Bill Schonely
| Bill Schonely | |
|---|---|
Schonely in 2013
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| Born |
William W. Schonely June 1, 1929 Norristown, Pennsylvania |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | The Schonz, Mr. Rip City |
William W. "Bill" Schonely (born June 1, 1929), nicknamed "The Schonz", is an American sports broadcaster who was the play-by-play announcer for the Portland Trail Blazers for almost three decades, from the team's launch in 1970 until 1998. A native of Pennsylvania, he worked in radio in Louisiana and Seattle before settling in Portland, Oregon. In addition to his work for the Blazers, he has been a sportscaster for Major League Baseball games, several minor league baseball teams, college sports, National Hockey League games, and junior ice hockey.
Schonely was born in Norristown, Pennsylvania, the first child of Walter and Juanita Schonely. A stutterer as a child, Schonely worked on a weekly high school information radio show on WNAR in Norristown, which led to opportunities at radio and television stations in Philadelphia. Upon graduating, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, and was sent to Guam. While stationed overseas, Schonely transferred to Armed Forces Radio, where he was a disc jockey as well as doing news, sports and interviews. He also did his first play-by-play, calling military football and baseball games. In 1951, Schonely was reassigned to Quantico, Virginia, where he worked on the weekly base newspaper and emceed military events and parades under the guidance of General Clifton B. Cates. Among his duties were escorting military celebrities to New York City, Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia for radio and TV interviews.
Upon leaving the Marines, Schonely followed a job offer to WAFB radio and TV in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he served in a variety of on-air roles. He covered sports for the radio station, covering the minor league baseball team Baton Rouge Red Sticks and the LSU Tigers football and basketball teams as well as some rodeo events. WAFB promoted a weekly wrestling match, and Schonely became the ring announcer. Schonely filled in as a referee, which eventually led to participating in matches on a tag team.
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