Tom Joseph

Tom Joseph, who provided color commentary for Roy Ives' play-by-play of Cornell hockey games on WHCU for most of the 1970's, passed away recently. Here's a link to the obituary: [miva.pressconnects.com]

Must have been a busy news day for the Journal not to have written more than six Joe Friday-ish paragraphs on somebody who was pretty well known in the community.

He was on the broadcast crew that succeeded Sam Woodhead, Woodside? (I forget which was Sam's real name and his nickname.)

Some time it would be fun (well, a little) to recall all the Cornell sports announcers and where they've gone on to. It would be boring as hell for eLynah denizens who thank Adam Wodon is an old-timer.

billhoward
Must have been a busy news day for the Journal not to have written more than six Joe Friday-ish paragraphs on somebody who was pretty well known in the community.

He was on the broadcast crew that succeeded Sam Woodhead, Woodside? (I forget which was Sam's real name and his nickname.)

Some time it would be fun (well, a little) to recall all the Cornell sports announcers and where they've gone on to. It would be boring as hell for eLynah denizens who thank Adam Wodon is an old-timer.

Yes, TJ partnered with Roy Ives to be the best pair that we've had in the CU Hockey broadcasting booth. In the 3/6/79 ECAC quarterfinal game against Providence College, TJ had to (briefly) take over the play-by-play while Roy recovered from losing his voice (screaming over the late-game goals). TJ was a much better color man than play-by-play. What a moment! I still enjoy watching/listening to that game. My sympathies to TJ's family.

I grew up listening to Saw Woodside and Don Martin broadcasting Cornell games. If I recall correctly, Don Martin was Martin Jaeger off the air.

billhoward
eLynah denizens who thank Adam Wodon is an old-timer.

Nah, Grady

Having "grown up" with Cornell Hockey first with Sam Woodside doing play by play (his last colorman was Jay Levine...then Jay took over) and then Roy Ives and TJ, then later on Grady, I also think that Roy and TJ were the best pair. They brought a tremendous amount of passion to the broadcast. Not to say that Grady wasn't good...I'm really glad he's doing well. Roy Ives (it's actually William Roy Ives...he goes by Bill these days) attends just about all the Cornell home games with his son and grand daughter. He always stands...just about on the redline above section M. A lot of the locals will miss TJ. He was quite a guy!!

Larry '72

Roy Ives and Tom Joseph were the soundtrack of the lives of a whole generation of Tompkins County kids. I used to tape record their calls on a little portable cassette player and play back the goals.

I was one of the first people to take a radio to the home games. Through my radio, Roy & TJ taught me a great deal about the game of hockey. Roy's play-by-play was extremely accurate. If he told you that the puck was at the top of the faceoff circle to Brian Hayward's right,,,,,THAT's where the puck was....AT the specified time. None of the rest have been as good as Roy in that regard. Absent the internal politics within WHCU radio, we would have had Roy as our play-by-play for a lot longer.

I was a classmate of T.J'S--IHS '61--ARRGGH!! He was a fantastic guy, always fun to be with, both growing up and later while on the road during hockey trips. He and Roy Ives were a fantastic broadcast team. When T.J. took over play-by-play from Roy when he lost his voice during the '79 Providence game (surely one of the greatest games ever), it was truly a classic moment; it still chokes me up to hear the replay....
Joe Scaglione wrote a piece in last Tuesday's Ithaca Journal about T.J. in which he solicits material to put together a tribute. Here's a copy and paste, because when I tried to post the url, it didn't work right.... Pass it on--who knows what will turn up:

Creating a tribute to the great Tom ‘TJ' Joseph
Joe Scaglione / Guest Columnist

June 21, 1981 was an important day in my life. It was the day I met Tom Joseph.

Having just graduated from Ithaca High School the previous day, I attended a party on this day for classmates at the Hillendale Lodge. This promised to be a fun day and everyone was already talking about the DJ hired for the event, Tom Joseph, widely known in these parts as “TJ.”

 
I was always fascinated by technology and music, so I spent most of the day watching this man work. Back then, DJs used turntables playing records with a mixing console between them. I always wondered how radio stations played one song then cross-faded into another. Now the mystery was solved.
I became so intrigued with what TJ did at that party, that I started to follow his act to Joe Ciaschi's “Party House” on West State Street. TJ would host an oldies night Saturday nights at the Party House. In the many times I sat in the DJ booth with TJ, he would typically have over a hundred people on the dance floor “be-boppin” to hits of the '50s-'80s. I would even fill in a few times when he needed a short break and get to spin the turntables myself. What a blast!

The next move was to purchase equipment in 1983 and start a small DJ business, working with TJ on location at weddings and private parties. We had an excellent working relationship.

In the fall of 1986, I went to see TJ at the Party House, having been absent from there for a year while I started the local office of American Fireworks, which was a seasonal business at that time. TJ was the operations manager for WHCU, which was recently purchased from Cornell University by Eagle Broadcasting. I asked TJ how the new ownership was progressing at WHCU and his reply was “You want a job?” I indicated I had no prior radio experience and he replied “Don't worry, I'll teach you everything you need to know.”

And the rest was history.

Working with TJ was an experience that I will always value. During my 8 1/2 year stint at Eagle Broadcasting, I went from knowing nothing about radio station operations to holding the position of chief engineer, responsible for all equipment at the studios, transmitters, remotes and facilities. Together with TJ, Ken Cowan and the late Bob Denison, we built the new broadcast center on Hanshaw road. It was TJ's pioneering and vision that took that building from concept to reality.

TJ was highly resourceful. One afternoon when we were at the old facility on The Commons (above the old College Spa), the power went off and all the studios went dark. With no backup generator at that time, it looked as if we would be off the air for several hours. TJ instructed me to drive up to the transmitter at Mount Pleasant and wire a patch panel from the telephone directly into the WHCU transmitter. TJ then began broadcasting through a boom box with a microphone, through the telephone lines downtown and into the transmitter. We were back on the air through one of the cleverest 50-cent engineering marvels I had ever witnessed. TJ came through again!

TJ was undoubtedly the person who shaped my career. In 2006, I now own and operate a video and broadcast production facility in Ithaca. I wouldn't be doing what I love if it weren't for his guidance, passion and dedication to his craft which taught me how to pay attention to the details and how to love what you do. I was only one of many that he came in contact with. Over his 45 years of broadcasting and his 63 years on this planet, he touched thousands of lives, and gave hundreds their “broadcast training wheels” to go on and expand their careers worldwide.

Now it is time to give back to this special friend.

I am planning to produce a short video documentary on TJ's life and career and how it played a part of Tompkins County history for half a century. If you have any memories to share, photos, video clips or anything else, please contact me at joe@3dcinemation.com or at 273-0014. Please look for anything you may have, this will take a community effort to accomplish this tribute.

The finished presentation will be posted on a Web site to be announced at a later date. It will also be donated to the History Center for generations to see this amazing man and the lives he touched.

Rest in peace my friend, I miss you. May your legacy live on forever to touch others in the future who may have never known you.



Joe Scaglione lives in Ithaca.



Originally published May 23, 2006

Yes indeed, Tom Joseph was part of my childhood. I only met him once. Shortly after THE GAME against Providence on 3/6/79, I went to the WCHU studios and met Tom as I wanted to buy a copy of the audio tape from that game that he produced. I still have it and it is still the most memorable game I have ever seen in my life. Tom Joseph and Roy Ives were the BEST announcing duo for Cornell Hockey we'll ever hear. Godspeed Tom. You were awesome.

Somebody ought to bundle this thread off to TJ's family.