Inside the Press Box: Joe Beninati

To help readers get their hockey fix over the summer, STC is publishing a series of interviews with people who interact with (or work for) the Caps. Today's second installment: Caps TV Play-By-Play Voice Joe Beninati.

1. How does your busy schedule impact your game preparations?

With what I do for work, you want to be working a lot. And thankfully, as I've progressed in my career, I am working a lot and I'm working in a bunch of different sports. The summertimes are spent with a lot of Major League Lacrosse on ESPN2 and that goes right into college football on Versus. And that goes right into the Capitals on Comcast SportsNet and the NHL on Versus. Last year, I did four or five different sports in one year.

As far as impacting your homework and your preparation, that's what we get paid to do. So when you're not at a rink like we are today [at Caps' Development Camp], you're home studying. You're looking through the Internet finding articles and stats and background trends on players. That's what they're really paying us to do. To be honest with you, at 7:00 when the light comes on [and the game starts], I do that for free. You're paying me for all the homework and all the background [research].

2. Do you ever catch yourself, for example, when you're on Versus and you're about to say "we're going to a Pulte Homes Intermission Report?"

No. I mean, knock on wood, no. You're hopefully concentrating as hard as anybody else at their job. So I don't want to make mistakes. I hate making mistakes. I'm my own harshest critic. And if I'm working for Comcast SportsNet, I better know that. And I'd better know who their sponsors are. Similarly, whether it's Versus or ESPN or whoever's employing me, I take pride in who I'm working for and who's paying them. Obviously, the sponsors are really important.

3. From a broadcasters' perspective, what are your thoughts on the Caps' 2007-08 season?

I thought it was terrific at the end, obviously, but that's easy to say. From an announcer's standpoint, we get to look at the whole thing full-circle. From this time last year when we were watching the rookies to training camp to the really slow start. We got to know Glen Hanlon very well in our business. We are fortunate that we travel with the team; we know them very well -- coaches, players, managers.

I felt horribly for Glen because I know how much he wanted to win. I know how much he wanted to be there when the team turned the crest from being a mediocre team and going towards the division champs. And he couldn't be there and I know it hurt him. For all of us, we get to tell that whole story and that's a nice thing in our job. You don't just jump on the bandwagon in the good times. You get to see them when they're down, you get to see them as they're improving and, hopefully, going into next year with a lot of momentum.

4. Looking back at the controversial Game 7 non-goalie interference call, and knowing the emphasis on goalie interference throughout the playoffs, is that something that was in the back of your mind when you called that game?

I know Caps' fans are going to be bitter about that for a long time. And you could make a very good argument that they have the right to be. Coming in my position, sure I want the Capitals to do well. When I'm working on Comcast SportsNet, I know who's employing me, I know who's improving me and I very much want to see Washington do very well in the future.

In that situation, you try to look at it as objectively as possible. I think Craig and I were very critical of the call that night. We didn't think it was right. I still don't think it was the right call even after you see a league explanation of it. And especially when you put it side-by-side with some of the other calls and other goals that were overturned, you could see where Caps' fans would be upset.

My role, Craig Laughlin's role, we're not being paid to stir it up necessarily, to build and add on to the controversy. We're there to give our opinion and it happens in a flash. That incident happened so quickly and when both of us looked at each other, we said that there was a problem with that goal and I still think there was. And I can understand where Caps' fans could be upset.

5. What comparisons do you make between lacrosse and hockey?

Speed. The game is played so much quicker on two feet and two skates than most of the sports that we watch and love as Americans. I think maybe lacrosse has a few more structured, set plays. A little bit more of a basketball set even though it's six-on-six [in the offensive zone] and not five-on-five. But the closest comparison for me as an announcer between hockey and lacrosse is just the speed with which the game is played.

I love it as an announcer; the tempo, the cadence of both of those sports is great. That and the physical nature. Obviously, there's a lot of hitting in both of those sports. The athletes are tremendous to take the pounding that they take and still perform at the level that they perform.