Spent the weekend fishing up around State College so I listened to the 2nd half on the ride home. I rarely do that, as I usually watch. But man, it is a treat. Hillgrove couldn't get the yardage line right if he was pasted on the football, and sometimes doesn't know the down or distance. It is funny as hell. At one point the game is going on and he is talking about obscure college mascots. Then on one play they were at the 7, at least that's what Hillgrove said anyway, and Bell takes a handoff, from the 7 mind you, and "BURSTS!"... all the way to the 5. I could listen to those guys all day.
Hillgrove
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He misses players names. Even the action on the field is incorrect pretty often. Wish there were more interest from former Steelers in the modern area that would explore commentary like Charlie Batch has done.
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Hillgrove has a great voice, and he is a great part of Steelers history, but the guy seems to be going increasingly senile year after year.
He needs to be replaced.
He needs to be replaced.
IronMike52
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Would have to agree with the notion that Hillgrove is on the decline. It's fine for team radio crews to be homers (to a point), but routinely misidentifying players, yardage, penalties, etc., gets tough to listen to after awhile. Tons of mistakes every week. Tunch and Wolf are both solid, though.
IronMike52
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Don't see Charlie Batch (or Tunch or Wolf, for that matter) as play-by-play guys. Being a play-by-play announcer is much different than serving as an analyst (source: I work in sports media). You'd be looking for somebody more like a Greg Brown or Joe Block (Pirates radio/TV play-by-by guys) type to handle that aspect of the broadcasts. The NFL does have a bit of a history with former players handling the play-by-play roles, though, in Pat Summerall and Frank Gifford.
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I listen to every away game watching the tv, muting it and listening to Tunch and Bill, I don't care about the TV delay. They're better than any of the TV announcers.
Very much like cope near the end 
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They didn't have a problem pulling the plug on Fleming when the time came. Hillgrove is around 76 years old. The game is too fast for him now. The problem is, when they got rid of Fleming, they had two things going for them that kept the fans from getting worked up. One, was that Cope was still there. Fans liked Fleming, who was excellent in his prime, but Cope was larger than life, and as long as he remained, the fans were happy. Second, they replaced him with Hillgrove, who had already been on the air for 30 years in Pittsburgh. Fans weren't going to do him like they did Milo Hamilton. There is no Hillgrove out there this time. I suppose Stan Savran could be a short term replacement, but they'll likely have to bring in an outsider.
Sad to hear that Hilgrove is slipping with the play by play calling. He does provide good sound bites on the NFL Network whenever they show highlights of the Steelers (they use local announcers). Always got a kick out of his saying..."and this place is on fire" after a big play!!!
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Very much like cope near the end
IIRC, Myron wanted someone to tell him when he was beginning to slip and let him know it was time to go. Someone did that for him. Hillgrove is the voice of the Steelers for me, but he's been slipping for a few years now.
I remember one game 20+ years ago, I was working Sunday at AGH and we had the game on the radio. Playing KC I think, they had a player named Stump Mitchell and we had a linebacker and ST player named Dirt Winston. Steelers kick off and Stump Mitchell is back to receive.
Myron: "Stump Mitchell is back to receive, now Jack, if Stump Mitchell is tackled by Dirt Winston, does that then mean that the Stump will have Dirt on it???!!!"
Jack Fleming: "Uh-huh, yeah, I guess...."
Sure enough, Stump runs the ball back and is tackled by Dirt just like Myron said. Myron loses his ******* mind.
Myron: "Stump Mitchell is tackled by Dirt Winston!!! "Stump Mitchell is tackled by Dirt Winston!!! The Stump has Dirt on it!!! The Stump has Dirt on it!!! There's Dirt on the Stump!!!
Jack (deadpan): "Myron...shut up."
That plus Myron was going to sue Mark Madden for calling him "a drunken midget" on his radio show, then before it got to court a drunk Myron crashed his car into a tree in Mt. Lebanon. Myron dropped the case.
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Old age catching up?
Mark Madden seems like a guy who tells it like it is and as a result gets ripped on. From stories I read on him, he's not too fond of the Steelers is he?
I mean he is a Pens fan correct? So I give him him some slack. But still?
I mean he is a Pens fan correct? So I give him him some slack. But still?
I used to listen to Hillgrove on the radio while watching on tv to avoid listening to Phil Simms. It was not until then that I realized how much he misses. Sometimes I wondered if we were watching the same game.
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You're showing your age, more like 30+ years ago. And explaining who Dirt Winston was. I'm showing my age pointing this out.
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Madden wants to only talk about the Pens, and he should, he seems to have a much better understanding of hockey than football.
You want a real treat? Listen to Hillgrove and Dick Groat do Pitt basketball games on the radio!
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I'm a hardcore sports guy, so I get to hear them all. I'm even enough of a sports nut to listen to Duquesne games, where 80 year old Ray Goss, and Jarrett Durham are just as bad as Hillgrove and Groat. Mike Lange is well past his prime as well. There will be some local openings for play by play guys soon. I hope no one gets the idea of having Mike Brown do double duty. I can't even listen to Pirate games because of him. Lanny was bland, but didn't get on your nerves.
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