Alfre "La Voz" Alvarez, the Spanish-language voice of Canes Football, joined the CanesInSight Podcast to discuss his Canes fandom, his viral calls during the Playoff, and more. A transcript of the conversation is below:
Peter Ariz: “If you’ve followed this team for one year or fifty years, you know the passion that lives inside this program. Malachi Toney, Carson Beck and Mario Cristobal have been stars of this playoff run, but for me, one star of this run has been the voice that has captured it all. “La Voz” of Canes football, Alfre Alvarez. How are you tonight?”
Alfre Alvarez: “Man, this is such a big honor for me to be here with you. It feels like a dream come true. I think I really realized it yesterday when we got to the university after the win. We went to a party with former players and media people, not the current players, they went straight to their rooms. When I woke up the next day, it still felt like a dream. I looked at my phone and watched my own highlights just to make sure it was real. What we’re going through right now is incredible.”
Peter Ariz: “When it comes to the Hurricanes, this clearly isn’t just a job. Where did that connection start?”
Alfre Alvarez: “It comes from my dad. I was born and raised in Cuba, and it was illegal to watch American TV. My dad bought a satellite dish and hid it in our backyard. We had DirectTV in 1999 and I watched every sport I could. I went to a sports school in Cuba and every time I was home, I watched American sports. I fell in love with the Miami Hurricanes because everything Miami felt like it belonged to us. In 1994 during the Balsero crisis, half my town left for Miami. That team represented them. I started following Miami during a great era when they were winning championships. I was probably the only kid in my whole town who knew who the Hurricanes were.”
Peter Ariz: “You didn’t even have the internet back then.”
Alfre Alvarez: “No. I didn’t experience the internet until I left Cuba in 2010. I went to France, then came to the United States in 2012. The first thing I did was go to a Hurricanes game. I’m a fan with a microphone in front of me. I try to be professional, but the passion is real.”
Peter Ariz: “What was your first game like?”
Alfre Alvarez: “It was the 2019 game against Florida in Orlando. Bubba Baxa missed the kick and Jeff Thomas dropped the punt. We lost. That was my first call ever. I was nervous. I said ‘touchdown’ and then this sound came out of me. It was something my dad always told me: live with the soul of a kid and the heart of an elephant. That sound became my touchdown call. Every Miami touchdown since 2019 has had that at the end.”
Peter Ariz: “You’ve seen the lows and now this rise under Mario Cristobal.”
Alfre Alvarez: “Manny Diaz was a nice guy, but Mario is different. He thinks about everything. He’s intense. He’s Cuban-American, like Coach Mirabal, and that matters to our community. When Mario took over, we saw more Cuban and Latino fans connect with the Hurricanes. A lot of Cubans grow up with baseball and basketball, not football. Through our Spanish broadcasts, we explain the rules, the strategy, everything. We’re helping build that fanbase.”
Peter Ariz: “You’ve really used social media to grow it.”
Alfre Alvarez: “When I took over in 2019, I already had a big baseball following. I started posting Hurricanes content and bringing those fans over. Every game I post a photo and mention people who comment during the broadcast. I respond to messages live. It’s about making people feel part of it.”
Peter Ariz: “You’ve been around this team a lot. What’s different about them now?”
Alfre Alvarez: “They are like soldiers. We just won a playoff game and went to the national championship. They got to the hotel, spent time with fans, and then every single player went to their room. No partying. Completely focused. After the SMU loss, I said if this team got into the playoffs, they would be the most dangerous team in the country. Our defense is elite.”
Peter Ariz: “You were literally on a cruise when Miami made the playoff.”
Alfre Alvarez: “Yes. I always take a cruise the first week of December. I bought internet just to check the playoff rankings. Ricky Ricardo texted me congratulations. I jumped up in the middle of the restaurant like a crazy person. I told my wife, ‘I have to go back to work.’”
Peter Ariz: “Your calls for Malachi Toney feel different.”
Alfre Alvarez: “He’s my favorite player. I met him on the plane. He’s special. He’s 18 years old and he’s going to break records. He might be better than Xavier Restrepo. I started calling him Malaki by accident because English isn’t my first language. Now I do Malaki and Malachi together. It’s his lucky name.”
Peter Ariz: “You see these players every day. How locked in are they?”
Alfre Alvarez: “Unbelievable. They treat this like a mission. That’s why I believe in this team.”
Peter Ariz: “What’s your message to Canes fans?”
Alfre Alvarez: “Being a Cane is not about geography. It’s about heart. The soul of a kid and the heart of an elephant. We represent a culture built on toughness, swagger and resilience. From Miami to anywhere in the world, if you bleed green and orange, you’re family. The Canes are back. Stand proud, stay loud and keep believing.”
Peter Ariz: “A lot of people know your Canes calls, but they might not know everything you do. Tell them where else they can find you.”
Alfre Alvarez: “I do the official New York Yankees Spanish-language podcast on yankeesbaseball.com every Sunday at 7:30 (La Semana de los Bombarderos). I write columns about the Yankees and run my own baseball media platform called ‘Que Pasa MLB’ with about 171,000 subscribers on YouTube. I also call NBA games in Spanish for NBC and Peacock, usually the late games around 10:30 or 11. I’ve done World Series radio broadcasts and even Miami Hurricanes basketball during the pandemic. I try to stay busy. This is what I wanted to do since I was a kid.”
Peter Ariz: “Alfre, this was incredible. We’re going to have you on a lot more.”
