Mar 2, 2024 4 min read

By Dale Lolley

For the Observer-Reporter

newsroom@observer-reporter.com

We’ve been blessed in Pittsburgh with some great radio and television announcers with our professional and college teams.

Myron Cope. Bob Prince. Jack Fleming. Dick Groat.

The list is long and includes more than those men.

And Bill Hillgrove’s name belongs right there with those great broadcasters.

Hillgrove announced his retirement after 30 years as the play-by-play voice for Steelers broadcasts. And it’s the passing of an era.

Hillgrove was a consummate professional in his job. His voice is the one many current Steelers fans will forever link with some of the biggest plays in team history, much the same way Fleming’s call on the Immaculate Reception is still heard to this day.

Hillgrove never overstepped his bounds in making a call. His descriptions of some of the biggest situations were perfect – think Aaron Bailey’s near touchdown on a Hail Mary against the Steelers in the AFC Championship or Santonio Holmes’ game-winning touchdown grab in Super Bowl 53 as examples.

And the best part about Hillgrove is that he is as humble and genuine as anyone you’ll ever meet. He makes everyone feel like they’ve known him forever. And in many ways they have.

Not only did he call Steelers games for the past 30 years, he’s done Pitt football and basketball for more than 50 years each in addition to being a longtime sportscaster in Pittsburgh.

Hillgrove will continue to call Pitt basketball and football. But he’s called his final Steelers game. And his genuine approach and willingness to let the game happen without making it about him will be missed.

“I’ll enjoy my semi-retirement,” he said.

He’s earned it.

• Steelers general manager Omar Khan said this week at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis that the team will explore every option in finding competition for quarterback Kenny Pickett.

But he also expressed confidence in Pickett, as well.

“I have full faith in Kenny,” Khan said. “He showed us some good things. And obviously, there were some issues with the offense and I’m excited about the impact Arthur Smith is going to have on him. Arthur’s very optimistic about Kenny. … We’ll see where that goes. We feel really good about him.”

That doesn’t seem to suggest the Steelers are interested in bringing in a big-name free agent quarterback or selecting one high in the draft.

They want to see how Pickett progresses with Smith as the offensive coordinator. And they know they can win games with Pickett, who is 14-10 in two seasons as a starter, including 12-5 over the past 17 games, which represents a full season.

• Khan did say that he’s spoken with Mason Rudolph’s representatives regarding a potential return. But with free agency to begin March 13, he also expects Rudolph to at least see what else is available to him.

“He knows we want him back,” Khan said. “We’ve had conversations, but it’s just sort of how the process goes. I can’t tell you when the deal will get done, hopefully with us, but it’s just the process and I understand it. We’d like to have him back. They indicated a desire to see what’s out there. I think every player kind of owes it to himself. But I know we’d like to have him back and I believe he wants to come back and compete, and he likes it here.”

• There are actually people blaming Duke’s Kyle Filipowski for getting injured as Wake Forest fans stormed the court after beating the Blue Devils last weekend.

As it turned out, Filipkowski wasn’t seriously injured.

But the court storming has to end.

Those things used to happen in professional sports – watch the video of the Immaculate Reception or Bill Mazeroski’s World Series’-winning home run as examples – until it was decided it wasn’t the best idea to have fans rushing onto the field or court.

Security measures were put in place to keep the fans in the stands.

What has to happen in a college basketball game to make the schools realize it’s not a good idea to have students storm the court? A serious injury to a player? A player punching a student who gets in their face?

Players and coaches belong on the court or field of play. Fans belong in the stands, not on the court.

College conferences – not the now-toothless NCAA – could stop it by levying serious fines, if it happens. That will force colleges to put more security in place to ensure the safety of the athletes and coaches.

It’s a lawsuit waiting to happen.

Dale Lolley hosts The Drive on Steelers Nation Radio and writes a Sunday column for the Observer-Reporter.