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Mike DiMauro: The band (Joe D. and Wayno) reuniting at Mohegan Sun

mike dimauro, the day, new london, conn.
·4 min read

Dec. 16—No context is required here. If you know, you know:

Duke in Tampa. Georgia Tech in San Antone. Butler in Houston. Ray's off-balance shot at the Garden. Kemba's buzzer-beater. Rip's buzzer-beater.

And every time, they were the voices, the narrators, the soundtrack of UConn basketball's national explosion. Joe D'Ambrosio and Wayne Norman. Joe D and Wayno. Wayno and Joe D., the 26-year radio broadcast team, doing professionalism as a habit.

Their last game together — until Monday night — was in March 2018, Kevin Ollie's last game. The Huskies were eliminated from the American Athletic Conference tournament in Orlando, the radio rights had been sold to another outlet and the future of the team behind the team was in peril.

But the band is getting back together in an arena where so many other bands have prospered. D'Ambrosio and Norman will have the call on theday.com for the New London/Windsor game at 6 p.m. Monday night at Mohegan Sun Arena in The Day Holiday Classic.

"What I'm most looking forward to, besides reuniting with Wayne for the first time since our last game together on air, is taking part in the event," D'Ambrosio said. "The Day and GameDay have done a terrific job promoting high school sports. I know (Windsor coach) Ken Smith a little from covering him in my days at Fox 61. I had a great conversation with Dave (New London coach Dave Cornish). These are two prestigious programs. This is very exciting."

We got the idea of bringing the band back together after The Day Volleyball Classic in October. Casey O'Neill, the voice of GameDay, was on fumes calling his third match of the night, inviting the idea of some relief for the three-game Day Holiday Classic. O'Neill and partner (former NFA coach) Chris Guisti will handle the New London/E.O. Smith girls at 4 and East Catholic/St. Bernard boys at 8.

But at 6 p.m., two legends in the business come out of the bullpen.

D'Ambrosio, who has done extensive television work as well, still calls UConn hockey and baseball. Norman has remained the color commentator on UConn radio broadcasts. He's also in his 54th year (yes, 54th) at WILI radio in Willimantic, which may want to rename its call letters to WAYNO when (and if) the "morning mayor" retires.

This seems a good time to recall 2004 when then-governor Jodi Rell named Norman "A Connecticut Treasure." D'Ambrosio hasn't ever let him forget that one.

"Wayne's attention to detail is second to none," D'Ambrosio said. "Preparation. Passion for his work. And maybe most importantly, enjoying his work. All that time we were together, there was never a game that Wayne went into saying 'this isn't going to be any good.' He treats every game like it's the biggest game."

Norman won't have much time to exhale, having returned Saturday from Seattle, where the Huskies clobbered Gonzaga late Friday.

"We have a great relationship over nearly 30 years," Norman said Friday from Seattle. "Joe is really good at what he does. We worked very well together. I'm really looking forward to reuniting the team."

And oh, what this team has seen and described.

"Some of my favorite memories are off the court and off the field," D'Ambrosio said. "I think the '99 championship game would be my favorite, as far as us working together. Wayne had been a UConn student. I followed the team from when I was 7 or 8. The first chance to grab the brass ring. It was against Duke, clearly the top two teams in the country.

"The other one that comes to mind is the Notre Dame football game (in 2009). All that history. A month after Jazz (former UConn player Jasper Howard) died. That still weighed heavily on everybody."

Now the band has a chance at new memories Monday night.

"One thing that's missing in all those memorable calls is Wayne," D'Ambrosio said. "A true professional. In 26 years, he never stepped on a big call. He knew to lay back until the dope doing play-by-play was done screaming. One thing listeners don't need is one guy screaming in the left speaker and another one screaming louder in the right."

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro