Hillgrove retiring….

[PittPanther44]

…at least from the Steelers. Still planning to do Pitt football and basketball.

Definitely is one of those classic voices that becomes intertwined with your fandom. And yeah - I get it - makes a good many mistakes at his age.

This seems like the right thing. Lighten the load a little bit, and not have to worry about the NFL visibility as much. Probably will be good for all. The question is where do the Steelers go next? Not sure an out of towner fits that role, and not sure we have an up and coming talent for it.

 

[NKSplitter]

The question is where do the Steelers go next? Not sure an out of towner fits that role, and not sure we have an up and coming talent for it.

The obvious choice is SMF. The unquestioned voice of his generation and Pittsburgh everyman.

 

[HailToPitt725]

…at least from the Steelers. Still planning to do Pitt football and basketball.

Definitely is one of those classic voices that becomes intertwined with your fandom. And yeah - I get it - makes a good many mistakes at his age.

This seems like the right thing. Lighten the load a little bit, and not have to worry about the NFL visibility as much. Probably will be good for all. The question is where do the Steelers go next? Not sure an out of towner fits that role, and not sure we have an up and coming talent for it.

I think the best choice for the Steelers would be Rob King. IIRC, he filled in for Hillgrove previously and I thought he sounded great.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

The obvious choice is SMF. The unquestioned voice of his generation and Pittsburgh everyman.

No thanks. I got a good gig with SMFN. We are doing Wheeling Jesuit and Bethany games next year.

 

[KennyTheKangaroo]

I’d like to compose a list of our favorite Hillgrove phrases. Here’s a start:

Sidecar to the left (or right)
Check with me

 

[OH Pete]

I’d like to compose a list of our favorite Hillgrove phrases. Here’s a start:

Sidecar to the left (or right)
Check with me

Banana bunch to the left

And my all time favorite when he corrects himself: Hines Ward makes the catch and turns up field....that's not Hines Ward, that's Santonio Holmes.

 

[pittdan77]

I don't know how he kept up with the travel at his age. Great voice.

 

[PittPanther44]

I don't know how he kept up with the travel at his age. Great voice.

He sometimes would skip a Pitt game if it was on the road and the Steelers played the next day.

 

[PittPanther44]

I like Rob King. Not sure he is on that level PBP wise. Pomp has a great voice and is well respected. But he isn’t a great PBP guy. Gets too tongue twisted. Ideally you would just move him from preseason, but I don’t think he is it either.

Not sure if there is a dark horse that is a great announcer, Steeler fan, Pgh ties, etc that jumps in the mix. Not to sound like a typical yinzer, but can’t be a complete outsider for this job.

 

[MorningCoffee13]

Doesn’t Pompeani do the preseason broadcasts when KDKA is doing them? He would seem like logical choice.

 

[bayardstreet]

“And there’s a man with the ball”

They are either going with Pompeani or king.

 

[pittmeister]

Will the local media blame Pitt for Hillgrove's retirement?

 

[Dan1911]

Great guy, but it's time. He calls a game that isn't happening on the field. His color guy has to constantly correct him. It's time.

 

[KennyTheKangaroo]

I still remember the time he said ray Lewis was at running back during a Pitt game. It wasn’t ray Lewis. It was either ray graham or Deion Lewis. Who knows what was actually happening

 

[RaleighPittFan]

Does he still know the fastest way to get into a pharmacy?

 

[Franb]

He thought it was a drive-through pharmacy.

 

[Slick Manager of Champs]

Great guy, but it's time. He calls a game that isn't happening on the field. His color guy has to constantly correct him. It's time.

yep, great voice, loyal Pitt man. But he should have stayed a sports anchorman. In 40 years, he never improved on play by play and as you said could be comically bad at times.

Steelers will probably promote a local like King or even Pomp. But play by play is completely different than sports anchoring. I wouldn't mind an out of box hire and get a non-yinzer in there with some relevant experience.

