Finalists for New Public Address Announcer Announced (with Video)

Florida Citrus Sports CEO Steve Hogan announced the five finalists for the new public address announcer of Orlando’s bowl games on Friday. The five men will compete during a live audition at Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium on Friday, Dec. 2.

Florida Citrus Sports (FCSports) received over 50 entries in the public call to replace 30-year veteran Bob Matheison, who retired earlier this year. The finalists were selected by a judging panel that includes Hogan, WFTV Channel 9 anchor Bob Opsahl, Orlando Sentinel columnists George Diaz and Shannon Owens and FCSports executive committee members Michel Champagne (Chairman; VP of Operations/General Manager, Orlando Region, Bright House Networks), Larry Ruffin (President; Owner, L.J. Ruffin & Associates) and Pat Bishop (Secretary; Director of Business Schools, Full Sail University).

The five finalists represent a variety of experience behind the microphone:

·         David Baumann of Winter Park, Fla., known to many Central Florida sports fans as an anchor, reporter and play-by-play voice for Bright House Sports Networks.

·         Michael Caldwell of Ocala, Fla., a veteran of the Citrus Bowl’s Tom Mickle Press Box on internal public address who has announced for the Walt Disney World Marathon and Atlantic Coast Conference.

·         Brian Dampier of Palatka, Fla., who has 26 years of experience announcing football at the Pop Warner, high school and collegiate levels.

·         Erik Kohler of Orlando, Fla., the longtime voice of the UCF Knights who was most recently heard at the Florida Citrus Sports Shootout this past Monday

·         Jeff Michaels of Maitland, Fla., a voiceover artist with prior live announcing experience at Sea World parks in Orlando.

Audition videos from each finalist are available at www.FCSports.com.

Live final auditions will take place in the stadium before the judging panel at Noon on Dec. 2. The chosen candidate will be announced in mid-December and will debut at this season’s Champs Sports Bowl (Dec. 29) and Capital One Bowl (Jan. 2).