Written by Jesse Lamovsky

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An iconic figure in both local broadcasting and Cleveland sports has passed away. Howie Chizek died of heart failure while flying to a Florida vacation Saturday.

Chizek’s day job- one he held for four decades- was as an arch-conservative talk-show host on WNIR in Akron, a polarizing predecessor to Rush Limbaugh who delighted in crossing swords with his liberal counterpart Joe Finan.  

For our purposes, he’s best remembered for his long-standing tenure as the PA announcer for the Cavaliers and Force. The sound of Chizek’s deep, booming voice (“Mark Price… for tha-REEEEE!” “Kaiiiii HAASKIVI!”), whether in person in a Coliseum seat or over the airwaves, was a part of our formative years rooting for our teams.