By Andy Furman
NKyTribune Reporter
Imagine getting paid to talk.
Oh, did we mention also getting into local sporting events for free.
No such animal you say.
Wait just a minute.
All you have to do is chat with Jay Winstel – he’s the voice for no less than a dozen local college sports teams – and yes, he gets paid to talk.
The 54-year-old graduate of Northern Kentucky University handles PA for Norse men’s and women’s basketball and soccer, women’s volleyball and in the spring baseball and softball.
He takes his booming voice to Xavier for women’s basketball at the Cintas Center and handles all other sports for the Musketeers.
“I’m doing Xavier lacrosse later this week,” he told the Northern Kentucky Tribune. “Last year,” he recalled, “I did just about 100 sporting events.”
He said he got the bug to be an announcer at a really young age.
“When I was a kid, we’d go down to our finished basement on Faren Drive in Highland Heights,” he said. “I’d spin some records on a 45-turntable and then listen to the radio and play DJ.”
At Beechwood High, he said the principal had a monitoring program. “I chose to visit Channel 12, and I fell in love with broadcasting then.”
He also fell in love with singing – he earned a scholarship to the University of Kentucky for Vocal Music Performing, he says, and switched to NKU for Radio, TV and film after two years.
“I always sang,” he said, “some of my greatest hits were heard in my Volkswagen Bus.”
But sports were always close to Jay Winstel.
His father-in-law – Denny Wright – did radio play-by-play for NKU basketball for years with Mike Tussey.
And if the name Winstel sounds familiar – well, Jay’s cousin Nancy was head women’s basketball coach for the Norse from 1983 through 2012 and managed to win not one – but two national NCAA Division II championships – in 2000 and 2008.
“Actually,” Jay said, “I got my first real break from my father-in-law.”
It seems Denny participated in a Wednesday evening bowling league, and one week it conflicted with a ballgame.
“He told me to shadow him, while he was doing PA work for the Norse,” Jay said, “and I filled in for him.”
Eventually Denny moved to radio play-by-play and Jay took over the PA chores which he’s never relinquished.
In fact, this season marks No. 26 for him.
Yet, he remembers that very first season working for the NKU men’s basketball team.
“I believe it was the ’96-’97 seasons, and Ken Shields was coaching.”
And what a season it was. The Norse were the talk of the town. They won 30 of their 35 games, and were an NCAA Division II National Runner-Up.
But Jay Winstel keeps his cool.
He goes through his preparation by contacting someone at NKU and the opponent for a roster and name pronunciation, he says.
“Then I usually get a copy of the script to read at the event,” he said. “It includes announcements and mentions of sponsors.”
But there’s always – or perhaps sometimes – a bit of an embarrassing moment. And when that happens, everyone is there to hear it.
“I once got the basketball lineup from former NKU publicist Rick Meyer,” he said. “It was done very quickly and I didn’t get a real good chance to check it over.”
So, when it was time for the pre-game introductions, Jay Winstel announced a roster member with a broken arm.
“I mean his arm was in a sling,” he said. “We all got a good laugh out of that.”
With 17 basketball games each for NKU men’s and women’s programs, the schedule can get quite hectic – don’t forget Xavier’s sports too.
How does he, well, keep in shape?
“I still sing in the choir at St. Joe’s in Crescent Springs,” he said. “I’ve been there since I’ve been married. I believe it helps.”
And how did you call games during COVID?
“My daughter got me a Noninvasive Ventilation mask by Helmet,” he said. “I was really lucky. The mask passed the candle test.”
The candle test with your mask is to ensure you can’t blow out the candle.
It worked – and so did Jay.
But here’s the real question – can you make a living doing PA at local college sporting events?
While he didn’t exactly answer the question – Winstel did say his wife works for the Pantene shampoo product at P&G.
That’s something he should really announce.