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Musings about 'Painting
'em Purple'
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From the Booth
Tuesday, August 20, 2002
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By Jeff Charles
Voice of the Pirates |
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�2002 Bonesville.net
I�ve resurfaced. Football season must be right around the corner.
No, I really don�t drop off the face of the earth during the summer.
Quite frankly, it�s a busy time marketing the radio and television networks.
But now I hope you are looking forward to inviting me back into your
living rooms, car radios and the audio system on your Internet-connected
computer. Kind of like an old friend dropping by again to talk about the
Pirates.
This is my fifteenth season as �The Voice� and when you�ve been around
that long it�s tough to hide.
When I meet people for the first time they often say, �I feel like I know
you.� Well you might know me, but you really don �know� me, so as we kick
this column off today, here are some notes about �The Voice� I bet you
didn�t know.
My last name is not Charles. Charles is my middle name. I can�t reveal my
real identity.
Seriously, my proper last name is difficult to pronounce and a veteran
radio announcer who broke me into the business said, �You shouldn�t use it
on the air.� He said, �What�s your middle name?� I said �Charles.� He said,
�Jeff Charles!� I said OK.
Sure, I�ve been in Greenville a long time now, but I used to move around
a lot. We�ve lived in eight states: Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois,
Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia and of course North Carolina. That�s a lot
of different drivers licenses and a lot of speeding tickets.
My driving exploits are legendary. Probably missed my calling. I should
have been behind the wheel of a greyhound or big rig. A few years ago I did
get in a stock car at the Richard Petty driving experience in Charlotte.
Eight laps around gave me great appreciation for what those guys do every
weekend.
Not only do I drive cars, I also ride motorcycles. You might see me on a
Honda Goldwing but you won�t recognize me. It�s the helmet, you know.
I�ve had four motorcycles. Motorcycle number three, a Yamaha 1100, was a
victim of Floyd. They don�t run very well after being submerged in five feet
of water.
Speaking of water, we live on the water, the Pamlico River in Washington.
No boats at this time � kayaks are much simpler, no engine problems and on
those days when I give my �ol legs a break from running, it�s a good
cardiovascular workout.
I run, but I�m not a runner. In Celina, Ohio, last month I ran in a 5k
race and about a half mile from the finish line a 74-year-old guy passed me.
Believe me, I wasn�t the only one he zipped by. He�s my hero... I hope at
74.
Yes, I do lift weights regularly and seriously. No excuses to not work
out with the great facilities right outside my office door. You�ll see me in
the new Strength and Conditioning Center most days at twelve noon. I�m not
much of a lunch guy.
Okay, since you asked, the bench press max is 330. The goal is 350 but
father time is a tough opponent. The rep count is 225 pounds eighteen times.
I�m ready for the combine.
In another life, I played sports like most of you. Sportscasters and
sportswriters are frustrated athletes, and I had plenty to be frustrated
about.
Baseball was my top priority. Our high school program competed in the big
school division in Ohio and was always pretty good. I played in summer
leagues, too, one year playing in two leagues with a game virtually every
night. Our coach approached every game as if it were the seventh game of the
World Series. We hit a losing streak and the next thing I know he goes out
and recruits the big guys from Dayton. I automatically became a utility
player.
Great memories, though, and I wouldn�t trade those days for anything.
Life was a lot simpler then.
My work is my passion. My passion is my work. Rick Pitino�s book is �Born
to Coach.� I guess I was �Born to Announce.� Radio and television is all
I�ve ever done in my adult life and all I�ve ever wanted to do.
The broadcasting industry is fascinating and I still am amazed at how on
a clear summer night you can pick up baseball games from all over the
country on an AM radio. My dream was to work at one of those 50,000-watt
clear channel stations, and I did � at WSB in Atlanta in 1980 and 1981.
It�s a �trip� to sit behind a microphone and know that thirty-eight
states and a portion of Canada can hear you. I remember doing my talk show
sitting in Atlanta and getting a call from Toronto, Ontario, and the caller
saying, �We hear you clear at night.�
By now, I�ve probably bored you to death. The Pirates are much more
interesting and that�s what we�ll concentrate on in the coming weeks. Till
next time, �Keep Painting �em Purple.�
 Send an e-mail message to
Jeff Charles.
Dig into Jeff Charles' Bonesville Archives.
02/23/2007 10:23:36 AM
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