John Caparanis

CORTLAND — A priest once noted during a eulogy that you have arrived when you are recognized simply by your initials.

If that is the case, then a nickname trumps initials and John “Cappy” Caparanis is the rule, not the exception.

The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on everyone since 2020 and Cappy, one of the Mahoning Valley’s best all-time sports broadcasters, succumbed to this dreaded monster on Thursday despite fighting tooth and nail the last three years.

When I took over the reins of the YSU sports information office in February of 1980, one of the very first congratulatory calls that I received came from John Caparanis.

You see, Ohio University was our common denominator. Cappy received his undergraduate degree there, while I got my Masters there and as far as Cappy was concerned, he was going to make sure that my transition to professional life was a smooth one.

He also made it known that the media in this area was as hardworking as any, and they loved covering a good story, so I should make sure I get the news out on YSU so they can help me do my job.

For the next 43 years we told jokes and laughed, bantered with one another about why his professional team was better than the one I rooted for, later becoming road roomies when he broadcast YSU’s men’s and women’s basketball games, and those of our football team.

Cappy was an innovator, a person who cared to a fault about others, took the time to make a new friend then proceeded to make that individual feel like they seemingly knew each other since childhood.

He had his priorities in the right order and always made sure to heap praise on others, deflecting any that was heaped on him.

He loved sports, researched all sports especially baseball and was a history buff. He served his country during both Vietnam and Desert Storm and loved the military, retiring after a highly decorated 32 year career, a veteran of the U.S. Army who achieved the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.

Like most jobs in life that can be very competitive, Cappy called his competition a brotherhood and those in the business weren’t afraid to ask a question of him because he never gave them the runaround – he was a straight shooter and was willing to help in a time of need.

While at Ohio University, Cappy was the student sports director at the University’s flagship station, WOUB AM-FM, calling various Bobcat and area high school contests with famed Cleveland Cavaliers broadcaster, the late Joe Tait.

He later served as general manager of several radio stations and had a 20-year run on the Mahoning Valley’s first 24-hour sports talk station, Sports Radio 1240 “The Fan.”

His “Tip of the Cap” show from 4-6 p.m. weekdays cornered the market in listenership for over 20 years and those in the media took note of his preparation and delivery.

His trusted partner in the catbird seat, Harry Paidas, sat by Cappy’s side for over 20 years.

“The Mahoning Valley lost a sports icon with the passing of John Caparanis,” said Paidas, professor emeritus at the University of Mount Union and Cappy’s longtime friend. “Nobody knew more or cared more about the athletes in the Youngstown-Warren area than Cappy. I had the pleasure of being his broadcast partner for more than 20 years on various radio stations and we also pioneered broadcasting high school games in 1975 on Cable 9 in Trumbull County.

“In my mind, he was the best play-by-play voice in the area but his work to promote area athletes went well beyond the broadcast booth as he was instrumental in establishing various halls of fame to honor those athletes and coaches. Fittingly, Cappy is in every local hall of fame imaginable.

“He was a colleague of Joe Tait, in fact, Cappy, Joe and I were in the broadcast booth for Mount’s first ever televised game in 1985. Joe and Cappy maintained a friendship throughout their broadcast careers, often comparing notes about area teams and players. He was dedicated to sports in this area and will be sorely missed.”

Niles McKinley alum and YSU graduate, Rick George, watched every game Caparanis broadcast on cable back then.

“Growing up in Niles in the late 1970’s and 80’s, I used to watch the rebroadcasts of the Niles, Warren Harding and Warren Reserve football games. Cappy was Cable 9 for me,” George added. “He had that distinct voice that my generation in Trumbull County linked him with high school football.

“As host of his Tip of the Cap radio show, he treated those who called in with respect, unlike other shock jocks. He would allow callers to chat and banter because he knew it was good fun. A part of my youth is gone since hearing about his passing.”

Former Tribune-Chronicle sports staffer and Cleveland Browns beat writer, Mike McLain, called Cappy a throwback.

“John had an old-school style as a broadcaster, to the point without needless shouting,” McLain stated. “He was a kind and generous man, supportive and complimentary of others in their pursuits. What I’ll miss most is our occasional conversations about the Civil War and all things sports.”

Former YSU athletics marketing director, Bruce Burge, made one phone call for his play-by-play broadcaster when he started the Warren Harding Raiders network on 1440 WHKW – now 1220 AM WHKW and 96.9 FM – and that was to Cappy.

“John was a very humble man, never boasting of his accomplishments and numerous awards but he very easily could have,” noted Burge, who is in corporate development with the Cleveland Cavaliers. “When the light went on and Cappy hit the airwaves, there was no one better. His opening monologue ‘Good evening sports fans, wherever you may be’ is a delivery I already miss.”

