Gino Cappelletti Retires From Booth

[jlu52]

Gino Cappelletti retires from Patriots radio team - Touching All the Bases - Boston.com


I'm gonna miss me some Gino. I know that it's time, but I've been listening to he and Gil since they started doing the games, with the TV volume off. At his best, he was certainly among the best at his job. A great player and broadcaster. Good luck, Gino!

 

[PatsWSB47]

Gino Cappelletti retires from Patriots radio team - Touching All the Bases - Boston.com


I'm gonna miss me some Gino. I know that it's time, but I've been listening to he and Gil since they started doing the games, with the TV volume off. At his best, he was certainly among the best at his job. A great player and broadcaster. Good luck, Gino!

A true Patriot legend. The Patriots will no doubt honor him at one of the home games this season. We'll miss you Gino.

 

[RobertWeathers]

It's time and at 72, Gil is in his last year.

Based on his interview with the Worcester Telegram, seems he was in rough shape at the end of the season.

New England Patriots Blog - ESPN Boston

After the AFC Championship Game, Santos told the Telegram, he shook uncontrollably for an hour due to illness, but felt better after taking a hot shower. He said he did not follow his wife’s suggestion to go to the emergency room.

Santos still had a cold after the Super Bowl and again ignored his wife’s plea to go to a doctor, he told the newspaper.

Then, on a Feb. 24 trip to a diner, after Santos staggered out of the men’s room, an ambulance was called.

Santos told the Telegram he had double pneumonia on one lung, single pneumonia in the other, blood poisoning and a pulmonary obstruction that had him on a ventilator in intensive care for three weeks and hospitalized for another month. He then spent the next six weeks at a rehab center, where he had to learn to use his arms and legs again.

Santos said he was read his last rites three times during the ordeal, but he doesn’t remember a lot of it.

“They thought I was going to check out,” Santos told the Telegram. “Obviously, I didn't. I don't remember any of it.”

Santos left the rehab center with the help of a walker on May 19. He is expected to be in the booth in time for the Patriots’ first preseason game Aug. 9.

 

[BigMike]

wow, just wow upon reading about Gil....three times?

 

[Uncle Rico]

It's time and at 72, Gil is in his last year.

Based on his interview with the Worcester Telegram, seems he was in rough shape at the end of the season.

New England Patriots Blog - ESPN Boston

Quite an ordeal. Gil's the last of the golden-voiced announcers we've been blessed with here in Boston/NE, guys like Ned Martin and Fred Cusik. By comparison so many announcers sound like adolescents who substitute volume for class and substance.

Gino also always had that great voice and a measured approach to analysis. He kept it honest.

That said, while I'll miss Gino and, eventually, Gil, it is time. They've served us well.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Quite an ordeal. Gil's the last of the golden-voiced announcers we've been blessed with here in Boston/NE, guys like Ned Martin and Fred Cusik. By comparison so many announcers sound like adolescents who substitute volume for class and substance.

Gino also always had that great voice and a measured approach to analysis. He kept it honest.

That said, while I'll miss Gino and, eventually, Gil, it is time. They've served us well.

Fred could have continued for another 10 years but it's the travel and work these guys put into to prepare to call a game. He was still mentally sharp.

Mike Gorman will be 65 this year. He still sounds great but an 82 game is not quite a 16 game season....

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Sad day. One of my regrets living in NYC is that I can't mute my TV and listen to his game calls.

 

[DaBronxPats14]

I have a album "Spirited Patriots of '76" 1976 Pat's Season on a vinyl record of all broadcasts that year with Gil Santos. I became a Pats fan in 76 those 2 voices I've always known.
Best Wishes & Much Success In your future.

 

[IndyKen]

Thank you Gino for all the years behind the mike!

And one more year of Gino on Sirius radio across the country - going to be a sad day for me when he clicks off his mike for the last time.

 

[Reckedtrek]

I wish them both the best and will greatly miss their broadcasts. Their voices are a main ingredient to making game day what it is.

Very scary to hear how sick Gil Santos was. The "I don't need a doctor... I'm a guy" bit doesn't pan out so well sometimes. Stay well Gil and Gino. In fact, stay well, all!

