ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ

City SC radio play-by-play announcer Joey Zanaboni’s style certainly doesn’t emanate for Broadcast 101 classes. Rambunctious is an understatement. So is boisterous.

Zanyboni, anyone?

His wild and has earned him quite the reputation, from past roles as a minor league baseball broadcaster and as a “hype man� at sporting events to his current posts of serving as the radio play-by-play broadcaster or the City SC and Ambush soccer clubs.

His one-liners can cover the gamut of topics, from current events to pop culture to the arcane. And he might have topped all his wild lines on Saturday night, when he managed to compare a goalie’s save to a controversial picture in which the image of Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, was altered into a British Royal family recent photo at a time when her whereabouts had been a mystery following health concerns. Then on Friday she announced that she is being treated for cancer.

City SC was playing the Galaxy in Los Angeles and when City goalie Roman Burki batted away a point-blank shot by Dejan Joveljic, Zanaboni erupted:

“Ooooh!!! Roman Burki stones Joveljic!!! Panels one away!! Ooooh!!! Roman Burki, altering that shot like it’s a Kate Middleton Mother’s Day photo!!�

He knew he had a hit.

“Like half of the western world, my eyes have been suction-cupped to the ongoing Kate Middleton drama,� Zanaboni said Thursday. “... When the line itself came to me, I knew it was special. The rising tide of royal photo drama meets an incredible athletic feat. I thought it was his best save of the game, though I could have used it on really any of the spectacular plays he made. It’s a privilege to watch him play. I’m not sure I was planning to use it in any specific moment, but I was just glad it came out when it did.�

The call drew some national attention, including from . That website covers sports broadcasting and pointed out that Zanaboni’s “creative commentary probably isn’t for everyone� because of “its focus on entertainment and laughs. But when it lands like this it’s a work of art.�

Zanaboni always is looking for drops of paint to add to his verbal brush.

“As an American, I don’t know why I am so entertained by the antiquated and stuffy drama of the British monarchy, but I’m also just like, ‘Why fight it?’ I read Harry’s memoir. I watched every episode of The Crown. I’m doing research. I’m watching film,� he said. “Everything leads up to game day. People sometimes have divided opinions but there was a lot of support for this particular line. They loved it. I guess it’s just in the zeitgeist. By next week, they’ll probably forget about all the Kate and Will Photoshop stuff. Say ’em while you got ’em!�

He takes pride in the zingers.

“When I make a call like that, I know I’ve got siblings and longtime buddies listening,� Zanaboni said. “If I can entertain them, I figure most other people will be entertained as well. It’s an honor to entertain St. Louis, my hometown, and I tear up thinking about what a great privilege it is.�

Gatter chatter

Zanaboni isn’t the only one with ties to City SC to be in the spotlight this week.

St. Louisan Nate Gatter, co-host with Jen Siess of “St. Louis City Soccer Report� that airs on KMOX (1120 AM) throughout the team’s season, called his first NCAA Tournament games this week as he did the national radio play-by-play for Westwood One of all four play-in contests in Dayton, Ohio. He worked alongside analyst and former Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim.

“It was fantastic,� Gatter said of the experience. “I got to work with a legend in Jim, who couldn’t have been nicer, and experience what’s always a first-class atmosphere in Dayton. I was also really humbled by broadcasters who took the time to reach out — I got a ‘welcome to the tournament’ text from Ian Eagle (the new lead TV voice of the tourney) and Spero Dedes, who was calling the First Four on TV, made a point to come over before the first game and give me some encouragement.

“For somebody in my position who’s grown up admiring those guys, it means the world to be a small part of their club.�

Gatter, 27, has broadcast a lot of Mizzou events, including men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, volleyball, women’s soccer, gymnastics and softball games on ESPN-related outlets and has an extensive resume of sportscasting at many levels.

That often leads to quite a busy schedule, but rarely if ever as hectic as he is encountering this week. After finishing his time in Dayton on Wednesday night, he traveled Thursday to Kansas City — where he will call four games on Friday and four more on Saturday in the NAIA men’s basketball tournament for the .

“It’s rare in broadcasting that we worry about the physical toll of the job — it’s not that hard to sit courtside in a suit, after all — but when you’re doing multiple games per day for multiple days in a row, you have to make a conscious effort to take care of your voice,� Gatter said. “For me, that means lots of water and usually some cough drops mixed in — but also trying to pace myself on the air. I have to be careful not to go too big with my excitement early in the day ’cause I need to have juice left if there’s high drama in the late-night game.�

Then next month he calls a bevy of Mizzou baseball and softball games for SEC Network+, an ESPN property.