Jeff Joniak doesn’t have a restrictor plate on his engine when he’s calling Bears games. His energy and enthusiasm come roaring through the radio.
Don’t expect that to change Sunday in Detroit, where he’ll broadcast the season opener with analyst Tom Thayer from a fan-less Ford Field.
“I can’t imagine calling a game without fans because you do feed off of their energy. It’s no different than a player on third down,” said Joniak, who will begin his 20th season as the Bears’ play-by-play voice. “But it’s football, and the passion that comes with that just naturally flows out of Tom and me.