‘We love you, John!’
John Keating ’79 retires, reflects on path from GVSU student radio to Detroit sports broadcasts
‘We love you, John!’
John Keating ’79 retires, reflects on path from GVSU student radio to Detroit sports broadcasts
Fans shouted and cheered as they passed by the broadcast desk on the concourse floor of Little Caesars Arena before the Detroit Red Wings took on the Utah Hockey Club. While some were cheering for the Red Wings, others were cheering for the man at the desk.
“We love you, John!” called some, while others shouted, “Don’t go!” With the stage lights illuminating his face and the voice of a producer or director in his ear, John Keating ’79 may not have heard all of the calls, but since announcing his upcoming retirement at the end of the Red Wings season, he has felt the love.
Keating’s retirement comes after 45 years in broadcasting, including 29 as the pre-, mid- and post-game host of Red Wings and Detroit Tigers broadcasts. He decided it was time to step away during the Tigers' 2024 season, telling only a few people.
“When I got through the last baseball game last year when no one knew, and I walked out of the ballpark, I was wistful about that,” he said.
While co-workers made overtures to convince him to stick around, Keating was at peace with his decision when he made the public announcement on his X account in late December.
As the pregame broadcast commenced, Keating worked off the prepared script and the notes he scribbled onto a manila folder during preparation in the media dining room earlier in the evening. The notes are organized in a way he has honed to find exactly what he needs when he needs it. Next to him sits his longtime on-air partner, former Red Wings goalie Chris Osgood.
John Keating's broadcast notes for the Detroit Red Wings vs. Utah Hockey Club game.
John Keating's broadcast notes for the Detroit Red Wings vs. Utah Hockey Club game.
Keating and Osgood developed a strong rapport through the years, sparring with jokes on and off the air. During the broadcast of Detroit’s game against Utah, Osgood sported a novelty tie boasting pictures of Keating's face with “For the love of God” printed on it.
Osgood said the thing he will miss most about working with Keating is the laughs. The goalie-turned-analyst reflected on how important Keating was to helping him adjust to working on television.
“John has a great demeanor that makes you feel relaxed and comfortable,” Osgood said.
Chris Osgood sports a tie with John Keating's face on it for the broadcast.
Chris Osgood sports a tie with John Keating's face on it for the broadcast.
The pregame show ran smoothly. Whether it was reading an ad, discussing the playoff picture or other storylines, the pair had prepared for everything with their crew. At this point in his career, it is second nature to Keating. For 45 years, he has done what he loves, and he has been able to learn and build from each stop along the way.
Keating knew he wanted to work in TV and radio early in his life. When it came time to apply to colleges, he initially enrolled at Oakland University because, he remarked, “I was dating a girl in Detroit, and that was convenient.” However, after attending orientation, he realized that Oakland did not offer him what he was looking for in TV and radio. Before he started classes, Keating changed course and enrolled at Grand Valley’s William James College. It was at Grand Valley where Keating got his start in broadcasting at Grand Valley’s student-run radio station, WSRX.
“It took me until my sophomore year to walk in there and ask about doing something with the radio station,” Keating recalled. “And 10 minutes later, they had me doing the news. I was hooked at that point.”
Keating credits Grand Valley for bringing in instructors with industry experience and allowing students the freedom to secure independent study opportunities, which gave him the opportunity to work more intensely with the radio station. By his senior year, Keating was the station manager at WSRX and making his way into Grand Rapids radio and TV.
Keating joined the radio station WZZR, now WLHT FM, where the station already had a “John” on the air. As a result, Keating went by the moniker “Steve Knight” to avoid confusion on broadcasts. Steve Knight would soon transition to television when he joined WZZM. It was at WZZM where Knight became a fixture of the West Michigan sports media.
Keating left Knight behind when he left WZZM for KMGH in Denver, Colorado. In Denver, he received experience covering major sporting events, including the Olympics. Keating recalled being on the field in Cleveland covering the Denver Broncos when John Elway led “The Drive” in the 1986 AFC Championship Game.
In 1996, Keating returned to Michigan, joining Pro-Am Sports System (PASS), the start of his 29-year tenure as host of Red Wings and Tigers broadcasts.
The move to Detroit allowed Keating to work with an idol of his, Ernie Harwell, and the prospect made him nervous.
“I remember taking the job and thinking, ‘Well, I can’t work with Ernie Harwell. Ernie Harwell is on Mount Olympus, and I’m pond scum,” Keating said. “Of course, Ernie could not have been nicer to me.”
When Fox Sports Detroit (FSD) acquired the broadcasting rights to the Red Wings, Tigers and Detroit Pistons, the network also acquired Keating’s contract from PASS. In the years since, FSD became Bally Sports Detroit and now FanDuel Sports Network. Through the name changes, Keating remained a fixture on nightly broadcasts of professional baseball and hockey in Detroit.
Keating’s tenure saw the Red Wings win Stanley Cup Championships in 1997, 1998, 2002 and 2008, as well as two Tigers World Series appearances in 2006 and 2012.
