Burlington has a long and notable sports history that includes many outstanding athletes, coaches, officials, media, and volunteers. The Burlington Sports Hall of Fame (BSHOF) is dedicated to identifying and honouring these individuals who have contributed to this rich tradition. The BSHOF will be installing five honourees at their 2022 induction ceremony on Tuesday, May 31, at the Burlington Golf and Country Club; Eric Smith is one of those honourees, and the second to be profiled on local-news.ca.
Everybody who follows sports knows that Burlington’s Eric Smith is the radio voice of the Toronto Raptors and co-host of Smith and Jones on Sportsnet’s 590 The Fan but there is much more depth to the talent of this Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School graduate.
After completing high school, Eric moved to Toronto’s Humber College to study broadcast journalism. All he did at Humber was to make the Dean’s List all three years: this feat foreshadowed his future success. Part of his education was a co-op placement at The Fan 590 and based on his achievements and potential, Eric was subsequently hired in his graduating year.
Good hire. This past year, Eric celebrated his 25th year at Sportsnet and Sportsnet 590 The Fan before his 47th birthday.
A big part of Eric’s career is a partnership with fellow sportscaster and former York University basketball star Paul Jones. Broadcast partners for Raptors games since 2005, they now have a radio show and podcast called Smith and Jones, and the two have a connection and mutual respect that you can hear through the radio. On the Raptors games, they have even switched roles, trading off doing the colour commentary for the play-by play. Their professionalism and skill have been evident throughout COVID, as much of their work, including calling games, had to be done remotely.
Covering the Raptors all these years is an outstanding measure of Eric’s career, yet there is so much more. He would show his breadth of talent by periodically switching over to the TV side of things as an NBA analyst and feature interviewer. He also has hosted a weekly basketball show that was simulcast on NBA TV Canada. He has lately shown his passion for writing about his thoughts on all things Raptors as a columnist for Sportsnet.ca. He has also done work for Global TV sports as their Raptors/NBA analyst, and he has appeared on CNN, NBA TV, CBC Newsworld and more.
For sure a highlight of Eric’s career was calling the 2019 Toronto Raptors run to the NBA championship, but his love and knowledge of sports isn’t restricted to the hardcourt. He takes as much pride in his calling of the Olympic boxing tournament in London in 2012 or in his ongoing support and annual coverage of the National Bank Open (Rogers Cup) women’s tennis tournament in Toronto.
A popular and sought-after sports personality throughout Canada and the United States, Eric has brought much pride to his hometown with his professionalism and commitment to excellence of his craft. The Burlington Sports Hall of Fame is thrilled to induct Eric Smith into the media category.
There is still a chance to meet Eric and the other four inductees as tickets for the May 31 event are still available. Tickets are $60, with doors opening at 5:30 p.m., a cocktail social from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., followed by the inductions at 7:00 p.m. There will be a cash bar and hors d’oeuvres will be served throughout the evening. To purchase tickets, email the BSHOF at burlingtonsportshof@gmail.com.
