That, in a nutshell, is the story of Toronto native Dan Shulman, whose two-decade climb up the journalistic ladder was capped off yesterday when Sports Illustrated named him the Best National Play-by-Play Announcer of the decade.

Shulman beat out runner-up Al Michaels, the long-time voice of Monday Night Football and the current play-by-play man on NBC's Sunday NFL telecasts. Michaels is perhaps best known for his "Do You Believe In Miracles? Yes!" call of the 1980 Miracle on Ice U.S. Olympic Hockey team victory, an event that took place while Shulman barely was a teenager.

Now, almost 30 years later, ESPN's Shulman has edged out Michaels for SI's honour, an award that has left him quite humbled.

"When my agent told me about it (yesterday) morning, I couldn't believe it," Shulman, 41, said yesterday from Cleveland, where he was preparing to call the NBA game between the Cavaliers and the Portland Trail Blazers last night.

"This goes beyond flattering. I was stunned. There are so many people in my professional that I look up to, that I respect ... It really hasn't sunk in yet."

Having graduated from the University of Western Ontario in 1989, Shulman took a job at radio station CKBB in Barrie. His hope at the time was "just to get a job one day in Toronto, where my fiancee (Sarah) lived."

After moving on to stints at The Fan 1430 (now 590), CTV and TSN, where he was the voice of the Blue Jays until 2001, Shulman became one of ESPN's most reliable go-to guys, calling both NBA and major league baseball games.

Perhaps his most notable trademark, however, is being partnered with the always-excitable Dick Vitale on the network's NCAA college basketball telecasts.

Yes, the same Dick Vitale who makes Don Cherry seem introverted.

"Dick is exactly who you think he is," Shulman said with a chuckle. "He's the most energetic person I've ever met. He's like a rock star when he walks into the building. And he's a very knowledgable, down-to-earth guy who has been great to me and my family."

Because he is not a studio announcer at ESPN, Shulman does not have to live near the network's Connecticut studios. As a result, he resides in Vaughan with his wife, Sarah, and three boys; Matthew, 16, Alex, 13, and Ben, 9.

While that setup allows him to stay in Canada, he estimates he is on the road 180 days per year.

"I love my job," he said. "The only thing I would change is make it so there was less travel."

Growing up in hockey-mad Ontario, Shulman admits the struggles of the Maple Leafs in the 1980s temporarily dampened his interest in the sport.

"I still like hockey. Two of my boys play. But basketball and baseball were what I wanted to do," he said. "I played basketball and love it. And my math background has drawn me to baseball."

According to SI, he picked the right sports.