Keating knew he wanted to work in TV and radio early in his life. When it came time to apply to colleges, he initially enrolled at Oakland University because, he remarked, “I was dating a girl in Detroit, and that was convenient.” However, after attending orientation, he realized that Oakland did not offer him what he was looking for in TV and radio. Before he started classes, Keating changed course and enrolled at Grand Valley’s William James College. It was at Grand Valley where Keating got his start in broadcasting at Grand Valley’s student-run radio station, WSRX.
“It took me until my sophomore year to walk in there and ask about doing something with the radio station,” Keating recalled. “And 10 minutes later, they had me doing the news. I was hooked at that point.”
Keating credits Grand Valley for bringing in instructors with industry experience and allowing students the freedom to secure independent study opportunities, which gave him the opportunity to work more intensely with the radio station. By his senior year, Keating was the station manager at WSRX and making his way into Grand Rapids radio and TV.
Keating joined the radio station WZZR, now WHLT FM, where the station already had a “John” on the air. As a result, Keating went by the moniker “Steve Knight” to avoid confusion on broadcasts. Steve Knight would soon transition to television when he joined WZZM. It was at WZZM where Knight became a fixture of the West Michigan sports media.
Keating left Knight behind when he left WZZM for KMGH in Denver, Colorado. In Denver, he received experience covering major sporting events, including the Olympics. Keating recalled being on the field in Cleveland covering the Denver Broncos when John Elway led “The Drive” in the 1986 AFC Championship Game.
In 1996, Keating returned to Michigan, joining Pro-Am Sports System (PASS), the start of his 29-year tenure as host of Red Wings and Tigers broadcasts.
The move to Detroit allowed Keating to work with an idol of his, Ernie Harwell, and the prospect made him nervous.
“I remember taking the job and thinking, ‘Well, I can’t work with Ernie Harwell. Ernie Harwell is on Mount Olympus, and I’m pond scum,” Keating said. “Of course, Ernie could not have been nicer to me.”
When Fox Sports Detroit (FSD) acquired the broadcasting rights to the Red Wings, Tigers and Detroit Pistons, the network also acquired Keating’s contract from PASS. In the years since, FSD became Bally Sports Detroit and now FanDuel Sports Network. Through the name changes, Keating remained a fixture on nightly broadcasts of professional baseball and hockey in Detroit.
Keating’s tenure saw the Red Wings win Stanley Cup Championships in 1997, 1998, 2002 and 2008, as well as two Tigers World Series appearances in 2006 and 2012.
Keating works a broadcast with Ernie Harwell.
Keating works a broadcast with Ernie Harwell.
After 45 years, Keating said he feels honored and touched when people approach him and tell him how long they have been watching him. He recalled an interview with music artist and Detroit native Jack White when Keating introduced himself, White replied with, “I’ve been watching you my whole life.”
While celebrities did not approach the broadcast desk to call to Keating during breaks in the early-March broadcast of the game, he still takes the time to appreciate the people who do. One fan showed Keating an old photo on his phone of the two together from when the fan was a kid. In response, Keating called the fan up onto the stage to take another photo together. Others who approached were also allowed to go up and take a picture with Keating and Osgood.
Keating said the relationships he has built during his time in broadcasting are among the things he will miss most after retirement. Throughout his career, he has taken the time to care about those he worked with. While the public can see his relationship with Osgood on display during the broadcast, he has built relationships with people not just in FanDuel Sports Network or the Red Wings, but across the country.
These moments varied from talking with Red Wings head equipment manager Paul Boyer about travel plans for the team’s upcoming game against the Ottawa Senators to sitting down and speaking with former co-worker Paul Hemming, broadcast director for the Utah Hockey Club.
John Keating speaks with Utah Hockey Club broadcast director Paul Hemming before the game.
John Keating speaks with Utah Hockey Club broadcast director Paul Hemming before the game.
“He’s one of the best men on the planet, whether we’re talking hockey or not,” Hemming said of Keating.
For the visiting media from Utah, like Hemming, this is the last chance they have to see Keating before his retirement. The conversations are filled with congratulations and reflection. For those who work closely with Keating daily, their thoughts fall to the long-time broadcaster’s influence on them and their work.
“Who would’ve thought, he’s changed his name and he’s changed our show for the better,” joked Ken Daniels, Red Wings play-by-play announcer, about Keating’s “Steve Knight” monicker while discussing his impact on the team.
The life of a broadcaster can be stressful. There is a lot of travel, late nights, early mornings and a necessity to be ready to go at all times. Keating makes a point to put these challenges into perspective and to always remember just how fortunate he has been to do what he loves.
“You can’t take it for granted because so many people would love to take part in it,” he said.
After the game, Keating and Osgood wrapped the broadcast up, sharing insights and analysis with notes they had taken throughout the game. During the final break, Osgood stepped away, leaving Keating to finish the broadcast. At the show's conclusion, Keating packed his stuff and stepped down from the stage, ready to head home.
While he would only have this final season to sit at the desk, Keating does not plan to be out of the game entirely. In his retirement, he and Osgood will co-host a podcast together, as he quipped, “because the world apparently doesn’t have enough podcasts.”
As he sunsets his broadcasting career, Keating looks forward to moving out to his home in Grand Haven, where his wife has been living for the past few years while taking care of her parents. There, he plans to swap out holding a microphone in front of the camera for taking pictures of Lake Michigan sunsets behind it.
