Charlie Voelker is the co-host of The Drive every weekday afternoon from 3 pm to 7pm. Charlie has been a part of the Capital Region Sports scene for over the last 25 years. In 1996 he joined Big Board Sports host and NewsChannel 13 sports director, Rodger Wyland in the UAlbany broadcast booth for football and basketball. Charlie spent 6 years in minor league baseball, then spent the next 17 years as the Associate Athletic Director for the University at Albany before retiring from that position in 2020. Charlie and his wife Kim live in Albany County with his son Andrew.
Charlie Voelker
Harassment Gets New York Knicks Announcer Fired
Harassment charges within the walls of Madison Square Garden are nothing new. However, since the landmark $11.6 million payout to Anucha Browne Sanders, as a result of verbal abuse and sexual harassment suffered from former New York Knicks team president and head coach, Isiah Thomas, things have been relatively quiet in the human resources department at MSG. For nearly two decades, the bad memories of one of the worst scandals in NBA history continued to fade, until Monday when the word "harassment" was used in an MSG Network statement about one of their announcers.
Poll: What Do New Yorkers Think About The Gov’s Job Performance?
In November, Kathy Hochul became the first woman elected governor in New York State history. Hochul has weathered the storm, after taking office in the middle of Andrew Cumomo's tumultuous last term. The 57th governor of the Empire State delivered her State of the State address last week. So, what do Hochul's constituents think of the governor's job performance? A new Siena Poll has the answer.
New York Yankees Hold The Treasure To Nab This Pirate
Amongst the small market teams in the MLB, the Pittsburgh Pirates have never been shy about trading away their future stars. On the other side of the baseball world, the New York Yankees are hardly discreet with their desire to acquire those precious stars.
Why Do The New York Knicks Stink At Madison Square Garden?
Why are the New York Knicks in a two-year funk at one of the most historic basketball venues in the world, Madison Square Garden, their home court? OK, before you say, 'because the team stinks' hang on a minute. The Knicks are really good on the road.
Buffalo Bills Mafia Get Your Passports Ready For A 2023 Home Game
The NFL announced their international "home" teams for the 2023 season on Thursday. Amongst the announced teams are the Buffalo Bills. The Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots were also designated as home teams for the upcoming season. The international games appear to be a revenue generating machine for the NFL owners and some cool destinations for some of the league's most enthusiastic fanbases...like Buffalo!
Lake Placid: The Core of New York’s Winter Sports Investment
This week over 1400 collegiate athletes are competing in Lake Placid for the 2023 FISU Winter World University Games. The site of two Winter Olympic competitions in 1932 and 1980 provided the perfect infrastructure for the international event. However, many of the competition sites and training areas needed drastic updating to be considered for such a high-profile winter sports event. In stepped the State of New York and the Lake Placid is shining with Gold Medals.
FIFA-Gate Lawyers In New York Fed Court: Bribes Were “Expected”
Corruption isn't anything new to the professional soccer world's governing body. The FIFA World Cup is the biggest sporting event on earth. The Super Bowl generally draws about 100 million viewers world wide each year. The FIFA World Cup in 2018 welcomed 3.57 BILLION viewers, maybe more in 2022. Break it down any way that you would like, the two events aren't even close. Those kind of viewership ratings convert to big advertising dollars. On Tuesday, two-high ranking media officials went on trial to face federal wire-fraud and money-laundering charges in Brooklyn Federal Court. The charges are in connection with the 2015 FIFA corruption scandal.
Drop A Line! Check Out New York’s Free Fishing Days For 2023
New York State has some of the greatest varieties of fishing opportunities in the country. From world class fly fishing for trout to floating a worm off of a lake dock for crappie, the Empire State has plenty of cool places to drop-a-line! The Department of Environmental Conservation announced "Free Fishing Days" for 2023. The free days are sure to provide the awesome experience of being a New York State angler.
Rare Words Come From “Other” New York Giants Owner
John Mara is president and CEO of the Giants. Mara is the person that most Big Blue fans recognize as the team owner. The other owner, Steve Tisch, is the team's chairman and executive vice president. However, Tisch has spent most of his tenure in the behind the scenes, especially over the past few years after suffering a loss of his daughter in August of 2020. Following the Giants' 31-24 victory on Sunday, the 73 year-old film and television producer had some enthusiastic words about his team.
New York Passes Eligible Tax Break For Crucial Volunteer Corp
There are nearly 100,000 volunteer firefighters in New York State. According to the Firefighters Association of the State of New York, those volunteers provide service hours that save the citizens of the Empire State over $3.8 billion per year. It's difficult to quantify what those volunteers really saved those that they have served. Then there are the volunteer Ambulance & EMS workers, jobs so stressful their numbers are tumbling each year. In December, Governor Kathy Hochul signed a bill introduced by Democratic Assemblyman Ken Zebrowski and state Sen. Elijah Reichlin-Melnick that may be a way of keeping those volunteers.
Spoiled Decisions: A Problem That Won’t Go Away For New York Jets
Woody Johnson, along with his brother Christoper, purchased the New York Jets from fellow billionaire Leon Hess in 2000. For the first decade as NFL owners, the heirs to the Johnson & Johnson fortune enjoyed watching their investment go to the playoffs in six times. However, the Band Aid brothers wanted more. Their stadium partners, the New York Giants had won two Super Bowls in that same decade. The Johnsons, rightfully so, wanted a Lombardi Trophy of their own and trust me, so did their fans.
Feds: New York State Trooper Bet On The Wrong Team
Legal sports wagering in New York saw about $15 billion in bets placed during the course of its first year in 2022. Still tens of millions of dollars continue to be wagered illegally in the Empire State. Federal prosecutors near Rochester were hunting down members of an illegal sports book ring when they got an unwanted surprise. A New York State Trooper was involved and working for the wrong team.