Hassay always classy
ROGER CARLSON
First of two parts
When you think of memor- able game announcers, not broadcast
announcers, but announcers at ringside, courtside or from across the
field in the press box, how many can you name?
... Let me end the silence and interject with the low-keyed voice
of Bob Hassay, which you may very well have heard, but were unaware,
probably because you weren’t irritated, you were informed, and, like
the lack of controversy, you never really had to give it a second
thought.
Home football games for Estancia High have been blessed with the
presence of Hassay, an Ohio State University product, since the
school opened its doors in the fall of 1965, and he’s still going
strong.
At the age of 71, the silver-voiced Hassay wraps up his 39th year
in the announcer’s booth Nov. 13 when the Eagles host Pacifica in
their regular-season finale at Newport Harbor, and if anyone is
entertaining thoughts of someday succeeding him, well, here are some
of his secrets:
“You have to be objective and give equal time to the opposing
teams,” said the Fountain Valley resident. “You want to call out as
many players’ names from both teams as often as possible, because
they work hard and their parents and family should have the pride and
joy of hearing their names announced.
“You have to maintain the same controlled emotion for both teams
and especially be careful of securing the correct pronunciation of
players on both teams. It’s a personal show of respect and courtesy
they have a right to expect.
“And, make sure you’re blessed with attentive, knowledgeable, and
fast spotters.”
In a nutshell that’s the basics, but when you delve further into
the subject of Bob Hassay, well, it’s obvious not many know enough
about him.
From the ground up, it begins with radio days, as in Bill Stern
and Harry Gilmer, those golden days of the ‘40s when a nation of
football fanatics listened with their rear ends on the edges of their
kitchen chairs to every word uttered as Army’s Glenn Davis and Felix
“Doc” Blanchard triggered the Black Knights of the Hudson to victory.
He still remembers in vivid detail listening to the exploits of
Army’s famous duels with Navy and of the Notre Dame clashes, as well
as one of the greatest upsets in college football history, when
unheralded Columbia upset the Cadets, 21-20, snapping Army’s
overwhelming 32-game unbeaten streak in which they averaged 40 points
per start.
No one had scored on Army in four games in 1947 and Columbia was
coming off a 34-14 pasting by Pennsylvania.
“I still remember everything I did that day,” said Hassay.
A broadcast journalist student at Ohio State, he remembers Woody
Hayes’ first year as the coach of the Buckeyes and still believes the
greatest player to ever suit up was Ohio State All-American Vic
Janowicz in 1950.
And, although he is one of the most loving and dedicated husbands
one can imagine, his wife, Dorothy, still “gets out of the house”
when Ohio State, the reigning national champion, is on the tube,
leaving him to his own devices as the Buckeyes usually rumble, and
occasionally stumble.
Hassay’s English-oriented teaching career, after seven years in
Ohio and a brief stint at Costa Mesa, culminated two years ago when
he retired from Estancia, ending a 47-year teaching career, but the
residuals of his “Think Positive” attitude remain very evident.
Among those very aware of Hassay’s think tank are longtime and
respected Southland sportscaster Ed Arnold and the renowned Dr.
Robert Schuller.
“Goals, motivation and positive thinking” is how he describes his
philosophies and they have served him well.
He and Dorothy, who spend a good deal of their time with
charitable work, have a daughter, Rennee, who resides in Long Beach,
and a son, Rob, who is in sports advertising in Ohio. And they have
one granddaughter, McKenna.
Only once has he ventured beyond home turf and watched the Eagles
strictly as a “fan,” when the Eagles traveled to San Clemente in
1966.
“We were down by three touchdowns at halftime, but the kids all
shaved their heads at halftime and we came back out and won,” Hassay
recalled of the 27-25 victory.
Unfortunately, the momentum did not continue. The Eagles went
0-2-1 in the next three games and finished 3-5-1.
Apart from that one trek to San Clemente, all of his attention to
Estancia football has been geared toward announcing the home games,
and except for three occasions when he was ill, and he can’t recall
when, he’s been the man with the silver voice.
Hassay performs from antiquated broadcasting facilities at Newport
Harbor and Orange Coast College, and among his Christmas wish list
are two new state-of-the-art microphones and stands to replace the
tired current systems, along with some decent chairs for spotters and
others in the press boxes at Harbor and Coast.
From past experience in those press boxes, my recommendation is
not to hold one’s breath until it improves.
A disc jockey at heart within the scope of big bands, jazz and
swing, he’s a walking encyclopedia on the subject, and has a library
of 78s that would knock the socks off any would-be fan.
Yet just as he does with announcing football games, the emphasis
is on the music, always with the gift of presenting.
A capsulized form of Hassay’s success is two-fold. First,
preparation and a genuine interest. Secondly, and probably more
important: There’s no ego involved. He’s not there to project
himself, but the performers.
He draws from the saying, “Act your part, therein all the honor
lies.”
It’s that ability to allow the performer the stage while
explaining the basics that makes Bob Hassay truly one of the
originals.
He was at it again at OCC as Santa Ana invaded for a Golden West
League game with Estancia Oct. 24, and if you listened closely, and
closed your eyes as the fog rolled in, well, it wouldn’t have been
too hard to put yourself into a time warp and envision any number of
seasons in the Eagles’ great adventure.
What’s more, don’t look for anything different in the future. He’s
announced games for all 10 varsity football coaches at Estancia --
Lowry, Phil Brown, Jim Hemsley, Ken Kiefer, Jim Bratten, Ed Blanton,
John Liebengood, Dave Perkins, Jay Noonan and now Craig Fertig.
And chances are he’ll outlast Fertig, and more.
A “genuine interest in every player and every coach” puts Hassay
in a special category.
“I’ll always be here,” said Hassay. “As long as they want me.”
Next week: Highlights from 39 years behind the mike.
Hey! See you next Sunday!
* ROGER CARLSON is the former sports editor for the Daily Pilot.
His column appears on Sundays. He can be reached by e-mail at
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