 

[Armchair Quarterback]

Are they really going to replace a legend like Gino with an idiot like Zolak?

 

[Rob0729]

Thank you Gino for all the years as a broadcaster. I am to young to ever see him play, but at his height as a radio broadcaster he was one of the best. Many times I found myself turning down the volume of the TV and listening to him and Gil on the radio.

I know a lot of people hate Zo, but I think he will be a pretty good replacement for Gino.

 

[cmasspatsfan]

Are they really going to replace a legend like Gino with an idiot like Zolak?

I thought Zo was good in his role last year, it could have been because Gino and Gil were a step behind and Zo let us know what was going on.
Gil and Gino were the best for years but their time had come, gonna miss you Gino.

 

[Rob0729]

I thought Zo was good in his role last year, it could have been because Gino and Gil were a step behind and Zo let us know what was going on.
Gil and Gino were the best for years but their time had come, gonna miss you Gino.

I think Zo is a much better color guy than he is a radio show host. I actually like him as a radio host, but I know a lot of people don't. But being the color guy really utilizes his strengths on the radio and doesn't really exploit his weaknesses. Zo knows a lot about football and is very good at breaking down plays. Where he pisses a lot of people off is the all the other stuff you need to do as a radio show host.

 

[patman52]

A great player who deserved more HOF consideration. I hope the team does a half time tribute for both of them.

I like Zolak for color, maybe Pete Shepard for play by play. Both are good with the interviews, Pete may be a little two over the top, but he won't be a Heinsohn. I think they will be entertaining.

 

[DarrylS]

Gino is the man who brought me though all of the blackouts and when I worked in the 90's, never forget what he and Gil mean to this Patriots Fan..

Zolak, are they kidding me??? Troy Brown or Tedy Bruschi is about 300 times better...

 

[goheels22002]

If anybody has a line to Gino, please let him know that we will miss him and enjoyed his candid and accurate assessments as in the analyst role. I wish him the very best in his retirement. I've been synching up my TV and radio for years and loved it when they went to FM so the sound from the stadium could be heard in the background in genuine surround sound. Gino and Gil were a great team and called many of the most memorable moments of Patriots football.

Good luck to Zolak. He could be great. He knows the game, sees the field and deserves some time to make the transition from talk show host to real-time analyst. They are completely different jobs and he's got the goods to do a great job. Good luck Zo!

 

[RobertWeathers]

In the few times I listened in, I thought that Zo had some good analysis. We'll see how he does when he can't pick his spots and needs to say something.

If hes 80% of what Gino was, he'll be ok.

Gil's choice for replacement will be an interesting one. Dale Arnold maybe??

 

[MoLewisrocks]

The first SB broadcast call was so flat with Summerall they had to use the radio call on the DVD's... Gil had that unique quality of pipes and dramatic insight to not only call plays but set them up. And Gino had the combination of insight meets passionate restraint that few color guys these days can muster. They're either fairly useless or so over the top they are unlistenable. We've been lucky.

Zo will be OK if he remembers where he is and who he's following. Not Felger or Ordway this time. He's brutal at times when paired with Gresh and even on All Access when paired with anyone other than Belichick. He needs to remember to inform as opposed to entertain. Gil will be harder to replace. They just don't make 'em like that anymore. Tanguay has the pipes but he's a moron. Arnold doesn't really have the pipes or commanding booth stature or presence that were Gil's signature. Not sure Zo and either would be a good let alone great pairing going forward. Zo needs to be paired with a comsumate pro with some command to keep things from going off the rails.

Thanks to both for making the memories all the more memorable...

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

I thought Zo was good in his role last year, it could have been because Gino and Gil were a step behind and Zo let us know what was going on.
Gil and Gino were the best for years but their time had come, gonna miss you Gino.

A similiar situation happened here in Pittsburgh with Myron Cope. Tunch Ilunch had been on the broadcast for several years so the transition was pretty seemless.

Sounds like the same concept was in the works.

Still love the time driving home from Heinz in 2002 listening to Tunch talk about how confounded he was about what a physical beatdown the Patriots administered.

It was an perspective that some found suprising and confusing since Myron and Hillgrove were quite homerish.