Don Poier

Don was on my floor in the dorm at WSU.
I'm feeling mortal right now - take care, guys.

Floyd Rogers
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Grizzlies basketball announcer dies suddenly
Associated Press

DENVER -- Don Poier, the longtime voice of the Memphis Grizzlies, died
suddenly Friday, hours before the team was to play the Denver Nuggets. He
was 53.

A team spokeswoman said the cause of death was not known. His body was found
in a hotel room, station KDVR-TV reported.

Poier was the voice of the Grizzlies since their inception in 1995, when
they played in Vancouver.

"It is just a devastating thing for the franchise, because he's one of the
original people," coach Mike Fratello said.

He moved with the team to Memphis in 2001. He served as the radio
play-by-play announcer the last three seasons and moved to the TV side this
season.

Before working with the Grizzlies, Poier spent more than 20 years as an
announcer on Pac-10 Conference football and basketball games.