Bay Area broadcast legend Bill King dies
Since there are no Raiderfan's from the Bay Area... you may not know who this legend of "your" football team is. If you need some help remembering who he was...
He was the announcer who said, "Old man Willie" as Willie Brown intecepted the ball and took it to the house in the Super Bowl game against the Minnesota Vikings...
A huge loss to us old-timers...
For those of us who developed our passion for sports by listening to men like King, Bud Foster, Lon Simmons and Russ Hodges, this is a terrible loss.
These men were true giants during the golden era of Bay Area radio broadcasting. Now only Simmons is left...
When radio was the primary means to communicate the doings on the field or court, we counted on these men to tell us what was happening. They did it with a flair for the dramatic, candor and, most importantly, a sense of humor. They never fell into the modern day trap of condescending mannerisms or insults. They respected the listener, knowing their job was to paint a picture of the entire event and then provide a report of the action.
Unlike announcers today, they knew their role. They were not the stars of the show, the players were.
No one did a better job of conveying the fast pace of professional basketball than Bill King. His work on the Warriors broadcasts is legendary. From berating Manny Sokol to wishing everyone a Happy Mother's Day, it was all done with panache and a mouthful of popcorn.
I hope the East Bay community will find a way to honor King's work just as the Giants have honored Hodges and Simmons.
m2
