Brian Sweeney announcing a St. Thomas hockey game. Sweeney started announcing Tommie hockey games in 2016. (Photo courtesy of University of St. Thomas)
If you have been to a St. Thomas men’s hockey game, you have probably heard Brian Sweeney’s voice.
If you have been to a Concordia University women’s soccer game, Minnesota Vixen game or a Simley High School football game, you have also heard Sweeney’s voice.
Sweeney, who markets himself as MN Announcer Guy and also goes by Announcer Guy Brian on his business card, has announced nearly 600 games, varying from sport, division level and gender. He has announced for Tommie men’s hockey since 2016.
“I have lots of free time,” Sweeney said with a smile.
During the day, Sweeney works as a service adviser for a local truck dealership. At night, he spends much of his time announcing sports.
After graduating from the Brown Institute for Media Innovation in 1993 with an associate degree in radio and television broadcasting, Sweeney spent several years working for Minnesota radio stations 93X and KS95. Eventually, Sweeney received a degree in automotive technology from Hennepin Technical College in 1997 and has had a 27-year long career in the automotive industry.
Sweeney deals with various complaints and negativity in the automotive industry. But announcing on the evenings and weekends gives him “a good chance to have a lot of positive.”
“I can go there and give that athlete a professional treatment,” Sweeney said, “It’s nice to know that someday, 20-30 years from now, I’ll be a part of so many people’s memories.”
Sweeney’s career in announcing took off in 2014 when he began announcing Simley hockey games. He eventually added on Simley’s boys’ and girls’ soccer, football, boys’ and girls’ hockey, boys’ and girls’ lacrosse and baseball to his announcing schedule. He has also substituted for dance, wrestling, volleyball and basketball.
“At one time, I told the high school hockey coaches that I would give them 10 years or a state championship, whichever came first,” Sweeney said with a laugh, “but I don’t know if I’d actually walk away.”
Rather than typical business cards, Sweeney uses “trading cards” that come in plastic wrap under the name “Announcer Guy Brian.” (Burke Spizale/TommieMedia)
Before each game, he makes sure to take the time to find out how athletes’ names are pronounced.
According to Simley alumnus and St. Thomas senior Cole Veith, Sweeney’s measures were appreciated.
“My name is really tough to pronounce,” Veith said, “but Sweeney always got it right.”
Veith explained the importance Sweeney’s role had on student athletes.
“Our stat reporting was based off game announcements, but he knew us so well by number that our stats were always correct,” Veith said. “I appreciated that.”
Sweeney’s favorite event to announce has been the Minnesota State High School League’s section 3AA championship for women’s hockey, in which the winning team goes to the state tournament.
“It’s the most fun every year,” Sweeney said. “Just knowing that you know, you’re their last stop before television is always really cool.”
In addition to his announcing career, Sweeney works as the director of pre-game
& half-time entertainment for the Minnesota Vixen, the longest continuing women’s tackle football team established in 1999.
Sweeney hopes to work toward announcing for the new NHL team emerging in Seattle during the 2020-21 season.
“If I had the opportunity to move out there and do that, that’d be great,” Sweeney said.
Burke Spizale can be reached at spiz8477@stthomas.edu.