Inside Ralph Lawler and Brian Sieman's Hilarious Relationship
Clipper fans have grown up with Ralph Lawler and his iconic voice. They know just about everything there is to know about him. One thing that may not be known though, is that Ralph was a fantastic prankster.
Current Clippers broadcaster Brian Sieman opened up about his hilarious relationship with Ralph on the "Clip & Roll" podcast. The two would prank each other nonstop, and Sieman gave us some insight on what the pranks were like.
"This is a G-rated one, Sieman said. "We were in Utah, and it was a weird perk in the schedule, maybe in 2012. We played Utah in a home and home. We played on a Thurday, and then again on a Saturday afternoon. He let it be known that he was going to be busy all day Friday. He was going to have no work-ability. I think he was moving from the desert to the Marina. It was right before the trade deadline. I tried to think 'how am I going to get him?'"
Sieman's idea - create a fake trade. If Ralph wasn't going to work, Brian was going to trick the legend into working.
"So I text him at about four o'clock that day, when I know he's just about to leave the desert and get to the Marina," Sieman said. "I just text 'WOW.' Then he says 'WHAT, WHAT?' I just say 'OH MY GOSH. BLOCKBUSTER.' Then I let it sit for a couple of minutes. Then I'm like 'JAZZ, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT.' Then I don't answer any texts for like two hours. He's calling my phone, and I'm not answering. I'm like 'DUDE 8 PLAYER DEAL. The entire Jazz roster gutted for picks, more to come!' He actually left me a voicemail. I just let it sit there for at least another two hours."
The pranking wasn't a one-way street either, Ralph always made sure to return the favor. In fact, it was Ralph's goal to prank Brian.
"His goal was to always get me," Sieman said. "So what he would do is take a picture of the plane we fly on. He would keep it in his pictures. He would text me early in the morning, 'hey, where are you? Doc is wondering if you're going to show up today.' It would cause enough anxiety for me to double-check the itinerary."
If this was one of the G-rated pranks, it makes one wonder what the other pranks were like. At the very least, their storied antics would make for a great book.
