CINCINNATI -- Former WSYR570 sports director and WTVH-5 sportscaster Dan Hoard has been tapped by the NFL's Cincinnati Bengals for radio play-by-play duties starting with the team's preseason games this summer. He'll be joining fellow SU grad Dave Lapham, who will be entering his 26th season providing color commentary.
As the official announcement on the Bengals website says, the new radio team "matches the helmets and is full-blown Orange," referencing the fact that both Hoard and Lapham went to Syracuse University. Lapham, who was selected by the Bengals in the third round of the 1974 NFL draft, played for the team until 1984.
Hoard, 47, says he got his start in professional broadcasting a month before graduation, as voice of the Syracuse Chiefs. He then became sports director at WSYR 570 for several years before joining CBS affiliate WTVH.
On his bio on the Fox 19 website, he says his "ultimate ambition is to broadcast major league baseball." He also acknowledges his love for baseball on the Bengals website but adds, "when the National Football League calls, you go. It's a tremendous honor."
The next few months will be busy for Hoard -- he'll continue to call Triple A baseball for the Pawtucket Red Sox through the end of this season. As expected, if there are any conflicts between the schedules of the PawSox and the Bengals, the football game will win out. According to boston.com, Hoard will continue to call football and basketball for the University of Cincinnati, making him "one of just four current NFL announcers to handle both the local college football and professional football teams' broadcasts during the same season."
Our thanks to an anonymous CNYRadio.com reader who passed along a tip for this story. Anytime you hear news about a former CNY broadcaster, please share it with us so we can share it with the rest of our readers. Email is cnyradio@cnyradio.com or you can use the Contact Form.