Who’ll be the next ‘Voice of the Gamecocks?’

For the past month, Charles Bloom has spent a not unsubstantial number of hours listening to recorded broadcasts of basketball and baseball games, from an assortment of play-by-play announcers across the country, all of whom would like to be the next “Voice of the Gamecocks.”

The men’s basketball and baseball “voice,” that is.

Bloom, South Carolina’s executive associate athletics director and chief of staff for athletics director Ray Tanner, estimates he’s so far heard demo tapes (or online links) from about a dozen candidates to fill the role previously held by Andy Demetra, who in mid-August quit after seven years to take over radio play-by-play for Georgia Tech – basketball, baseball and, importantly, also football.

“I love radio, so I don’t get tired of it,” Bloom said with a chuckle of his extra “job.”

Good thing, too, because the process of hiring a new “voice” still has a ways to go. That’s according to Chris Ferris, vice president of the audio division of IMG Sports/College, which holds broadcast rights to USC sports.

Ferris says more than 80 potential candidates have gotten in touch about USC’s position. His first job is to “pare that down,” sending the best options on to Bloom, Tanner and others, who’ll work with IMG to make the final call.

“We’ve gotten a good amount of people putting their names in,” Ferris said. “It’s been a good cross-section – some from the West Coast, even, because this is a position that is sought after.” Some doing the seeking are at smaller programs, or are the No. 2 person at larger schools.

“We would like to slim that down to the group that South Carolina would see,” Ferris said, “and I’ll also add some of my recommendations.”

Certain needed qualifications are obvious. Ferris said: good radio voice, “someone who sounds strong, confident, who can project a game to listeners and suck me in. There’s a craft to radio play-by-play,” where the announcer, unlike on TV, must paint mental pictures for the audience, “and that takes experience and some developing of that craft.”

Bloom and Ferris agree that doing both basketball and baseball requires different styles; “the tempo of basketball is higher, (while) baseball is more a conversation,” Ferris said. Perhaps most importantly, The Voice also must be a fit with the program he (or she) represents. “(The final choice) has to have a good relationship with the coaches, athletes and administration – and the fans,” Bloom said – in other words, must be part of the team.

There’s another factor, though, that Ferris and Bloom discuss guardedly: the belief that Demetra – who said he loved his time at USC – chose to move on largely for a chance to also call football at Georgia Tech.

Since the dismissal in 2003 of Charlie McAlexander, who seven years earlier had replaced the retiring Bob Fulton – the original and legendary “Voice of the Gamecocks” – USC has spoken with two voices. Former quarterback and Columbia attorney Todd Ellis took over in the football booth, while a series of hosts (including Mike Morgan, currently with ESPN) handled USC’s other sports.

On the surface, separation made sense, since football and basketball seasons overlap – but basketball and baseball also have conflicts. Balance all that against the higher profile with the public, and the bigger paycheck, that comes with calling what is most schools’ No. 1 sport.

Demetra, reached via text message, declined comment.

“The only thing I can say is, it is what it is,” Ferris said. “There are lots of situations all over the country; some are just men’s basketball and baseball, too. We can only speak to the fact that this is what the position is, not what it might be.”

Could not offering football “hinder” USC getting a top talent? “That’s not the right word,” Bloom said. “It’s what we have to work with. The candidates know what they’re getting here.”

And, that said, plenty of candidates apparently would be content with what USC has to offer. Ferris thinks that comes with the stature of doing play-by-play in the SEC.

“For many, it’s a dream,” he said. “They say, ‘I’d love to be the voice of (USC).’ Some started out calling games in their living rooms, watching on TV. There’s a huge number of people interested.”

USC’s best-case-scenario will be to land a rising star, “someone who wants to move up,” Bloom said. There’s another factor, too: USC needs to find that person fairly quickly, since basketball season is less than two months away.

“You want someone (hired) in time for them to be at the preseason practices, so they can get to know coach (Frank) Martin, his staff, the players,” Bloom said.

“It would be great if this was May,” Ferris said. “But that’s not the situation.” Still, he said, “the most important thing is, we need to get the right person.”

And so Bloom’s extra game-listening sessions will continue – until they do.