play-by-play, and they had perhaps the best color analyst in the business, Myron Cope, who was generally the fan favorite in broadcasts more often than not.
In baseball, the Pittsburgh Pirates had the great Lanny Frattare. He began as a color analyst for Milo Hamilton and would call two innings of a game. In 1979, he took over play-by-play and signed off from every Pirates victory with his signature phrase: “The Pirates win, and there was no doubt about it.” It’s worth noting that Bob Prince, another legendary announcer, influenced Frattare.
In the world of hockey, we had the great Mike Lange, a renowned figure in the broadcast profession. For decades, he entertained fans with his famous catchphrases like “Call Arnold Slick from Turtle Creek” or “Get in the fast lane, grandma, the bingo game is ready to roll.” He also made the ever-popular announcement, “Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has just left the building,” after every Penguin’s win. Like Frattare and Cope, Prince inspired Lange’s style.
As the 2024 season gets underway, it’s hoped that King will continue the tradition of vibrant and engaging play-by-play announcers that Pittsburgh fans have cherished over the years. Hopefully, he will inspire the next generation of Steelers fans, providing them with their broadcast memories for the next 30 years. Meanwhile, even as King starts his tenure as the new voice of the Steelers, we can still expect to hear Craig Wolfley’s trademark “gadzooks” occasionally.
