Blue Jays announcer Dan Shulman off broadcasts to go work Olympics

Based on how the season has gone, Dan Shulman might be welcoming a break from the Toronto Blue Jays.

Though he’s the key voice of the Blue Jays, the Sportsnet announcer will be heard over the next few weeks calling Olympic basketball for the country.

The event will have a three-person crew: Shulman will be tasked with play-by-play duties, NBA commentator Meghan McPeak will provide analysis, and Nabil Karim will be the sideline reporter.

Both Canadian men’s and women’s teams will be in action, starting this Saturday, when the men’s team takes on Greece at 3 pm ET/noon PT. The women’s team, meanwhile, gets underway July 29, when they take on France at 11:15 am ET/8:15 am PT.

Shulman joined Sportsnet’s Mike Halford & Jason Brough today to talk about the teams, as well as his expected experience at the Games.

The Canadian men will be in for a tough battle to be one of eight teams to advance to the quarterfinals. Group A includes Australia, Greece, Canada, and Spain. It’s quickly been labelled the “group of death” for the tournament, as every team is in the top 15 of the FIBA rankings.

“It’s going to be intense and stressful for every Canadian basketball fan, because every possession from the first tip on Saturday is going to feel like game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final,” Shulman said. “None of these games are going to be easy… FIBA is different, and they are in the toughest group, and they’re going to win a couple of games to get out.”

The first events at the Paris Olympics began today, with the Opening Ceremonies beginning on July 26 at 1:30 pm ET and the Closing Ceremonies to be held on August 11.

The Games kicked off with soccer and Rugby Sevens events on what’s known as “Day -2,” meaning two days before the Opening Ceremony.

For fans interested in watching the Olympics, the easiest way to do so is via CBC, either on the channel itself or streaming through the CBC website or the CBC Gem app, which is available on most major devices.

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