Recent spotlight on Bill Hillgrove, Chris Shovlin illustrates Pittsburgh's basketball play-by-play legacies

Bill Hillgrove retired after 30 years as the voice of the Pittsburgh Steelers last week. However, he will remain as the play-by-play man of the Pitt football and men’s basketball teams. He has been a part of both of those broadcasts for more than 50 years.

The news of Hillgrove’s retirement overshadowed another Pittsburgh sports broadcasting headline last week. Robert Morris’ veteran football and basketball radio play-by-play man, Chris Shovlin, was selected for induction to the Pennsylvania Broadcaster’s Hall of Fame. He’s been the voice of the Colonials for 37 years. He’ll be enshrined next month in Harrisburg.

“I’m deeply honored and humbled by this recognition,” Shovlin said. “It’s beyond my wildest dreams. … This hasn’t been a job for a long time. It’s always been a passion, and it has become my hobby. I just love doing this.”

Both Hillgrove and Ray Goss were also enshrined last year. Goss has been calling Duquesne basketball games since 1968. His 56 years of service makes him the longest-tenured men’s basketball broadcaster in all of NCAA Division I. Now, each of the active voices of the three D-I programs in the Pittsburgh region is going to be enshrined while still on the call of their respective teams.

“I think it’s terrific,” Goss said last week. “I don’t know that there’s anywhere else in the country where that’s happening — or has happened. People are in and out so fast, every couple of years, and they are gone. I graduated from Duquesne (‘58). I bleed red and blue. When I left, I was working in Indiana (Pa.). I was always looking at that (play-by-play) job, and if it opened up, I’d sure like to get it. Fortunately, I did.”

Even though he’s the longest-tenured of the group, Goss isn’t too proud to admit being influenced by his two peers.

“I was always told that, in radio, if you take something from someone, that’s ‘stealing.’ But if you take quite a few things, that’s ‘research.’ I do a lot of research,” Goss said with a smile. “So I’ll hear things that people say, and, yeah, and I’ll start incorporating.”

In fact, Goss actually filled in for Hillgrove on Pitt basketball broadcasts on occasion. Hillgrove remembers one such time that most Panther fans would probably prefer to forget.

“He did the game against UAB the day of Pitt losing to Penn State 48-14,” Hillgrove recalled. “I kind of wish we could’ve switched places.”

That day was Nov. 28, 1981. It was a loss that ruined Pitt’s bid for an unbeaten football season. However, the hoops team didn’t end up much better while Goss was calling the game. The Blazers won 78-62.

“There must be something in the Western Pennsylvania water that creates this condition and this opportunity (for the local play-by-play announcers),” Hillgrove said. “It’s been a blessing. To know these guys, to know that they’re being recognized by their fellow professionals, it’s kind of cool.”

It’s not just the college play-by-play men, either. Jack Fleming preceded Hillgrove in the Steelers’ play-by-play booth from 1965 to 1993 (with Myron Cope as a color commentator starting in 1970). Fleming succeeded Joe Tucker (who also called games for the Pirates, Hornets and Duquesne) after a 35-year stretch. Mike Lange was the lead play-by-play announcer for the Penguins on radio and/or television from 1976-2006. Paul Steigerwald worked in color and play-by-play capacities with the Pens from 1985-2017. Bob Prince (27 years), Lanny Frattare (33 years) and Greg Brown (30 years and counting) have all had extended runs of decades calling Pirates games dating back to 1948.

Goss’ colleague on the Duquesne football side, Alexander Panormios, has been on that team’s radio call for 29 years.

“There is a certain connection here,” Shovlin said. “Pittsburgh is the birthplace of radio (KDKA in 1920). It is the birthplace of sportscasting (KDKA first aired a Pirates game in 1921), and I think there’s always been a connection between the voices and the fans. It’s always been something special.”

Shovlin shared Goss’ admission of soaking in what he heard from others in the market.

“I was always enamored with the fact that they could paint a picture and draw you into the radio and take you to where they were,” Shovlin recalled. “There were times when Bob Prince would call a baseball game, and I swear I could smell the grass. I could smell the stadium mustard on the hot dogs and that guy sitting in the outfield smoking a cigar. It’s just the picture that these guys painted that I’ve always tried to live up to and always looked up to. I just hoped and prayed that I’d be able to send that same message to the people listening to us.”

For nearly four decades, he has. Now, Shovlin will be enshrined with two of his peers who have been doing the same thing in the same market for half a century.

Listen: Chris Shovlin discusses his Pennsylvania Association of Broadcaster’s Hall of Fame selection with Tim Benz.