Bob Lamey inducted into Indiana Sportscasters Hall of Fame

Bob Lamey, second from right, is an Indiana Hall of Famer now. Photo: Wharacers.com

Before I get into this, I'll come clean: I consider Bob Lamey a friend. He and his lovely wife have been friends with my family for years, and we have always enjoyed their company at family gatherings (like Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc.). So, I have a personal connection to Bob, and it might blur my feelings about what he does professionally. It also likely blurs my feelings regarding the announcement that Bob is to be inducted into the Indiana Sportswriters and Sportscasters Hall of Fame this Saturday.

To put it simply, I'm doing back flips.

If you ever get the chance to meet or know Bob (which is hard because Bob is an intensely private man), you will likely be struck by the impressive amount of sports knowledge he has locked up in his head, especially Indiana sports. The man has a serious passion for Hoosier state athletics, both professional and academic. It's funny that, for many Hoosiers, Bob's nickname is "Hockey Bob," a name that derives from his days broadcasting Indianapolis Racers hockey games. For my generation, we know him as the "Voice of the Colts."

I have never met someone who gets more worked up over a Colts game than Bob. The man gets red-faced when the Colts lose pre-season games. Believe me, I've seen it. This passion surfaces with every play made (or not made) on the field. The Colts could be up 35 points in a meaningless game against a 1-12 team, and Bob will still call the game with the same passion as if it were 2 minutes left in the 2006 AFC Championship Game against the Patriots.

It doesn't matter the situation, the game, or the stakes. When a game is getting played, and Bob Lamey is calling it, he will stand in the booth (hands on hips) talking out the action on the field with the precision of a court stenographer. When he gets really excited, I've seen Bob stand on his tip toes, looking down at the field and maneuvering himself in the booth as if HE were Joseph Addai running it in for a TD. Yet, all the while, he is accurately conveying the action to his listeners with care, precision, and a sense of importance. Watching Bob call a game is a spectacle within the spectacle.

I'll share one small piece of insider knowledge about Bob, because it is something that is not talked about too much (and it should): Bob Lamey cares very much about his craft. He cares so much it almost borders on obsession. He puts a tremendous amount of himself into calling games correctly. I recall his mood as the Colts marched towards the Super Bowl. Bob took special care to make sure those that couldn't see the game (for whatever reason) could experience the game through is voice as if they were seeing it through his eyes.

I laugh when folks sometimes complain that Bob messed up a player's name, or got the number wrong for so-and-so after he intercepted a pass. If only they knew, I think to myself. If only they could see Bob looking at cue cards hours before a game, reciting "kah-BEER BAH-jah BEE-ah-MIL-lah" over and over so he can correctly pronounce Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila when the game begins. If only they saw his face after the Colts lost the regular season game against the Texans in 2006, probably the lowest point of the season for the Colts. Bob puts more of himself into a game than anyone else I've ever seen who is not a coach or player. Like many of you, I make it a regular practice to turn down the sound on CBS, Fox, and NBC games and turn on Colts Radio. This way, I get the TV action and the Bob Lamey play-by-play. The best of both worlds.

I could go into a long post about Bob's resume and his amazing legacy as a sports broadcaster, but I'd simply be repeating what Colts.com has already written. I will simply say that what Chick Hern was to the Lakers, what Myron Cope was to the Steelers, and what Slick Lenard is to Pacers Broadcasting-- Bob Lamey is THAT for the Indianapolis Colts and their fans.

We at Stampede Blue congratulate Mr. Bob Lamey for his induction into the Indiana Sportswriters and Sportscasters Hall of Fame.

Though Bob will say to your face that he never expected this kind of honor, the rest of us will say back that if Bob Lamey is not in the Indiana Sportswriters and Sportscasters Hall of Fame there should not be a Indiana Sportswriters and Sportscasters Hall of Fame. It's a no-brainer, a gimme, an obvious accolade for an outstanding sportscaster.

Well done, Mr. Lamey. Well done, and well deserved.