Penguins Update: Farewell to Bibs and Mearsy
Back in 1976, the Pittsburgh Pirates stunned local baseball fans and the sports community at large by firing long-time broadcaster Bob Prince. Public outcry was so great, a parade and rally were held downtown in support of “the Gunner” in an effort to pressure the Pirates into hiring him back, to no avail.
Nineteen at the time and an avid baseball fan, I was crestfallen. Listening to Prince describe the games on radio in his inimitable style was an integral part of my youth. Among my enduring memories, a family picnic at Riverview Park on Labor Day circa 1966 and playing catch with a cousin while the Gunner’s gravelly voice blared from a nearby radio.
While the recent dismissals by FSG of Penguins play-by-play announcer Steve Mears and color analyst Bob Errey didn’t hit with the same freight-train force, they came as a shock nonetheless. Perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised…change seems to be the watchword for the Pens these days and society in general. I grew up in a more paternalistic world where players spent their entire careers with one team and announcers for the most part did, too.