RIP, Stan Savran

[GreenWeenie]

Saddened to learn of Stan Savran's passing.



I remember back to all those years ago.  I saw his first broadcast.  It's been so many years ago.  I think that it was on Channel 11, later WPXI.  Upon returning after years away from the area, I watched SportsBeat religiously.



I admit to not liking him at first.  He was from Cleveland, of all places.  What is this guy going to tell me and us about Pittsburgh sports?



Plenty, as it turned out.



I admit to not always liking him.  I considered him The Dean Of All Pirates Lapdogs during the height of our poorest period since before I was born.



We had a polite e-mail exchange.  I have every reason to believe that Stan wrote his own reply.  I told him that I felt that the owner was taking advantage of Pirates fans' collective goodness, even while i recognize that our attendance is generally in the lower rankings.  I felt that the local media was not being as critical toward the franchise nearly as much as it deserved to be. 



True to his style, Stan gave his thoughts and articulated them without harshness.  The term "disagree without being disagreeable" might not have been Stan Savran's invention, but he made it his own.



I knew that the owner was losing support when Stan Savran began to raise concerns. 



One can be from wherever.  It's how we try to fit in wherever we go that matters.  Stan Savran fit in....and, he mattered.  I will miss him as a nice memory from my days in western Pennsylvania.  Cleveland's loss was our gain yet again.

[ArnoldRothstein]

I also recall Savran as an obvious outsider. It is interesting how passage of time converts people into Pittsburghers.



My Savran moment is from his radio talk show on WTAE. When the US played the USSR in Olympic hockey, he kept telling people to turn down their radios if the didn't want to hear the score, as the game would be shown delayed on TV. When the US won, he blew sky high and blurted out the score.

[GreenWeenie]

21120E0F0C04320F1408131405090E600 wrote: I also recall Savran as an obvious outsider. It is interesting how passage of time converts people into Pittsburghers.



My Savran moment is from his radio talk show on WTAE. When the US played the USSR in Olympic hockey, he kept telling people to turn down their radios if the didn't want to hear the score, as the game would be shown delayed on TV. When  the US won, he blew sky high and blurted out the score.


Imagine that- an Olympic gold medal game- with the US in it- and, not being broadcast on live television- or, on cell phones, for that matter.  Must've been played by cavemen.



I wasn't in The Burgh at the time.  I was away at college.  I guess that makes me a caveman who didn't play Olympic hockey.   

[Bobster21]

Stan was an iconic voice I associated with Pittsburgh sports media. Even living out of town, I used to get local sports networks on DirectTV and could watch Stan and Guy on their show. That was a long time ago. I was even shown on video when Guy participated in a Pirates fantasy camp and I pitched against his team. My team turned an around-the-horn triple play against his, and Stan and Guy showed it. More recently, I occasionally streamed Stan's radio show. Always enjoyed listening to him.

[GreenWeenie]

You have some great stories. They didn't happen to name any diseases after you (that you'll own up to), did they?

[Bobster21]

152037373C0537373C3B37520 wrote: You have some great stories.  They didn't happen to name any diseases after you (that you'll own up to), did they?
No, all the good ones were already taken.