In Tacoma, Christian Caple reports Univ. of Washington play-by-play announcer Bob Rondeau "will retire" following the '17 season. Rondeau has called UW football games for 36 years and men's basketball for 31 years. He was awarded in '16 with the Chris Schenkel Award by the National Football Foundation, and was also included into UW's Athletics HOF (Tacoma NEWS TRIBUNE, 4/21). UW IMG Sports Marketing GM Steve Gahler said that a "national search for Rondeau’s successor will begin immediately." A new hire ideally "would be in place by the end of the summer." Gahler said that UW is "open to the possibility of hiring two new broadcasters -- one specifically for football and one for men’s basketball" (SEATTLE TIMES, 4/21).
MEANT TO BE: In N.Y., Justin Terranova notes former MLBer Todd Zeile will "see an increased role as an SNY studio analyst this season" for Mets games, appearing in a regular rotation with Nelson Figueroa and Jim Duquette. This will be Zeile's "steadiest role in baseball" since retiring after the '04 season. Zeile: "I wanted to stay in California and do things that were sort of contrarian to my days in baseball." Terranova notes Zeile had "maintained a relationship with the Wilpon family after his career." When he "committed to staying in New York for the next six months to work on a project in the sports video gaming field, he found an opportunity at SNY waiting" (N.Y. POST, 4/21).
FAREWELL, MOTOR CITY: Longtime Detroit-based WXYT-FM host Terry Foster said that he is "leaving his wildly successful drive-time sports-talk show." Foster has been "considering retirement from sports-talk radio for several months, since shortly after returning to the airwaves in January, following an extended absence while he recovered from a stroke." Foster and his co-host Mike Valenti have "teamed up" since '04 (DETROIT NEWS, 4/21).
INTERESTING TIMING: In Buffalo, Alan Pergament notes Sabres RW Brian Gionta "will be a studio analyst" during Friday night's Stanley Cup Playoff coverage on NBCSN. It will be "interesting to see how candid he will be" if he talks about the team firing GM Tim Murray and whether he believes star player Sabres C Jack Eichel had any "influence on the decision or if he had any influence as the captain" (BUFFALO NEWS, 4/21).
