Legendary Pittsburgh Steelers Radio Voice Bill Hillgrove Retires

[RemoAZ]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/le ... 69c3&ei=26
Hillgrove, 83, has been the Steelers’ play-by-play broadcaster since 1994, when he replaced the retiring Jack Fleming. Hillgrove has most recently been paired with color broadcaster Craig Wolfley and sideline reporter Max Starks for Steelers radio calls on WDVE-FM 102.5 and the Steelers Radio Network.

Hillgrove served as the play-by-play voice for the Steelers’ Super Bowl XL and XLIII victories, along with other numerous significant regular season and postseason moments in his 30 years with the team.

Throughout his entire tenure as Steelers radio broadcaster, Hillgrove has also served as the primary play-by-play voice of Pitt football and basketball. He said in an interview with WDVE on Thursday that he will continue in those roles, but is looking forward to a reduced workload beginning this fall.
“I had a meeting with Art Rooney II last week and I said, Art you recall 30 years ago when you hired me, the last question you asked me in the interview process was, ‘Do you think you have the energy to do both?’

“And I said, ‘I was born with an abundance of energy.’ Well, that was energy from 30 years ago. And now, the energy is a little bit different. I harken to Chuck Noll, who said if you’re thinking about it, maybe it’s time. And so, it’s time. It’s time for me to move on to another chapter in my life.”

[Deebo]

Damn...never listen to the radio broadcasts anymore, but I used to.

What a legend

[fractalsteel]

I listened to Steeler radio a good bit this year.

Hillgrove definitely slipped this year. But a big thanks to him for the years of service.

I wonder if they will move Starks to the booth?

[Jobu]

I hope it isn’t the pompous blowhard Pompeani!

[Ice]

The perfect straight man to Myron, and the a big part of the voice of the team for me driving around listening to games after Central PA mysteriously became Ravens Country when I was too young to go to a sports bar. Really the end of an era.

Thanks for the memories, Bill, and enjoy retirement. You'll be missed.

[Ice]

I hope it isn’t the pompous blowhard Pompeani!

Edmund Nelson is rested and ready... to talk about the Pittsburgh Rib Festival.

[fractalsteel]

I hope it isn’t the pompous blowhard Pompeani!

He wouldn't last three games with Wolfley.
"That scream you just heard from the booth was Pompeani after I tossed him into the stands."

[jewelsongs]

I think it will be Wesley Uhler from SNR. I find him super annoying, but they like him.

[CoolShades]

Boy I feel old. End of an era.

It will be Mark Madden and Paul Zeise as the new team in the booth.

[Jobu]

Boy I feel old. End of an era.

It will be Mark Madden and Paul Zeise as the new team in the booth.

That would be interesting, if nothing else!

[CoolShades]

Boy I feel old. End of an era.

It will be Mark Madden and Paul Zeise as the new team in the booth.

That would be interesting, if nothing else!

Yeah, especially since Zeise has a voice for newsprint and Madden has a deep-seated psychological problem with Pickett. Kenny must look like a kid who picked on Madden in grade school.

I had to laugh when I read this in Madden’s Trib column about Hilgrove’s retirement from announcing Steeler games. He can’t even write a nice tribute to a colleague without taking a shot at Pickett.

Quitting the Steelers eliminates occasionally navigating difficult travel between Pitt football Saturday and the Steelers on Sunday. Trekking coast to coast and working games on either side of the journey can be tough even if you’re not 83.

But not as tough as watching small-hands Kenny Pickett apply his sub-mediocrity for 17 games next fall. That’s another bullet Hillgrove is dodging.

Madden is an arrogant clown, and he hates everyone. Both are know-it-all’s. The verbal brawls between Madden and Zeise would be entertaining. They’d argue after every play!

[tbsteel]

B2B and Antonio Brown to the booth?

[Jobu]

Boy I feel old. End of an era.

It will be Mark Madden and Paul Zeise as the new team in the booth.

That would be interesting, if nothing else!

Yeah, especially since Zeise has a voice for newsprint and Madden has a deep-seated psychological problem with Pickett. Kenny must look like a kid who picked on Madden in grade school.

I had to laugh when I read this in Madden’s Trib column about Hilgrove’s retirement from announcing Steeler games. He can’t even write a nice tribute to a colleague without taking a shot at Pickett.

Quitting the Steelers eliminates occasionally navigating difficult travel between Pitt football Saturday and the Steelers on Sunday. Trekking coast to coast and working games on either side of the journey can be tough even if you’re not 83.

But not as tough as watching small-hands Kenny Pickett apply his sub-mediocrity for 17 games next fall. That’s another bullet Hillgrove is dodging.

Madden is an arrogant clown, and he hates everyone. Both are know-it-all’s. The verbal brawls between Madden and Zeise would be entertaining. They’d argue after every play!

So interesting AND entertaining?

[CoolShades]

That would be interesting, if nothing else!

Yeah, especially since Zeise has a voice for newsprint and Madden has a deep-seated psychological problem with Pickett. Kenny must look like a kid who picked on Madden in grade school.

I had to laugh when I read this in Madden’s Trib column about Hilgrove’s retirement from announcing Steeler games. He can’t even write a nice tribute to a colleague without taking a shot at Pickett.

Quitting the Steelers eliminates occasionally navigating difficult travel between Pitt football Saturday and the Steelers on Sunday. Trekking coast to coast and working games on either side of the journey can be tough even if you’re not 83.

But not as tough as watching small-hands Kenny Pickett apply his sub-mediocrity for 17 games next fall. That’s another bullet Hillgrove is dodging.

Madden is an arrogant clown, and he hates everyone. Both are know-it-all’s. The verbal brawls between Madden and Zeise would be entertaining. They’d argue after every play!

So interesting AND entertaining?

I guess if you enjoy two big mouths yelling, talking over each other and arguing about absolutely everything... I guess it would be both.


Zeise would have a cup of ice and chew it while he was babbling and spitting while Madden would be yakking up flem and spittle... all while mispronouncing words, talking about how much money he spends to go to rock concerts alone and screaming about Pickett.

Good times.