Jim Robson
Written
by
JIM
COLEMAN
The
Province
Jim
Robson is an enduring symbol of excellence in sports broadcasting. People who have been listening to his play-by-play
descriptions of Vancouver Canucks hockey games on local radio stations over the
past 34 years, marvel at the consistent high quality of his performances. He is
the archetypical professional.
Along
with many other of
Robson's
father moved his family to the Maple Ridge area of the lower mainland when Jim
was eight. He got his first radio job at 17 with CJAV in
A
couple of years later, Jim moved to
Robson
"covered" the Western League Canucks for 12 years and, now, he is in
his 23rd year of NHL coverage on CKNW. Originally, he worked "solo,"
without a color-man. However, the estimable Tom Larscheid
joined him in the broadcast booth in 1977. It has been a felicitous
collaboration.
Robson,
who grew up listening to Foster Hewitt's Saturday night broadcasts from
One
of Robson's greatest assets, in earning public credibility, has been his
clear-eyed objectivity. Because his employer, CKNW, also owns the Canucks, he
is careful to avoid stigmatization as a "house man." If a Canuck
player goofs, Robson says as much on the air. If a game is dull, he says it's
dull.
At
the peak of his profession, at the age of 58, Robson looks back affectionately
on almost 40 consecutive years of play-by-play broadcasting. Over the luncheon
table last Friday, he spoke with particular fondness of the old Vancouver
Mounties. "Baseball is made- to-order for radio announcers," he said.
"The listener is completely dependent on the announcer, who gives him a
word-picture of the scene on the field."
Incredibly,
Robson's long career at the mike has been almost completely accident-free: No
network blackouts or announcers getting locked in the men's washroom.
Jim
remembers one night when the old Canucks were playing an inter-league game at
Several
times during the game,
Jim
Robson never flaps in such circumstances. In a branch of the news media which
has been known to foster some enormous egos, he is refreshingly diffident and
gentlemanly. Vancouverites should be proud of their hockey broadcaster.
***
The
Thanks
to Archie McDonald
The
Grade 11s at Maple Ridge bus to a professional day in
September,
1956. With Alberni Athletics basketball and some
Nanaimo Timbermen lacrosse under his belt he applies
for an opening in the big time, CKWX,
He
paid his dues in the early '60s. With Stephenson gone to
Baseball
may have been his best sport. He did the PCL Mounties for a dozen seasons. The
road games were recreated in a studio from scant info received on a ticker
tape. Producer Ron Robinson had all the sound effects. There was a speaker to
announce batters, the thump of a ball striking a bat, thunder and lightning
sounds to simulate a rain delay because of weather.
One
time the teletype informed them it was the end of an inning, but Robson had
recorded only two outs. What to do? If you go to the next batter and have him
fly out then you are out of sequence for the rest of the game.
There
was a man on base, so Robson decided to pick him off. That kept it neat and
tidy. He made it sound like a remarkable play by the pitcher.
July,
1958. He drives pregnant wife, Bea, to hospital, then goes to Capilano Stadium where Phoenix Giants and the Mounties are
going for first place. Pete Burnside, ex-major leaguer, is on the hill for the
Giants. Catcher Charlie White hits a home run in the bottom of the ninth;
Mounties win 4-3. He goes to the hospital and meets his new daughter, Jennifer,
the first of four children. Later she will say: "You remember the score of
the game, but I bet you don't remember my weight."
If
there were a hall of fame for broadcasters' wives, Bea would be a charter
inductee. They met in