Bill Hillgrove...

[MajorMajors]

At the LOI event, I ask Bill Hillgrove how many Pitt coaches he had seen come and go over his career. He said he was thinking about that last week and he said he's been through 7 basketball coaches and 11 football coaches. Pretty amazing.

Speaking of Billy H., who can forget these immortal words:

"The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been Bill Hillgrove. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again. But Bill Hillgrove has marked the time. This voice of the Panthers, he's a part of our past, Ray. He reminds us of all that once was good and it could be again. Oh...people will come Ray. People will definitely come."



Go Pitt.

 

[Hero of the Oppressed]

Baseball Ray. James Earl Jones at his best. That might have been the best dialogue in that movie

Good one

 

[owljag]

Or...

"He reminds us of all that once was good and it could be again. Oh...loose football, Pat Bostick! Definitely loose football!"

 

[pitt-girl]

I llove Billy and have shared a couple of memorable beers with him. However, his football broadcasts are becoming painful (as are the Steeler's). He cannot keep up with the action on the field. Not sure why it doesn't seem as bad with basketball. I know Pitt cannot retire him, but it's pretty clear that his best days are behind him.

 

[JS School]

Anyone familiar with his jazz show on internet radio? I think its called Pub Jazz. I was told about it but haven't heard it yet. Pretty impressive that a guy his age can keep so busy.

 

[colingrant2]

I was listening to Bill when I was in the 10th grade in 1972. His Pitt sports experiences may be unmatched.

 

[MajorMajors]

owljag -- Good call --- "Loose football!! And the Panther's have it!" is, as you know, a favorite Billy Hillgrove call.

Pitt-Girl -- I don't hear Billy doing the football games, but when I hear radio highlights after the games, Billy's calls always sound pretty awesome to me. I know he does gets bogged down in BB on which team fouled; who the foul is on; who the ball went out-of-bounds off of, etc. Still, he's a voice we have to have describing the exploits of our Panthers...

Go Pitt.

 

[Pitt-Chains]

And Dick Groat are regulars at Foli's, Brinton Road if you want to hear great stories...

 

[Dr. von Yinzer]

There's no may be about it. He is Mr. Pitt and I will never speak ill of the guy. He has been through the wars and lived to tell about it. People talk about Gregg Brown and his ability to persevere. Hillgrove has done it for twice as long and his lows have been every bit as gruesome as Brown's.

He is one of my absolute favorite Pitt people of all time and I will stand up for the guy every single time. Dick Groat too. They are the gold standard for Pitt people I wish to be affiliated with.

 

[Pitt-Chains]

Yinzer, with you 100%

 

[wbrpanther]

That was great Major. Billy, like many of us, has seen it all. I whiled away many a summer day at UPJ watching Pit's fall camp with Billy.

 

[TempleBAPittMPA]

Originally posted by MajorMajors:
owljag -- Good call --- "Loose football!! And the Panther's have it!" is, as you know, a favorite Billy Hillgrove call.

I thought it was his patented countdown to the end zone--"He's at the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 . . . PANTHER TOUCHDOWN!"