Chris “Smoove” Williams brings the same energy to the microphone that he once brought to the court, now serving as one of the signature voices of Manhattan Athletics.
@HEARCHRISSPEAK / INSTAGRAM
Zeke Jazwinski, Sports Editor
A part of sports games that sometimes gets overlooked but can make or break the game may not be what you expect – it’s the announcers. Legendary announcers like Vin Scully, Mel Allen and John Madden have the ability to take a game between two ‘unimpressive,’ teams and make it seem like the Super Bowl. At Manhattan University (MU), we have two sports announcers of note ourselves. MU graduate Chris “Smoove” Williams ‘93 and Jason Guerette are two of the current announcers who work with Manhattan Athletics to excite the Jasper community.
Chris “Smoove” Williams, who played for MU and helped clinched the university’s first-ever MAAC Championship in 1992-93, spoke with The Quadrangle about how he got his start at MU.
“I played here (Manhattan University),” Williams said. “I was a communications major and wanted to get into broadcasting, so I first started off doing sales in Philadelphia, then got a chance to come back to Manhattan and work my way up to being an announcer.”
Williams’ broadcasting partner, Jason Guerette, had a similar career path, but instead of MU, he graduated from Seton Hall University. He started off doing radio and then transitioned to broadcasting, to where he found his current home at MU. Guerette spoke about what his favorite moment has been since he started.
“During the COVID season they [the Jaspers] played Quinnipiac here [Draddy Gymnasium],” Guerette said. “They won on a buzzer beater in overtime. I would have to say that would be my favorite moment.”
A lot goes into announcing that many people don’t realize with all the teams, players and coaches. It can take hours to prepare for one single game. Guerette goes into detail about how he prepares for a game.
“[It’s] a lot of work,” Guerette said. “It takes a lot of hours of prepping charts by looking at stats online and then also talking to both coaches before the game and gaining a lot of insight from that.”
Before Williams ever picked up the microphone, as mentioned before, he built his foundation at MU as a player. He was an important piece of the team that won the MAAC.
“In the title game against Niagara with the score and just 2.6 seconds remaining, Williams sank the game-winning free throw while propelling the Jaspers to the 1992-93 NCAA Tournament,” according to Williams’ athletic hall of fame profile on GoJaspers.
When asked by The Quadrangle about his favorite moves, to play as a player and to call as an announcer, Williams shared different answers for both, highlighting how differently he now sees the game from behind the mic rather than on the court.
“I always say good energy from three-point shots, block shots and dunks,” Williams said. “One of those three always gets the crowd going and is fun to call.”
MU has gotten accustomed to having the voices of Chris “Smoove” Williams and Jason Guerette become a familiar and energizing soundtrack for games at home. In any game circumstance – blowout or nailbiter – these two bring the energy to the crowd, and prove that the right voices can turn any game into a memorable experience.