Eula Bruce
June 11, 2007Principal at Thibodaux High named
June 13, 2007
He’s the consummate Saints fan – fueled by “Seinfeld” re-runs, Starbuck’s and heated games of “Super Mario Cart.”
And he’s crazy enough to barbecue nearly anything.
Meet Cade Voisin, the engaging personality who delivers the best in sports talk each day from 4 to 6 p.m. on ESPN Radio 1490 KJIN.
The Sports Net recently caught up with Voisin at his studio in Houma to kibitz about football, Paris Hilton and life inside the radio booth.
Sports Net: How did you first get in to the radio biz? Was it something you always wanted to do?
Cade Voisin: My father owned a little deli/grocery store in Dularge. When I was 16, he wanted to put an advertisement on the air one day, and I came with him because I was always interested in the radio business.
Once there, I started talking with the program director. He asked if I wanted to work part-time on the weekends to learn a few things, and I did.
I started off doing a lot of board work at the time and got familiar with some behind-the-scenes stuff, but didn’t really get a chance to go on the air until I was 18.
My interest has always been in radio – especially AM. I grew up listening to Buddy D and a few other local sports personalities from around the area.
While some of my friends were busy trying to set up sound systems in their cars, I was listening to sports talk radio.
SN: Was the job a little intimidating at first?
CV: It kind of was. Coming in here, I didn’t know how all of this stuff really worked. After a while, it became a routine. But it still has a bit of a ‘wow’ factor.
SN: Have you always had the ‘gift of gab?’ Were you always loquacious?
CV: I think I’ve always been able to make my family and friends laugh. And I love discussion, something you’ll often see on message boards and blogs these days.
I have always liked the debate aspect of two or three guys getting together to discuss sports. And although I don’t consider myself an expert on certain topics, I like being able to jaw back and forth with someone.
SN: How much preparation goes into a typical show?
CV: I don’t have a huge knowledge base for one particular subject, but know a little bit about everything. I spend two to three hours a day reading newspapers from around the country to see what’s going on.
The other day, for example, I wanted to see what was going on with (former Orlando Magic) coach Billy Donovan, so I went to the Orlando Sentinel because I wanted to get a personal take from someone who follows that team a little closer.
SN: So, a lot of homework then?
CV: A lot of homework, and when I get home, I check up on some sports Internet sites, too.
SN: Who are some of the most prominent people you have interviewed thus far?
CV: I’ve been really lucky. I recently interviewed a personal favorite of mine, Rick Reilly of Sports Illustrated. He came on the show and talked about his new book “Hate Mail from Cheerleaders” and sports in general.
I like to imitate his twist on sports because it’s an entertainment business and it’s also a lot of fun.
We also had (ESPN personality) Rich Eisen on the program, as well as some local television, radio and newspaper personalities from New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Houma.
SN: Ever get a little star-struck?
CV: It was weird to introduce guys like Reilly on the show because you often hear them introduced nationally.
SN: Speaking of news on the national level, what do you think about Paris Hilton’s jail sentence? Think she got what she deserved?
CV: It’s funny because it’s almost like a joke. When I found out Paris Hilton was going to jail, the first thought that came into my mind was “how many days will she be there?” A month? Two months? Or maybe long enough to fill out a television season?
It just seems like it was all planned out. Paris was out of the news for a little while, and Paris had to get back into the news, so what happens next? (snaps fingers) Jail time.
It’s one of those Hollywood stories that makes me laugh. Maybe it could turn into another reality show, like “The Surreal Life: Prison” or something.
SN: Would you ever have Hilton on the show?
CV: Don’t know about that one. Don’t know if both personalities could fit into the same room. As vibrant and knowledgeable as she is, I just don’t know if her personality would fit into this program.
SN: Any radio role-models?
CV: Tony Kornheiser. Although he’s a print journalist and does stuff on TV right now, he has a really interesting personality.
As a kid, I grew up listening to Buddy D. The guy was pretty unique and had a personality you can’t imitate. At the same time, you appreciate that kind of personality and want to take a little of it away with you.
I’ve listened to Jim Rome and Dan Patrick – those guys always made it fun for me. In the past, I also also listen to Walton & Johnson and Opie & Anthony for a while, but those guys do something completely opposite of what I do.
SN: So the work day is over. What do you do?
CV: I enjoy getting a cup of coffee at various places. I do appreciate the local brews, but Starbuck’s is the best.
SN: So you’re a java junkie?
CV: I enjoy a beer every once in a while, but a good cup of coffee is my weakness.
SN: Any other interests?
CV: I like playing “Super Mario Cart” on Super Nintendo and enjoy watching “South Park,” “Man verses Wild” and old re-runs of “Seinfeld” – my favorite TV show. I like listening to comedy shows with Patton Oswalt or some old stuff by Richard Pryor. That always cracks me up.
Other than that, I love to spend my free time enjoying life. When I get together with my friends, we’ll sometimes try to barbecue things. And we’ll try anything.
Someone will ask “Can we barbecue a bell pepper?” and we’ll try it out. We don’t care.
SN: Let’s end with a sports question, since sports talk is your livelihood. Will the Saints be a legitimate Super Bowl contender in 2007, or are they still a few years away?
CV: That’s a difficult question because I really want to be unbiased. However, for the first time, legitimately, I believe they do have a chance to be a contender.
The Saints already have so many weapons and added a lot of depth to positions they were already strong in last year. They added more weapons at wide receiver. They made steps toward improving their defense.
They made great strides at retaining players who were strong in 2006. And they also brought in new players who will help improve their turnover ratio and run defense, which were two areas of weakness in 2006.
The Saints are among three teams in the NFC that will be competing for the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Cade Voisin shares his colorful opinions on a variety of topics every day as host of “The Red Zone” on ESPN Radio 1490 KJIN.