Robb Schmidt of the YSU athletics marketing office, currently serves as the play-by-play voice of the Penguins’ men’s basketball team and has succeeded Cappy on the Harding football broadcasts.

“John was synonymous with Mahoning Valley sports and I vividly remember his days on Cable 9,” Schmidt said. “He had a distinctive voice and style that was unmatched. He was dedicated to and passionate about all area teams and the players that he covered.”

Bob Hannon, current president and CEO of the United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley, is in his 35th season calling YSU football games.

“Cappy was a Mahoning Valley broadcasting icon,” Hannon added. “To begin in Salem in 1968 and be on the air for five decades says a lot about his love of high school sports and his commitment to our community. He was so knowledgeable, a walking encyclopedia on local sports but as good as he was on the air, he was an even better person. He had a huge heart and was such a caring guy.”

Caparanis maintained a strong friendship with everyone at YSU, even after leaving to pursue other broadcast possibilities.

“It was with great sadness that I learned of Cappy’s passing. The sadness is not for Cappy but for all the many sports fans who will not get to enjoy his insightful and incisive comments on local and national sporting events and topics,” noted Dan Wathen, YSU’s longtime head athletic trainer. “A legend in local sports media, Cappy had an encyclopedic knowledge of all things sports.

“I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Cappy on a number of occasions and his questions would always get at the heart of the matter. He was kind and respectful, whether in print or on a broadcast. He was a champion for local athletes, proud of our area and many athletes’ accomplishments. I know that I am not alone in thanking Cappy for his many decades of service to area teams and athletes.”

Former Penguin women’s volleyball head coach Joe Conroy, echoed Wathen’s comments.

“John was the Valley’s spokesperson for sports and I became a better person just getting to know him,” Conroy said. “A friend who was a knowledgeable encyclopedia of local sports history, my best memory was sitting court side as a member of the sports information statistics crew while he broadcast YSU basketball games. “Oftentimes he joined us for pizza after the game while our table tennis matches were intense. Man, he was good.”

Ken Bochenek was also a member of the YSU football and basketball statistics crew.

“Cappy was such an easy person to work with and an even better person to know as a friend. I will miss him dearly,” Bochenek added. “All the sports stories he would tell, he was a true professional at what he did but more importantly remained a great friend.”

Mike Ostrowski, president of franchise properties for the Cleveland Monsters and Charge, grew up next door to Caparanis in Cortland.

“Mr. Caparanis was a great person and wonderful neighbor to our entire family,” Ostrowski stated. “He always had a smile on his face, was happy to see you and never failed to ask how you were doing. He loved talking about sports and I thoroughly enjoyed talking to him about sports and everything else. He had an incredible voice that was unmatched and I will always remember watching and listening to him as he broadcast all the local high school football and basketball games.

“I know that I kept him and Mrs. Caparanis up at night when I was a kid, often playing basketball in our driveway across the street until the wee hours of the morning. He likely wanted to get more sleep, but deep down was probably happy for me that I was out working on my jump shot because that is who he was, someone always thinking about others and wanting the best for them.”

John Butera, a local sports enthusiast who serves as a correspondent for ESPN, FOX and all networks that broadcast professional and college games, was a longtime friend who recalls the time Cappy handed him the microphone to call a play during one of his games.

“We called some games together and I can say that he was the consummate professional,” Butera added. “I remember stopping by his booth during a Penn-Ohio football game and he said, ‘Hey John, call a play’ so in my best Keith Jackson voice, I called it and didn’t you know it was a long bomb that went for a touchdown. Every time I saw Cappy he reminded me of that moment and we would have a good laugh. Truth be told, he could have worked anywhere but he loved Youngstown and Youngstown loved him.”

When your peers are complimentary of your work, that might very well be the ultimate compliment in such a competitive field as the media.

“I remember in the late 1970’s when cable television first became available and “Cable 9″ premiered in Trumbull County. They were recording men’s fast-pitch softball games at Harding Park in Hubbard for tape delay broadcast and a very young John Caparanis was doing the play by play,” noted Dana Balash, sports director at WFMJ, Channel 21 and the dean of area sports broadcasters. “He was perched on top of their little production truck down the right field line and back then, that was a big deal for an entire game to be shown on a delay. John had a big part in getting that started.

“I would see Cappy prior to many high school football games that he was broadcasting on radio in the 1990’s and he never failed to try to stop by for a quick hello. He would get his pre-game interviews with each coach with a handheld tape recorder and microphone. Several years passed, technology improved with those recorders which everyone upgraded, not Cappy. Years later I saw him and he still had that same tape recorder doing those pre-game interviews. I asked him why he still had the same recording equipment and he simply said, ‘this one still works.’

