Laurels & lances: Saying goodbye to the legendary Mike Lange
Share this post:
Laurel: To a defining voice. Mike Lange died Wednesday. He was 76 years old. That seems impossible. How could all of those marvelous Mike-isms come in so little time?
Lange was a native Californian who came to the Steel City in 1974. From 1976 until his retirement in 2021, his machine-gun fast play-by-play of the Pittsburgh Penguins was the soundtrack of the sport.
Sometimes it was the quiet narration of the humdrum activities. But, when Lange’s speed and excitement picked up, it was infectious. He wove a magic spell that let radio listeners visualize every glove save and wrist shot.
But what Lange was most known for — and always will be —were the quirky, often nonsensical but also always just right phrases he used to punctuate the high points. “Buy Sam a drink and get his dog one too!” might seem odd out of context, but out of Lange’s mouth when Mario Lemieux sent a lightning fast puck into the net? In the moment, it was perfect.
“It’s a hockey night in Pittsburgh” might have been just a simple introduction. Out of Lange’s mouth, it was a rallying cry for fans when the team swung between struggles and success.
It’s been four years since he bowed out of the booth amid health concerns, but his presence was still felt. With his Mike-isms still echoing off the PPG Paints Arena walls, that presence seems unlikely to go anywhere.
But, as Lange said with a kind of giddy relief after a spectacular win, “Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has left the building.”
Lance: To withholding information. Public schools can struggle with the overlapping requirements of disclosing information to a public that has a vested interest and protecting information of employees. It is a complication of the regulations pulling districts in different directions.
The situation surrounding former Hempfield Area High School boys basketball coach Bill Swan illustrates that. Swan was put on administrative leave from his coaching and guidance counselor positions Jan. 14 while the district investigated an undisclosed allegation.
Swan resigned as coach Jan. 21. On Monday, the board approved his retirement effective June 2.
The investigation has been concluded. No information was disclosed. State police also investigated a complaint. Details have been referred to the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office. No charges were filed.
This is not the first incident involving Swan, who was fired in 2009 after a complaint that ended with anger management classes, a settlement to Swan and an agreement he would not apply for future coaching positions. However, he was rehired four years later. Board member Diane Ciabattoni said he didn’t reapply; the district asked him to come back.
The situation leaves nothing but questions — about Swan’s actions and the district’s.