 

[Slick Manager of Champs]

I still remember the time he said ray Lewis was at running back during a Pitt game. It wasn’t ray Lewis. It was either ray graham or Deion Lewis. Who knows what was actually happening

I never listened often to the Steelers radio broadcast but I'd be curious how many times did he call Antonio Brown Antonio Bryant? Enough to make a drinking game out of it?

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

I still remember the time he said ray Lewis was at running back during a Pitt game. It wasn’t ray Lewis. It was either ray graham or Deion Lewis. Who knows what was actually happening

There was a Pitt game maybe ten years ago or so when the Pitt quarterback threw a touchdown pass, no, wait, the refs are saying that it was an interception, no, wait, now they are saying that it's incomplete.

Yeah, that pretty much exhausted all the choices!

 

[PittPanther44]

He’s going to be 84 I think - which is probably older than you thought.

So the blunders were more a function of age than ability. Even the ones 10 years ago would be a guy well past normal retirement age for other things.

He was a very good play by play man for a whole lot of years.

 

[Burgh15]

Heck of a career for Hillgrove calling games for the Steelers. A lot of great moments over the years and I miss the days when Myron Cope was in the booth as well. Rob King is decent. Hasn't Jeff Hathhorn called some games? He'd be my pick of the well-known local guys.

 

[Pittisit4me]

I love Billy. I will miss him dearly. His voice is iconic in these parts. I remember listening to him do Pitt football and hoops when I was a little boy. Maybe he slipped a little in his old age, but, Steelers games won't be the same without him. Regardless of his accuracy, I will miss that voice. It is like a security blanket to my ears.

 

[ShipofFools]

I was fortunate enough in my radio days to interview Bill on the air over 35 years ago. He was in the middle of a golf game and made a point to come over and talk to me in between holes while I was set up at the clubhouse. I had asked before the round if I could get him for a talk at his convenience, and he was polite and very accomodating to this small time radio guy at the time.

Class.

 

[PittPanther44]

Billy had the same “mini blunder” on the Revis punt return and the Harrison Super Bowl pick six. Thought they both got tackled and then said “NO, he’s still on his feet!” Made those calls even better.

 

[TD_6082]

I still remember the time he said ray Lewis was at running back during a Pitt game. It wasn’t ray Lewis. It was either ray graham or Deion Lewis. Who knows what was actually happening

When a person has to speak as much as they do about action in real time, those things are bound to happen sometimes.

That one is really funny though.

 

[Bean78]

I was just out of school in 1979 when I worked for a small AM station in Ebensburg. My boss was trying his hand at a golf tournament and had invited a crazy number of famous people(Arnie, Nicholas, etc.) Or course they weren't going to play for free. However, we did get Jackie Sherrill, Bob Prince, and Hillgrove. I, a young 22 yo just out of college got to drive those 3 from Monroeville to Ebensburg in my Pontiac Phoenix. I'm sure they were used to Cadillacs. This was the year Marino was going to be a Freshman and Bob kept us all entertained with stories about the Pirates. Bill was nice but quiet, not getting a word in with those 2. I never liked Sherrill after that experience but being in the car with the Gunner was the highlight of my young life.

 

[ChiefJusticeMarshall]

Kaboly was right.

 

[Seneca_Valley]

I love Billy. I will miss him dearly. His voice is iconic in these parts. I remember listening to him do Pitt football and hoops when I was a little boy. Maybe he slipped a little in his old age, but, Steelers games won't be the same without him. Regardless of his accuracy, I will miss that voice. It is like a security blanket to my ears.

When Billy was at his best, there was no one better. I will miss him as well. Guessing he will bow out completely next year.

 

[upj87]

Great guy, but it's time. He calls a game that isn't happening on the field. His color guy has to constantly correct him. It's time.

Hillgrove-Aiken 2024

 

[Seneca_Valley]

Hillgrove-Aiken 2024

Well, I would vote for this ticket. Best of a really bad bunch.