The Memphis Grizzlies released a statement today saying that Don Poier, the voice of the Grizzlies since their inception in 1995, died today in his hotel room in Denver before the game tonight against the Nuggets. He was just 53.
I only found out about this two and a half hours ago, and honestly, I just don't know what to think. Don Poier was the best play-by-play man I've ever heard. He left a high-paying gig broadcasting football games in the PAC-10 to join the Vancouver Grizzlies radio team ten years ago, knowing this would be a struggling franchise for years, simply because he loved the game. There's no way to quantify how many fans he won single-handedly in Memphis through his obvious love for his Grizzlies. Not only was he enthusiastic and genuine, and a lot of fun to listen to, Poier was also a damned good play-man. He knew the game of basketball inside-out, to such an extent that you got the feeling listening to him that he really didn't even need a color man.
Earlier this evening, on a local news station, the Griz VP of communications compared him to Chick Hearn. "He was that good," he said. And he was right, Don Poier is in that category of legendary broadcasters. He wasn't just the voice of the Grizzlies, he was the Grizzlies. He loved the players, he loved his job, he loved the fans, he loved the cities of Vancouver and Memphis. And we loved Don Poier.
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