CLEVELAND -- ESPN correspondent Tom Rinaldi has seen the renaissance the Cleveland sports scene has undergone in recent years, and he is very much looking forward to helping recognize those efforts while hosting the 18th Greater Cleveland Sports Awards.
Rinaldi will emcee the festivities on Wednesday, January 17, 2018 at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel Grand Ballroom.
“It's a great honor in and of itself,” Rinaldi said in an exclusive interview with WKYC.com.
“I'm fortunate enough to be able to travel to a lot of different spots across the country and a lot of places that produce great athletes and great stories, Southern California, Southern Florida. There are places in Texas, but I think that Northern Ohio and the Cleveland area has its claim among any spot in the country when it comes to athletic heritage.”
Originally a contributor to College Gameday when he debuted with ESPN in 2002, Rinaldi has served as a sideline reporter for the Rose Bowl and National Championship games, conducted interviews and produced essays for The Masters and called play-by-play for three of tennis' four Grand Slam tournaments, the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.
Additionally, Rinaldi has produced feature stories for SportsCenter, E: 60 and SCFeatured.
“From the outside perspective, I feel like whether it's (Mike) Golic, whether it's Jay Crawford, I feel happy for them,” Rinaldi said. “I have a very close friend that lives in a Cleveland suburb and I feel their joy at seeing the Cleveland teams prevail.
“The Browns, that's a different story, but certainly, in the NBA, with LeBron's return and with Tito Francona really putting the Indians in a great spot with the roster, it's just been a remarkable turnaround, and it's great to see for the city.”
A 12-time Sports Emmy Awards winner and six-time national Edward R. Murrow Award recipient, Rinaldi detailed the heroism of former Boston College athlete Welles Crowther during the attacks on September 11, 2001, in his 2016 book, “The Red Bandanna.”
Rinaldi is the latest ESPN personality to host the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards, as Bowling Green State University product Jay Crawford (2017), Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph graduate Desmond Howard (2016), former Ohio State standout wide receiver Cris Carter (2014), Scott Van Pelt (2013) and Erin Andrews (2012) emceed the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission's premier annual fundraiser.
Since 2000, the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission has been responsible for bringing nearly 200 sporting events to Northeast Ohio, with an economic impact of nearly $570 million.
“I've known Jay for many years, and I've told him, 'You are a tough act to follow, brother. I can't pretend to have the passion and the roots,'” Rinaldi recalled.
“What I will try to have is the preparation and the good sense to move things along and stay out of the way. What Jay said is it's a great night, great people that do a lot of good and recognize the good that others do. I think that's a very important part of the mission of the evening.”