Alfre Alvarez: “Thank you, my brother. God bless and go Canes.”
Peter Ariz: “Go Canes.”
Peter Ariz: “If you’ve followed this team for one year or fifty years, you know the passion that lives inside this program. Malachi Toney, Carson Beck and Mario Cristobal have been stars of this playoff run, but for me, one star of this run has been the voice that has captured it all. “La Voz” of Canes football, Alfre Alvarez. How are you tonight?”
Alfre Alvarez: “Man, this is such a big honor for me to be here with you. It feels like a dream come true. I think I really realized it yesterday when we got to the university after the win. We went to a party with former players and media people, not the current players, they went straight to their rooms. When I woke up the next day, it still felt like a dream. I looked at my phone and watched my own highlights just to make sure it was real. What we’re going through right now is incredible.”
Peter Ariz: “When it comes to the Hurricanes, this clearly isn’t just a job. Where did that connection start?”
Alfre Alvarez: “It comes from my dad. I was born and raised in Cuba, and it was illegal to watch American TV. My dad bought a satellite dish and hid it in our backyard. We had DirectTV in 1999 and I watched every sport I could. I went to a sports school in Cuba and every time I was home, I watched American sports. I fell in love with the Miami Hurricanes because everything Miami felt like it belonged to us. In 1994 during the Balsero crisis, half my town left for Miami. That team represented them. I started following Miami during a great era when they were winning championships. I was probably the only kid in my whole town who knew who the Hurricanes were.”
Peter Ariz: “You didn’t even have the internet back then.”
Alfre Alvarez: “No. I didn’t experience the internet until I left Cuba in 2010. I went to France, then came to the United States in 2012. The first thing I did was go to a Hurricanes game. I’m a fan with a microphone in front of me. I try to be professional, but the passion is real.”
Peter Ariz: “What was your first game like?”
Alfre Alvarez: “It was the 2019 game against Florida in Orlando. Bubba Baxa missed the kick and Jeff Thomas dropped the punt. We lost. That was my first call ever. I was nervous. I said ‘touchdown’ and then this sound came out of me. It was something my dad always told me: live with the soul of a kid and the heart of an elephant. That sound became my touchdown call. Every Miami touchdown since 2019 has had that at the end.”
Peter Ariz: “You’ve seen the lows and now this rise under Mario Cristobal.”
Alfre Alvarez: “Manny Diaz was a nice guy, but Mario is different. He thinks about everything. He’s intense. He’s Cuban-American, like Coach Mirabal, and that matters to our community. When Mario took over, we saw more Cuban and Latino fans connect with the Hurricanes. A lot of Cubans grow up with baseball and basketball, not football. Through our Spanish broadcasts, we explain the rules, the strategy, everything. We’re helping build that fanbase.”
Peter Ariz: “You’ve really used social media to grow it.”
Alfre Alvarez: “When I took over in 2019, I already had a big baseball following. I started posting Hurricanes content and bringing those fans over. Every game I post a photo and mention people who comment during the broadcast. I respond to messages live. It’s about making people feel part of it.”
Peter Ariz: “You’ve been around this team a lot. What’s different about them now?”
Alfre Alvarez: “They are like soldiers. We just won a playoff game and went to the national championship. They got to the hotel, spent time with fans, and then every single player went to their room. No partying. Completely focused. After the SMU loss, I said if this team got into the playoffs, they would be the most dangerous team in the country. Our defense is elite.”
Peter Ariz: “You were literally on a cruise when Miami made the playoff.”
Alfre Alvarez: “Yes. I always take a cruise the first week of December. I bought internet just to check the playoff rankings. Ricky Ricardo texted me congratulations. I jumped up in the middle of the restaurant like a crazy person. I told my wife, ‘I have to go back to work.’”
Peter Ariz: “Your calls for Malachi Toney feel different.”
Alfre Alvarez: “He’s my favorite player. I met him on the plane. He’s special. He’s 18 years old and he’s going to break records. He might be better than Xavier Restrepo. I started calling him Malaki by accident because English isn’t my first language. Now I do Malaki and Malachi together. It’s his lucky name.”
Peter Ariz: “You see these players every day. How locked in are they?”
Alfre Alvarez: “Unbelievable. They treat this like a mission. That’s why I believe in this team.”
Peter Ariz: “What’s your message to Canes fans?”
Alfre Alvarez: “Being a Cane is not about geography. It’s about heart. The soul of a kid and the heart of an elephant. We represent a culture built on toughness, swagger and resilience. From Miami to anywhere in the world, if you bleed green and orange, you’re family. The Canes are back. Stand proud, stay loud and keep believing.”
Peter Ariz: “A lot of people know your Canes calls, but they might not know everything you do. Tell them where else they can find you.”
Alfre Alvarez: “I do the official New York Yankees Spanish-language podcast on yankeesbaseball.com every Sunday at 7:30 (La Semana de los Bombarderos). I write columns about the Yankees and run my own baseball media platform called ‘Que Pasa MLB’ with about 171,000 subscribers on YouTube. I also call NBA games in Spanish for NBC and Peacock, usually the late games around 10:30 or 11. I’ve done World Series radio broadcasts and even Miami Hurricanes basketball during the pandemic. I try to stay busy. This is what I wanted to do since I was a kid.”
Peter Ariz: “Alfre, this was incredible. We’re going to have you on a lot more.”
Alfre Alvarez: “Thank you, my brother. God bless and go Canes.”
Peter Ariz: “Go Canes.”
