SYRACUSE -- Although there are many changes in the works at the Syracuse Chiefs this off-season, fans will hear some familiar voices offering play-by-play and color commentary next spring. The team says Jason Benetti and Kevin Brown will continue their roles in the media office. Still up in the air, however, is whether the Chiefs will return to broadcast radio in 2014, after a season of webcasting.
According to a press release issued this week by the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, next season will be Benetti's fifth with the Chiefs, as primary play-by-play broadcaster and Director of Media Relations. Kevin Brown will return for his fourth season as Benetti's partner in the booth, among his duties as Assistant Director of Media Relations.
Benetti told CNYRadio.com today, he's "excited to be back with Kevin to do some more games. I think he does a fantastic job."
Of course, it's not clear just yet if we should refer to "the booth" more specifically as a broadcast booth or a webcast booth, after former Chiefs GM John Simone made the call earlier this year to pull the team off broadcast radio. Instead, all of the games were webcast through the team's website and through a custom app for mobile devices.
Note the use of the word "former" to describe Simone, as the team's board of directors ousted the longtime manager shortly after the 2013 season ended.
Last month, newly-appointed General Manager Jason Smorol told Lindsey Kramer of syracuse.com that he'd like to put the Chiefs back on broadcast radio, but as of yet, neither the team nor any local stations have announced a deal.
Regardless of how or where the team's games will be heard next spring, Benetti is keeping busy in the off-season. He tells CNYRadio.com that he'll be handling play-by-play for "a package of American Athletic Conference [college basketball] games" with Tim Welsh on ESPNU on Wednesday nights. He's also scheduled to call a few non-conference Syracuse Orange basketball games on ESPN3.