Don’t let the spiked hair, eloquent speeches or smooth delivery fool you.

Saturday, July 14, 2001

Don’t let the spiked hair, eloquent speeches or smooth delivery fool you.

Sean Secrease seems perfectly content to be an ordinary average guy. Except maybe when it comes to his work.

It’s obvious that Secrease, who took over in February as sports director at KATE-KCPI Radio in Albert Lea, has a passion for his profession. Whether it’s his new call-in show, &uot;Sports Blitz,&uot; doing play-by-play for local teams, his regular sports segments, or just 10-second promotional spots, he gives his all.

You get the feeling Secrease in a studio is like a kid in a candy store. He seems to savor everything. If it’s hot, he might report we’re &uot;riding the escalator to the upper 80s today.&uot; When he tells you that the Tribune’s classified ads &uot;work,&uot; you’re ready to buy one. If people aren’t awake at the start of the &uot;Blitz,&uot; they are when it’s finished.

&uot;I enjoy what I do,&uot; said the 27-year-old St. Louis native.

And people seem to agree he’s good at it.

&uot;The first time I broadcast a game with him, I just said, ‘Wow, this guy is good,’&uot; said Tom Jones, a longtime sports color commentator at KATE. &uot;I just couldn’t get over what a great voice he had. To be in a smaller market like Albert Lea, we’re very fortunate to have him as a replacement for Mike Sullivan. He brings a great professionalism to the station. We’re very fortunate to have him. He’s a great young talent and a real blessing for Albert Lea and area sports. Sedalia’s loss is Albert Lea’s gain.&uot;

Secrease came to KATE after three years as sports director at KSIS in Sedalia, Mo., a town comparable in size to Albert Lea.

His interest in radio and sports was forged early and, although he lettered in basketball, tennis and soccer in high school, Secrease claims he was not a star.

&uot;I always called it adversity in the face of bench time,&uot; he said.

At night, when his friends were listening to rock and roll, Secrease’s radio was tuned to KMOX for Jim White’s talk show or St. Louis Cardinals broadcasts with Jack Buck.

&uot;It was almost magical the way Jack Buck told the story of a baseball game,&uot; said Secrease. &uot;And Jim, he showed me not everyone has to like you in order for you to do your job.&uot;

The deep, tailor-made radio voice is something Secrease has had as long as he can remember.

&uot;If you ask my mom, she’ll tell you with a straight face my voice never changed,&uot; said Secrease. &uot;It was like this when I was small. I remember answering the phone and getting offers to buy siding. Nobody ever asked to talk to my dad.&uot;

When the &uot;Blitz&uot; first aired, not many callers wanted to talk to Secrease, though action on the phone lines has gradually picked up. The &uot;Blitz,&uot; aired weekdays from 11 to 11:30 a.m., has brought local listeners something fresh. Guests range from local to high profile, and listeners can call in with questions or comments. It’s during the Blitz that you hear some of Secrease’s best bantering.

It was late in his senior year of high school that Secrease realized his voice could lead to a broadcasting career.

&uot;I didn’t know if I’d be successful, but I knew it was one of the things I wanted to try,&uot; said Secrease.

And he’d like to try and take it as far as he can.

&uot;The dream job, for me, would be to work for the home town team and be the play-by-play voice of the St. Louis Cardinals,&uot; said Secrease. &uot;Or maybe get into professional baseball or hockey.

&uot;Eventually, from a professional curiosity standpoint, I think I’d like to try TV,&uot; he added. &uot;Just because it’s so different from radio.&uot;

If Secrease does make it to the small screen, he won’t have to look far for someone to maintain his hair. His girlfriend is a stylist and, he says, the reason for the gel almost always found in his hair.

&uot;My girlfriend, I let her take care of the hair – coloring and lowlights,&uot; said Secrease, whose off-air life is not as flamboyant as his &uot;do.&uot; He and his girlfriend – also a native of Sedalia – share a sparsely decorated apartment with their dog down the street from the KATE studios.

A recent at-home highlight was Secrease’s first attempt at home brew.

&uot;I followed the simplest recipe I could find,&uot; said Secrease, who followed a step-by-step, two-week process. &uot;The most difficult part was getting ready to taste that first glass, wondering if I had wasted two weeks.&uot;

He didn’t. Even his KATE co-workers had to admit the beer wasn’t bad.

&uot;At work, everyone was pretty leery about trying it,&uot; said Secrease. &uot;But they all ended up enjoying it.&uot;

And Secrease has enjoyed his time at KATE. How long that time will last is anyone’s guess.

&uot;My only comment – and it’s a reality in this business – is that I’m not under contract,&uot; he said. &uot;So I am a free agent.&uot;