who love and care and fight for what's good and decent with equal measures strength and courage.
So to the poohbahs at iHeart, Entercom and UConn: Get over yourselves. Get back to the table. Talk. Earnestly this time. Compromise over obstruction. The better angels of our nature.
And get Joe D back where he belongs. This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro