Mark Mason (announcer)
Encyclopedia
Mark Mason is an American
public address
announcer
for the Portland Trail Blazers
of the National Basketball Association
.
Mason began working as the Trail Blazers' public address announcer at the start of the 1996–97 NBA season. Since his start, he has announced every pre-season and regular season game without missing one—a total of almost 700 consecutive games. His combined regular-season and playoff consecutive games (no pre-season) total reached 632 on April 28, 2011 with the conclusion of the 2010-11 season .
Mason continues as the longest tenured public address voice in Trail Blazers history.
A native of Southern California
, Mason's radio broadcast career path took him to Portland, Oregon
for afternoon drive duties at legendary KEX-AM
where he has held down the shift since 1995. He currently co-hosts The Mark and Dave Show, a local news–talk show.
Over the years he is best known for his colorful introductions of Trail Blazers players including native language introductions for the team's foreign players, spirited play calls, the "6th Man" catch-phrase, and the spine-tingling "Are you ready...for your Portland Trail Blazers!"
:
Past classics:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
public address
Public address
A public address system is an electronic amplification system with a mixer, amplifier and loudspeakers, used to reinforce a sound source, e.g., a person giving a speech, a DJ playing prerecorded music, and distributing the sound throughout a venue or building.Simple PA systems are often used in...
announcer
Announcer
An announcer is a presenter who makes "announcements" in an audio medium or a physical location.-Television and other media:Some announcers work in television production , radio or filmmaking, usually providing narrations, news updates, station identification, or an introduction of a product in...
for the Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
of the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
.
Mason began working as the Trail Blazers' public address announcer at the start of the 1996–97 NBA season. Since his start, he has announced every pre-season and regular season game without missing one—a total of almost 700 consecutive games. His combined regular-season and playoff consecutive games (no pre-season) total reached 632 on April 28, 2011 with the conclusion of the 2010-11 season .
Mason continues as the longest tenured public address voice in Trail Blazers history.
A native of Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
, Mason's radio broadcast career path took him to Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
for afternoon drive duties at legendary KEX-AM
KEX (AM)
KEX is a class A clear channel AM radio station broadcasting from Portland, Oregon. As of 2005 it is owned by Clear Channel Communications and runs news/talk programming. Because KEX is a Class A station, KEX reaches most of the densely populated areas of Oregon, providing grade B coverage as far...
where he has held down the shift since 1995. He currently co-hosts The Mark and Dave Show, a local news–talk show.
Over the years he is best known for his colorful introductions of Trail Blazers players including native language introductions for the team's foreign players, spirited play calls, the "6th Man" catch-phrase, and the spine-tingling "Are you ready...for your Portland Trail Blazers!"
Notable phrases
Some of Mason's familiar sounds at Trail Blazers games in the Rose Garden ArenaRose Garden Arena
Rose Garden, commonly known as the Rose Garden Arena, is the primary indoor sports arena in Portland, Oregon, United States. It is suitable for large indoor events of all sorts, including basketball, ice hockey, rodeos, circuses, conventions, ice shows, concerts, and dramatic productions...
:
- Before team introductions: "You're the 6th man, and the Rose Garden is OUR HOUSE! So everybody ON YOUR FEET, and PUMP IT UP (or LET'S MAKE IT LOUD), 'Cause HERE COMES YOUR HOME TEAM!!!!" and "Fans...Are you ready....For your Portlaaaaaaaannd Traiiiiil Blazers!"
- Lamarcus AldridgeLaMarcus AldridgeLaMarcus Nurae Aldridge is an American professional basketball player with the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers. He is a , 240-pound power forward/center and is one of Portland's two team captains, with the other being Brandon Roy....
dunk: "L-Train! Comin' Thru!" - Nicolas BatumNicolas BatumNicolas Batum is a French basketball player with SLUC Nancy of the Ligue Nationale de Basketball. He is also under contract with the Portland Trail Blazers, and is expected to return to that team once the 2011 NBA lockout ends. The Blazers acquired his rights during the 2008 NBA Draft for the...
introduction: "à l'avant, six huit. De France. Numéro quatre-vingt huit, Nicolas Batum!" - Brandon RoyBrandon RoyBrandon Dawayne Roy is an American professional basketball player for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association. He was selected sixth in the 2006 NBA Draft, having completed four years playing for the Washington Huskies. In 2009, he served as the team's co-captain, along...
introduction: "Buhrrrrrrrandon Rrrrrrroyyy"
Past classics:
- Damon StoudamireDamon StoudamireDamon Lamon Stoudamire is a retired American professional basketball player who is currently an assistant coach for the Memphis Tigers men's basketball team. The , point guard was selected with the 7th overall pick by the Toronto Raptors in the 1995 NBA Draft and won the 1995–96 NBA Rookie of the...
introduction: "Dayyyyyyyyyyyyyymon Stoudamire!" - Lithuanian languageLithuanian languageLithuanian is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognized as one of the official languages of the European Union. There are about 2.96 million native Lithuanian speakers in Lithuania and about 170,000 abroad. Lithuanian is a Baltic language, closely related to Latvian, although they...
introduction for Arvydas SabonisArvydas SabonisArvydas Romas Sabonis is a retired Lithuanian professional basketball player and a businessman. He was an eight-time European Player of the Year, winning the Euroscar Award six times, and the Mr...
: "Tuo centras. Septyni Vienas. Nuo Lietuva. Skaičius Vienuolika, Arvydas Sabonis!"