Thunderbolts

We start a new, semi-regular feature today that, for the lack of a good name, we’ll call The Sitdown with Steve. It’s a Q and A with with Steve “The Rooster” Schuster, who has been the Voice of the Thunder for two seasons. A native of Levittown, NY, he came to Wichita with degrees in Political Science and Psychology from Michigan. Schuster travels with the team, so he has some interesting insights to share. Here we go.

Q:  You don’t mind if we call you “Rooster” do you?

Schuster: I guess I’ve been called worse, and there aren’t many things that rhyme with Schuster.

Q: How tempted have you been to yell, “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!!!” at the end of a Thunder win?

Schuster: I mean, that’s the most famous hockey call of all-time, so it’s always in your head.  But out of respect for Al Michaels, I don’t think I could ever actually say it.

Q: Most broadcasters have a signature line/trademark they enjoy using. Like Hawk Harrelson’s annoying “You can put it on the board!” What’s yours?

Schuster: I hate catchphrases like that.  I think they marginalize broadcasters to those one or two specific phrases, so I try to stay away from them.  I think I call similar plays in a similar manner, but I’d rather have the best moments of each game be fresh and not scripted/predictable.

With that being said, I have two things that I will always say if they happen.  If Wichita scores seven goals, I’ll say “seven goals you got it.”  It makes no sense because seven is such an arbitrary number (why not eight, nine, or 10, etc.), but everyone at our college radio station has said it for about 10 years, so I wanted to drag the ridiculous tradition into the professional ranks.

I also say the same thing after every Thunder win (you’ll have to listen to find out what that is).  I like it because it’s so out of left field, and anyone who hears it for the first time usually says something like, “What the hell did he just say?”

Q: Spill some inside info. What Thunder employee tries most often to get someone else to buy their lunch?

Schuster: Obviously, that’s me.

Q: OK, on to serious matters. What is the headline of the most-recent road trip?

Schuster: Intensity.  Coach Bilodeau has talked a lot about playing for a full 60 minutes and I think Wichita did that this weekend.  The loss on Friday was unfortunate, because the team definitely deserved to win.  Sometimes when that happens, a team can get down, so it was good to see them rebound like they did on Saturday.  Rio is built very similar to the Thunder in that they are young and hard working, so it was not surprising to see that game literally come down to the wire.  I think fans have to be satisfied with what they saw this weekend.  Laredo and Rio are atop their division and are a combined 14-5-2.  Add the fact that it was longest trip in terms of distance the Thunder will make this year (778 miles to Laredo), I think it was a good weekend.

Q: What rookie has impressed you the most this season and why?

Schuster: There are so many rookies this year, it’s tough to say.  I would say my favorites to watch have been Jordan Hack, Matt Byrnes, and Luke Hunter.  None of them have a ton of size, but I think they really embody the hard working style that Coach Bilodeau wants.  They all have great speed, and can do a lot of different things with the puck.  Greg Cassista has also been a lot fun to watch.  He hadn’t played in two years, but it really seems like he has improved a little every game, and has been very open to learning from the team’s veteran players.

Q: Which Thunder player would the team have the toughest time replacing and why?        

Schuster: After 13 years I think you still have to go with Jason Duda.  He is off to a great start and is healthy for the first time in a long time.  He’s the first person to tell you he’s not as fast as he used to be, but he’s still one of the most intelligent players in the league, and that’s something you can’t replace.

Q: You can be honest because we’re not fishing for compliments here, who’s the best writer on the Thunder beat and why?

Schuster: Well, Jeff Lutz did a pretty good job the night you were out trick or treating, so I’ll say Jeff first, and Kollen a close second.

Q: Finish this sentence. For the Thunder to make the playoffs, the team …

Schuster: Just needs to play consistent.  The talent is there.  The desire is definitely there.  I think it’s just a matter of putting together strong efforts every night, which can be tough for a young team.  To give you an example, Terry Ruskowski (Laredo’s coach who has won two cups) was very impressed with how Wichita played on Friday night, and even went as far to say that the Laredo players were getting frustrated with how hard Wichita was defending them.  I think if the team can stay around .500 (I know they are not quite there right now) through Christmas, they will have enough experience and be close enough in the race to make a big run in the second half.

Q: What do you like most about Brent Bilodeau’s coaching style?

Schuster: His expectations.  He’s not going to sugar coat things, and demands only the best from his players.  But he’s also fair, which I think his huge for a coach with a tough, hard working style.  An example is after Friday’s loss, where he was satisfied with the effort the team gave and felt if they played that way every night, wins would start to come.  The team did play the same way on Saturday and was rewarded with a victory.