I was captivated by sports at a very young age and learned a big part of growing as a competitive athlete is being a serious fan and following your favorite teams and the athletes you strive to be, making the play-by-play and color-comentating radio/TV announcers your valuable guides to the action.
Northern California sports fans have been fortunate for more than half a century to have hadsome of the best sports announcers ever bring to life the adventures of Bay Area professional teams.
On Sunday, the sports world lost one of the most original, and best, of all the sportscasters with the passing of broadcast hall-of-famer Lon Simmons at the age of 91. He delivered his sports knowledge with humor and humility for five decades announcing the San Francisco Giants and 49ers, and the Oakland A’s.
Lon’s (“Don’t call me Mr. Simmons”) distinct voice was first teamed with the legendary Russ Hodges – caller of New York Giants’ Bobby Thompson’s “Shot heard round the world” homer that led to “the Giants winning the pennant” – in announcing the Giants. He then supplied the 49ers’ gridiron action, followed by voicing the A’s.
Personally, I had the honor to have had, on a few memorable occasions, some communication with Lon, who, along with the legendary Bill King, were mentors for me when I was getting my broadcast communication arts degree at San Francisco State University and was the play-by-play announcer for the Gators.
Lon’s death comes at an apropos time, with the opening of the 2015 Major League Baseball season, and his beloved San Francisco Giants as the defending World Series champions.
Speaking of baseball, while we continue to follow the Golden State Warriors’ historic basketball title drive, we now need to keep an eye on the Giants, looking to beat the no-playoff odd-year syndrome, and the again new battling Oakland A’s as they have begun their long journeys to hopefully pleasant places.
Ciao!
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