The death of Carl Beane last week made me think of the many unknown faces at a sporting event who are engrained in our psyche.
Beane was the public address announcer for the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.
He was killed in a car crash Wednesday.
Since 2003 the 59-year-old Beane was like thousands of public address announcers.
They get to games early and leave late. They are often in a small cubbyholes, papers scattered in front of them, their microphone in the middle and the on and off switch only a finger click away.
Their voices are as part of games as the smell of fried onions and hot dogs … and the smell of stadium beer.
We have such characters here in Edmonton: Mark Lewis, the veteran announcer at Edmonton Oiler games. Al Stafford, who works beside Stafford at Rexall Place and works the Edmonton Eskimo games. Earl Thompson who worked as the Edmonton Prospects games at John Ducey Park.
They are always there. And although we may not think of how much we appreciate them, we really do.
And when they’re gone they leave a void.
And when they’re gone they leave a void.
Just ask the fans at Fenway Park in Boston tonight when the Cleveland Indians visit.
No comments:
Post a Comment