Crunch broadcaster headed to NHL with the Columbus Blue Jackets
Everyone involved in sports wants to make it to the big leagues, and that dream came true last week for Bob McElligott.
Bobby Mac, as he’s widely known, is 38 years old. So how does a guy who’s pushing 40 make it to the big time?
He does it as a broadcaster.
Next month, Bobby makes the jump from the American Hockey League’s Syracuse Crunch to the National Hockey League’s Columbus Blue Jackets.
No wonder the Blue Jackets have tapped Bobby Mac. He’s one talented talker!
Surreal score calls
Whenever a hometown hockey player nets a goal not only does he scream “He scooooooooooooooorrrrres!” Bobby Mac also embellishes the good news with a whale of whimsy, exclaiming, for example, “Flapjacks on the Ferris wheel!” Or “Well, put my leg in a tea kettle.” And, one slightly less bizarre, “Where’s the waitress with my drink?”
McElligott has toiled for 10 long years here calling more than 800 Crunch games over WHEN-AM SportsRadio 620 and has done the same for the Syracuse Chiefs International League baseball club. Too bad he’ll be leaving that team at the end of July because the Chiefs are in the midst of their best season in two decades.
With both the Crunch and the Chiefs, McElligott has always called it like it is, regardless of how management might react. For instance, he once boldly questioned a Chiefs’ manager who inexplicably pulled an effective pitcher:
“Yeah, I know (the minor leagues are) all about player development and getting innings in for all your pitchers, but sometimes you have to wonder,” McElligott reflected after manager Doug Davis lifted rookie starter Scott Richmond on July 17, 2008, at Alliance Bank Stadium. At the time Richmond had allowed just three hits over seven innings against the Durham Bulls, and the Chiefs led 1-0. Bobby’s comment came after the Chiefs bullpen allowed four runs in the eighth, letting the Bulls win 4-1.
Varied talents
Over in Ohio, McElligott will join veteran announcer George Matthews on all Blue Jackets games broadcast via WBNS-AM, Sports Radio 1460 The Fan, and WWCD-FM, CD 101.
While in Syracuse, Bobby Mac also appeared as the Crunch and Chiefs host for televised games on Time Warner Cable.
In 2007, he served as the radio broadcaster for the Triple-A Baseball All-Star Game. He also has been a morning sports anchor on Syracuse radio stations WSEN-FM, WFBL-AM and WOLF-FM since 2004 and has broadcast Syracuse University football and basketball games for ESPN 360, as well as a variety of college and high-school sports for Time Warner Cable.
Prior to his arrival in Syracuse, McElligott worked with the ECHL’s Johnstown Chiefs as well as six years calling baseball action in the Carolina League (Single-A) with Kinston, Wilmington, Prince William and Salem.
In Columbus, McElligott’s work will also be varied. He’ll host the radio pre- and post-game shows as well as contribute video features on Bluejackets.com.
A native of Somerset, Pennsylvania, Bobby and his wife, Kathy, are the parents of two sons, Matthew and Braden.
Break a leg in the National Hockey League, Bobby! To coin one of your own fun phrases, “That’ll put some bang in your yin-yang!”
