Tom Larscheid

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Tom Larscheid is a Canadian radio sports broadcaster, based in Vancouver, currently serving as the radio colour commentator for the Vancouver Canucks.

1 Early Life and Sports Career
2 Broadcasting Career
3 On-air personality
- 3.1 Famous Larscheid-isms
4 References
- 4.1 External Links

[edit] Early Life and Sports Career

Born in Milwaukee in 1940, he was a running back for Utah State University and for the BC Lions football team in the Canadian Football League.

[edit] Broadcasting Career

After his retirement from football, he became the colour commentator for the Lions on CKNW, working alongside play-by-play man Jim Cox. In 1977, he added hockey broadcasting to his duties, joining Jim Robson in the booth for Vancouver Canucks radio broadcasts. When the Lions radio rights moved to CFUN in 1983, Larscheid went with them and left the Canucks broadcasts. In 1984, Cox retired and J. P. McConnell became the new "voice of the Lions". In 1988, the Lions moved back to CKNW and Larscheid resumed his work with the Canucks. Larscheid's duties now included television as well, as the Canucks simulcasted their radio broadcasts on BCTV or CHEK-TV at that time. From 1987 to 1990, Larscheid did television work for football as well, working on the CFL-produced Canadian Football Network, where he worked as a colour commentator on four Grey Cups. In 1994, Jim Robson retired from radio and Larscheid's new partner became Jim Hughson. In 1999, Hughson moved back to television full-time and Larscheid was paired with John Shorthouse. All through this time, he continued to juggle both football and hockey. However, this meant frequent scheduling conflicts and in 2000 he was pulled off of Lions broadcasts in order to work full-time on Canucks games.

In 2006, the Canucks radio rights shifted to CKST ("The Team 1040") and Larscheid and Shorthouse moved with them. This is where they work currently, along with the simulcasted pay-per-view television broadcasts. In addition to acting as a colour commentator, Larscheid frequently hosts "intermission guests" between periods in the broadcast booth.

In early March 2007, Larscheid hinted that he very well might retire from his colour commentary duties at the end of the 2006-07 hockey season, his 30th as the colour man for the Canucks.^[1]

[edit] On-air personality

Larscheid is known for his enthusiasm, frequently laughing and giggling during broadcasts. He is also very quick to criticise players and officials and is seen by many as being a "homer". This combination has led to a couple of incidents where he has uttered expletives on the air, for which he has later apologised. One was during Game 1 of the 1994 Western Conference Final, when Toronto defenseman Jamie Macoun speared a Vancouver player, causing an angered Larscheid to exclaim, "that's just bulls**t!" Another was on the famous incident in 2000 when Boston defenseman Marty McSorley two-handed Vancouver's Donald Brashear in the head, which prompted Larscheid to react in a similar way.

[edit] Famous Larscheid-isms

"What are you...some kind of goof?"*
"Bieksa-lent" (for Kevin Bieksa)
"Oh! How Swede it is!" (for Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin)
"I could watch Paul Kariya play with himself all day"
"I just came from the Canucks dressing room and Pavel's groin has never felt better." (commenting on Pavel Bure's recovery from a groin injury)
"Look out theres a freight train on the loose baby!" (for former Canuck, Todd Bertuzzi)
"Bertuzzi, who's your daddy?"
"Okay Nazzy, you've bumped the slump, that'll get your MoJo going!" (for Markus Naslund)
"Bingo, Bango, Bongo, his name is Roberto Luongo!" As said in the song "Trapper's Delight"