Last Friday, I wrote that the Wizards were holding auditions to find a new public address announcer for the 2010-11 season. I tried to contact the man who formerly held the position, Kevin Heilbronner, for some information on the position, to no avail.

This afternoon, Heilbronner called me back, having just returned from vacation in Africa.

Heilbronner confirmed to me that he was not brought back by the Wizards after the 2009-2010 season after serving as the team's P.A. man since December of 1998. "That typically happens when there's a change of ownership," Heilbronner said. "I always said that I would keep my job for as long as [late Wizards owner] Abe Pollin was alive, because he always liked what I did."

So what kind of announcer are the Wizards looking for with these auditions? "I was told that they're looking for the Voice of God," said Heilbronner, who still has a part-time position in the team's public relations department and has announced games for all three current occupants of the Verizon Center.

"What worked in my case [when first auditioning] for the job was, first of all, that I had a very flexible job and could make every game," continued Heilbronner, who currently works as a sales representative for Liberty Mutual in Fairfax.

"The second important thing was that I knew the game. Anyone can come in and yell and scream and have a booming voice, but you have to know the game and get basketball.

"You have to leave your ego at the door, is the best way I can put it. I would never put myself above, say a popcorn vendor or a ticket collector. I was just part of the scene. If they asked me to describe the visiting team in a very dull, boring style, I'd do that. If they had asked me to stand on my head while doing it, I'd have done that, too."

Tryouts are scheduled to be held September 13 at the Verizon Center from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.