One of the highest-profile newcomers won’t play a single down when the Saskatchewan Roughriders oppose the visiting Winnipeg Blue Bombers in CFL pre-season action on Monday afternoon.
That said, he will be actively involved in every play.
He is Dave Thomas, who is poised for his first game as 620 CKRM’s voice of the Roughriders.
“I’ve never thought of it as a milestone,” he says. “The athletes out on the field are trying to show what they can do and I’m hoping I can show what I can do.
“You only get one chance to make a first impression.”
Or a 701st impression?
Thomas estimates that he has been in the broadcast booth for at least 700 games while describing the proceedings in football (Canada West, PFC and high schools), hockey (WHL, SJHL) and lacrosse (Saskatchewan Rush).
As well, he has been involved in coverage of the world junior hockey championship (2010), Memorial Cup (2013) and auto racing (Sutherland Automotive Speedway, Saskatoon).
The impressive resume also includes time spent hosting a Roughriders pre-game show (for Saskatoon radio station CJWW from 2010 to 2014) and serving as the sideline reporter on the Rider Radio Network (2012 to 2014).
But even with a wealth of experience on the Saskatchewan sporting scene, a new challenge is on the horizon.
“I’m already buzzing for it,” Thomas says. “It’s going to be totally different.
“I’ve had the opportunity to call games at Mosaic Stadium before but going into the home radio booth and getting ready for the Roughriders, that’s really cool.”
To this point, Thomas has occupied his CKRM broadcast location only once — on April 10, when he was formally introduced as the new play-by-play voice.
“We filmed a video and I had an opportunity to sit there,” he recalls. “I was kind of soaking it all in and thinking, ‘Wow, this is my new office.’
“Everybody talks about a view with an office downtown. Well, I’ve got a pretty good view of downtown from my office.”
But where, exactly, will he sit while calling games alongside returning colour analyst Luc Mullinder?
“I don’t know if I’ll sit in the left chair or the right one,” Thomas says. “Luc gets to pick that, because he’s got seniority.
“I’m the rookie, so I know my place.”
He also knows how memorable this day will be.
“I’m really proud that I’m getting this opportunity,” Thomas says.
“There’s a lot of people, a lot of tradition, a lot of history and a lot of pride around this organization. For me to be a little piece of it, just providing a little commentary, is going to be great.”
Thomas will also contribute to a new-look pre-game show, which is to begin at 11 a.m. — three hours before kickoff.
“I’ll probably be at the stadium way too early, as I always am,” he says. “The maintenance workers are probably going to have to let me in, because I love being there early, just to get my settings.”
Then the countdown to game time will begin.
“The opening kickoff is going to be full of nerves, for sure,” Thomas predicts.
“The kickoff is really, really hard sometimes to see, because there’s so much movement with players and the ball at the same time and tracking it all in your eyes and trying to remain astute is really hard.
“Then the offence comes out there and it’s a little easier to set up a play.”
Will Thomas set up lines or phrases, such as a signature touchdown call, that he may use while a game is in progress?
“I’m very much a go-with-the-flow person as far as the broadcast goes, but there are things that have crossed my mind that maybe I should say or maybe I shouldn’t say,” he says. “It’ll either come out or it won’t on Monday.
“It’s pre-season for everybody.”
