2 guys make airwaves rumble

John Bassetti \ Thunder Insider

The Mahoning Valley Thunder radio broadcast team of Christian Aleshire and Anthony Farris takes their job seriously, but if the opportunity to interject lighter moments arises, the duo will seize it.

If the Thunder were winning, there would be a lot of helium moments, but the Valley’s af2 isn’t.

Still, Aleshire and Farris find as much humor as they can to give broadcast balance to the team that is suffering through a 1-6 season.

Aleshire, a 1997 graduate of Warren JFK who lives in Mineral Ridge, has been involved in every Thunder broadcast since the team’s inception, whether as play-by-play or color. He graduated from Youngstown State University’s telecommunications program.

This year, Farris — also the Thunder’s media relations man — is at Aleshire’s side.

“I think they wanted someone who could convey a fun personality,” said Aleshire. “I don’t make a mockery of the broadcast, but I don’t like to robotically express something, either.”

Much research goes into preparation for a game.

“It’s more than people think,” said Aleshire. “It’s up to you to learn [opposing] players’ names and do research. A lot of the players come from smaller colleges, so background information isn’t as easily available as if they played Division I ball.”

NiftyTV helps Aleshire immensely.

“I learn about an opponent because they replay every game in its entirety,” Aleshire said.

“For the Thunder’s upcoming game in Manchester, I’ll sit down and watch their most recent game and see who the quarterback’s main targets are and the key players.”

For his pregame segment, Aleshire will combine statistics with stories in his opening remarks.

“First, I want to set the table and let fans know who is playing and where the game is, then give the sub-stories leading up to kickoff.”

Aleshire recalled one of the more exciting moments during the last seconds of a home game against Albany in 2008.

The Thunder trailed late until quarterback Josh Swogger threw a pass in the end zone to DeMarcus Mathes, who caught the ball before being pushed over the wall by defenders.

“Because he didn’t try to get back in bounds, he was ruled out. The refs said he made no effort to come back in. He had the ball, then got shoved over the wall. I couldn’t understand how they can make that call, especially at home.

“We thought we won on the last play, but then we had to explain to [the audience] that it wasn’t a touchdown. The place went nuts. Everyone went from an emotional high to outrage.”

Christian, who is paid by the Thunder, tries to remain unbiased in his on-air comments, but he won’t shy away from criticism when warranted.

“I’m pro-Thunder, but I’m not a fanatic. If they screw up on a penalty, I don’t cover up for them. At the same time, I root for those guys and I don’t mind saying it.”

Farris isn’t new to broadcasting, having done reporting and anchor work for WFMJ-TV.

He joined the Thunder in early 2008 in sales and game-day operations, but was promoted to media relations before the season began.

The 26-year-old Farris seems to be a good fit with Aleshire, because of their similar ages and personalities.

They huddle during the week to gather material, then again before games to discuss specific topics and strategy.

On the road, Aleshire and Farris travel with the team, then room together, putting them in position to pick up tidbits of information from the players and coaches.

On the air, Farris thinks it’s important to give fans crisp facts, such as a 21-game win streak by the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton team or a streak of touchdown passes relinquished by the Thunder defensive backfield.

“We’re not going to sugarcoat it because fans aren’t stupid,” Farris said of weaknesses that listeners will detect by deduction.

At the same time, Aleshire and Farris want to acknowledge the effort made by players.

One such instance crept up in 2008 when Mahoning Valley suffered through a 3-13 season.

“People were saying the players were quitting, but that was the furthest thing from the truth,” Farris said in defense of the franchise’s integrity.

Farris said he and Aleshire were targets of verbal abuse by fans at a Quad Cities (Iowa) game last year.

“The Thunder lost a close game [60-54], but there was a call in Mahoning Valley’s favor that upset people,” said Farris. “They were even attacking the radio guys. All we could do was laugh.

“We’ve been booed and given certain gestures, but we get a kick out of it.”

Through it all, they manage to survive and keep the words flowing.

bassetti@vindy.com