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

rogeranddorothea@msn.com.