Some people cover Pittsburgh sports. Some people become part of Pittsburgh sports.
Bob Pompeani is Pittsburgh sports.
And while he’s still sitting behind that desk, still talking about our teams, still saying the names of local athletes and still doing what he has done for more than four decades, I want to give him his flowers.
I’ll go ahead and say it: Bob Pompeani is the GOAT of Pittsburgh sports media.
You can debate broadcasters. You can debate writers. You can bring up different eras and different personalities.
That’s fine.
But for me, when I think about Pittsburgh sports, one of the first people I think about is Bob Pompeani.
Because I’ve basically been watching him my entire life.
When Bob Pompeani Said Your Name, It Meant Something
This is something younger athletes might not completely understand.
Before social media, before Hudl, before everybody had their own highlight page and could post their own clips, getting recognized by the local media meant something different.
And when Bob Pompeani said your name on KDKA? Man, that felt good.
I know that feeling personally.
When you were a young athlete in Western Pennsylvania and you heard Pompeani talking about you, there was a certain validation that came with it.
Not because you needed somebody else to tell you that you could play. But because you respected the person saying it.
Bob wasn’t some random voice trying to generate clicks or attention.
He knew Pittsburgh sports. He knew the athletes. He knew the coaches. He knew the schools. He knew the history. So if you were fortunate enough to hear your name come out of his mouth, you knew you had done something worth talking about.
That mattered.
More Than Four Decades of Pittsburgh Sports
Bob Pompeani joined KDKA-TV full-time in 1982.
Think about that. He has been there through completely different generations of Pittsburgh sports.
He covered Pittsburgh when there was no social media. No Twitter. No Instagram. No YouTube. No TikTok. He was there before many of today’s athletes were born—and in some cases before their parents were grown. He has watched generations of Steelers, Pirates and Penguins come through this city.
But what I’ve always respected just as much is his connection to high school sports. That’s where Bob has always separated himself to me.
Because he never acted like local athletes were beneath the professional guys.
Through his Extra Effort features and decades of high school coverage, he made young athletes feel like what they were accomplishing mattered.
And in a place like Western Pennsylvania, where high school sports are woven into the identity of communities, that means something.
He’s One of Those People You Rarely Hear Anything Bad About
Sports media can be a tough business.
People disagree. Fans criticize. Athletes get upset. Coaches get upset. Personalities clash. And the longer you’re around, the easier it becomes for somebody to have a story about you.
That’s another thing that stands out about Bob.
He’s been a public figure in this city for more than 40 years, and he’s one of those people you seemingly never hear a bad thing about.
Think about how difficult that is.
Especially in Pittsburgh. We complain about everything.
Yet when Bob Pompeani’s name comes up, what do you normally hear?
Respect. People genuinely seem to like him. Athletes respect him. Coaches respect him. Other media members respect him. Fans respect him.
And after four decades in one market, that might tell you more about somebody than any award ever could.
Pittsburgh Sports Won’t Feel the Same Without Him
I don’t even like thinking about Bob retiring. I hope that man stays on television forever.
Because the day Bob Pompeani finally decides he’s done is going to be a sad day for Pittsburgh sports.
Not because somebody else can’t sit in the chair. Somebody will. That’s how television works.
But you can’t replace history. You can’t replace familiarity. You can’t replace the voice and face that somebody remembers watching with their father, then watching as they became an athlete themselves, and eventually watching with their own children.
That’s what longevity creates.
Bob Pompeani isn’t simply somebody who reports Pittsburgh sports history anymore.
He’s part of it.
Give People Their Flowers While They’re Here
I’ve talked a lot about this lately. I believe in giving people their flowers while they’re still here to smell them.
Too often we wait until somebody retires. Or gets sick. Or passes away. Then everybody suddenly tells us how great that person was and how much they meant to the community.
Why wait?
Bob Pompeani deserves to know what he means to Pittsburgh right now.
He deserves to know that there are former athletes like me who remember what it felt like hearing him say our names. He deserves to know that generations of people associate his voice with some of their favorite sports memories. He deserves to know that after all these years, people still respect the way he’s carried himself.
Awards are great. Emmys are great. Hall of Fames are great.
But impact is different.
And Bob Pompeani has had an impact on Pittsburgh sports that can’t be measured by trophies sitting on a shelf.
My GOAT
Everybody has their own definition of greatness.
Mine isn’t just about being good at your job.
It’s longevity. Consistency. Credibility. Respect. Impact. And how people feel when they hear your name.
Bob Pompeani checks every box. So I’m giving him his flowers now.
Bob Pompeani is my GOAT of Pittsburgh sports media. I watched him as a kid. I watched him when I became an athlete. I heard him say my name.
And all these years later, I’m still watching him.
That’s Pittsburgh. That’s longevity. That’s impact.
And whenever that final broadcast eventually comes and hopefully that’s a long, long time from now, Pittsburgh sports television simply won’t feel the same.
Because people can cover Pittsburgh sports.
Bob Pompeani became part of Pittsburgh sports. And that’s why, when I think of Pittsburgh sports, I think of Bob Pompeani.
Flowers, Pomps. You earned every one of them.