“He was a diehard fan of the Pittsburgh Pirates and we were on the same committee about six years ago for an event. At a meeting, he walked into the room wearing a Pirates silk jacket that the kids wore in the 1970’s. It looked like it had seen its better days and I asked him why he was wearing such an outdated jacket. He smiled and said he was reliving 1971, the last year they won the World Series.

“When local sports talk on radio was the thing back in the day, John was the only one doing a show. He was fair, gave his opinion and let callers express their feelings, even if they were on opposite sides of the spectrum. He never tried to talk over a caller because he was just another person on the other end of the phone talking sports. In the days of Pete Franklin, the mouth of Cleveland who resided on 3WE radio, Cappy never tried to be someone he wasn’t. He was a genuine person and promoting programs and athletes were his goals.”

Jim Evans, who has worked in television and radio and currently hosts the highly popular Loose Change program on Armstrong cable, called Cappy a staple on the area’s sports scene.

“For a lengthy time, John was a very important part of the local sports landscape through his broadcast work,” Evans said. “You could always sense his passion for high school athletics. He was a likable guy, easy to talk with and everyone just knew Cappy.”

Like Caparanis, area radio personality Jeff Kelly was an Ohio University graduate.

“I had the pleasure of working with Cappy, marveling at his knowledge of local sports while his work ethic were two qualities that made him a valued member of our radio sports team.”

John Darnell, editor and CEO of the Boardman News, enjoyed Cappy’s radio show because it kept everyone informed about the local sports scene.

“It was always a pleasure to listen to John’s ‘Tip of the Cap’ show,” Darnell stated. “When he called a game, you felt like you were in attendance and sitting in the stands.”

Rick Love, former athletic marketing director at YSU, currently serves as coordinator of industry and alumni outreach at Kent State University.

“John was the consummate professional when he handled play by play duties for both YSU football and basketball,” Love added. “He worked well with our coaches, certainly respected our student-athletes while his knowledge of both the game and history of the programs came through each broadcast. YSU was certainly fortunate to have John among the great line of announcers that have brought Penguins athletics to our Valley fans.”

Former YSU sports information director and longtime Penguin basketball scorekeeper, Ken Brayer, said Cappy’s radio program was a listening must if you wanted the pulse of our area teams.

“I really enjoyed Cappy’s afternoon radio talk show because he gave us insight on the local teams and players, no matter what sport,” Brayer noted. “Unapologetically, he talked up area teams, players and their many accomplishments. Never was he unprepared. He truly was one of a kind and will be sorely missed on the local sports scene.”

Cappy was a noted military buff and member of the Mahoning Valley Civil War Roundtable.

“He also started a smaller satellite group that would meet to discuss the Civil War,” said longtime friend Chuck Fizet, a charter member of the Trumbull County Sports Hall of Fame committee of which Caparanis co-founded. “He spoke to various local organizations about sports and the war, always focusing on local connections. Once, I told him that several of us would meet in Vienna on old Route 82 and play wiffle ball in the front yard of a mutual friend. Out of the blue, Cappy showed up to watch us one of the times that we played.

“He was a man of multiple talents. Once I saw him at a concert, not only with his daughter but his grandson, too. With everything he did, I am not sure when he slept. Despite that, he always had time for everyone. I will always remember him for his cigars, smile and that outstanding laugh.”

Chuck Potashnik currently serves as president of the Trumbull County Sports Hall of Fame, crediting Caparanis with reeling him into the organization.

“I first met Cappy in 2005 at a Trumbull County Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony. We began talking about sports and he encouraged me to become active in the organization,” Potashnik added. “That was the beginning of our friendship. My respect for him grew as I learned about his participation in both the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm. He was the definition of an American patriot who loved what our country stood for.

“We worked together on induction banquets for 16 years and he always spoke of the need to recognize deserving individuals. I admired his sports knowledge, passion for the Pirates and their 1960 World Series championship and his manner in dealing with others. His guidance and personal selfless example, and concern for others was a big part of who he was, which influenced me and those with whom he came in contact. His broadcasting insights and voice will not be replaced and he will be deeply missed.

“My wife Jean recalled her mother working at Grants Department Store in the early 70’s and Cappy was her manager. She had great respect for his work ethic, organization and fairness to the employees. When I met him in 2005, somehow he knew who I was and the first thing he asked about was Jean’s mom, who had passed away in 1992. Such a small world.”

Local high school basketball coach, Don Andres, might have captured Cappy’s essence best.

“John Caparanis was the No. 1 sports figure in the Mahoning Valley since the 1970’s. From broadcasting games to his Tip of the Cap show, we depended on him to bring us the sports. What a guy, Cappy, we love you!”