{"id":123773,"date":"2025-02-15T06:30:13","date_gmt":"2025-02-15T11:30:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=123773"},"modified":"2025-02-15T04:38:45","modified_gmt":"2025-02-15T09:38:45","slug":"george-blaha-2025-curt-gowdy-media-award","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/02\/15\/george-blaha-2025-curt-gowdy-media-award\/","title":{"rendered":"George Blaha\u2019s Legacy Grows with 2025 Curt Gowdy Media Award"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>When it comes to <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/02\/14\/ron-hollands-rookie-season-as-pistons-potential-star\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Detroit Pistons<\/a> basketball, no one embodies it more than <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/pistons\/pistons-announcers\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">George Blaha<\/a>. Through the highs and lows of a Pistons season, one constant remains: Blaha\u2019s voice calling the game. With signature catchphrases like \u201ccount that baby, and a foul\u201d and \u201cfrom behind the long line&#8221;, his broadcasts remain as engaging as ever\u2014even as he enters his 49th season behind the mic.<\/p>\n<p>Blaha\u2019s impact extends beyond the Pistons\u2019 fanbase, earning him widespread recognition throughout Michigan. He has received numerous accolades, including the Tyson Award for Excellence in Sports Broadcasting (2002), Michigan Sports Broadcaster of the Year (2003, 2007), and induction into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame (2008). Now, he adds another prestigious honor to his storied career: the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hoophall.com\/awards\/curt-gowdy-media-awards\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">2025 Curt Gowdy Media Award<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Blaha joins Clark Kellogg, Michelle Smith, and Adrian Wojnarowski as a recipient of the award. It honors individuals in print, electronic, and transformative media. Their work has made a significant impact on basketball. Named after legendary broadcaster <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbroadcastinghalloffame.org\/inductees\/curt-gowdy\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Curt Gowdy,<\/a> the award is a prestigious recognition. It cements Blaha\u2019s place among the sport\u2019s most influential voices.<\/p>\n<h2>George Blaha\u2019s Legacy Grows with the 2025 Curt Gowdy Media Award<\/h2>\n<h3>George Blaha: The Voice of Pistons Glory<\/h3>\n<p>For nearly five decades, Blaha has been the unmistakable voice of the Pistons, calling over 3,400 regular-season games and more than 260 playoff battles. His commentary has been the soundtrack to the franchise\u2019s greatest triumphs, etching unforgettable moments into the memories of Pistons fans. From legendary buzzer-beaters to hard-fought playoff series, Blaha has narrated it all.<\/p>\n<p>He has been there for five Eastern Conference championships, five NBA Finals appearances, and all three of the Pistons\u2019 NBA titles. Whether it was the \u201cBad Boys\u201d era of the late \u201880s, the \u201cGoing To Work Pistons\u201d of the 2004 championship team, or the countless thrilling moments in between, Blaha\u2019s voice has been a constant, bringing energy, excitement, and passion to every call. His legendary status isn\u2019t just about longevity\u2014it\u2019s about being the heartbeat of Pistons basketball for generations.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"George Blaha Tribute | Voice Of The Pistons\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/nfsrbA-p_Uc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3>A Voice Beyond Basketball<\/h3>\n<p>While Blaha is synonymous with Pistons basketball, his influence stretches far beyond the court. Since 1971, he has also been the play-by-play voice of Michigan State football, bringing the same passion and energy to Spartan Saturdays as he does to Pistons game nights. Whether calling a game-winning touchdown or a clutch three-pointer, Blaha\u2019s unmistakable voice has become a defining sound of Michigan sports.<\/p>\n<p>His impact isn\u2019t just measured by the games he\u2019s called\u2014it\u2019s also reflected in the voices he\u2019s inspired. As a mentor to aspiring broadcasters, Blaha has shared his knowledge and passion for the craft, shaping the next generation of sports commentators. His dedication to storytelling and his love for the game have set a gold standard in sports broadcasting. Whether on the court or the gridiron, his voice isn\u2019t just a soundtrack\u2014it\u2019s a legacy.<\/p>\n<h3>The Last Word<\/h3>\n<p>For nearly five decades, George Blaha has been more than just a broadcaster\u2014he has been the voice of Detroit basketball, the narrator of unforgettable moments, and a beloved figure in Michigan sports. His passion, energy, and unmistakable calls have connected generations of Pistons fans, making every game feel larger than life.<\/p>\n<p>Blaha adds the prestigious Curt Gowdy Media Award to his long list of accolades. His legacy as a great sports broadcaster is firmly cemented. Whether calling Pistons victories or Michigan State triumphs, his impact extends beyond the microphone. Players on the court may change, but one thing remains. George Blaha\u2019s voice will forever echo through basketball history.<\/p>\n<p>Photo credit: \u00a9 Raj Mehta-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When it comes to Detroit Pistons basketball, no one embodies it more than George Blaha. Through the highs and lows of a Pistons season, one constant remains: Blaha\u2019s voice calling the game. With signature catchphrases like \u201ccount that baby, and a foul\u201d and \u201cfrom behind the long line&#8221;, his broadcasts remain as engaging as ever\u2014even [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5168,"featured_media":123792,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,10,62,3],"tags":[1960,49975,49974],"class_list":["post-123773","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-pistons","category-nba","category-news","tag-adrian-wojnarowski","tag-clark-kellog","tag-george-blaha"],"modified_by":"Kenny Kluska","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123773","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5168"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=123773"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123773\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":123793,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123773\/revisions\/123793"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/123792"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=123773"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=123773"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=123773"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}