The city of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Steelers fans and fans of every Pittsburgh sports team lost a beloved legend on Monday. Hall of Fame person, and Pittsburgh media icon Stan Savran passed away at the age of 76. Savran, originally born in Cleveland, Ohio would come to Pittsburgh in 1976 after bouncing around multiple cities after graduating from Miami University (Ohio).
TheAthletic.com
Stan Savran and long-time Sportsbeat co-host Guy Junker
If you grew up a Pittsburgh sports fan in the 90s and early 2000s, you certainly caught at least one episode of the weekly sports talk show named 'Sportsbeat'. Sportsbeat was hosted by Savran and his long-time friend Guy Junker. Back in 2019, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic did an awesome story on the legendary show. At the time, he spoke to Chuck Finder who described the long-running show perfectly.
“SportsBeat arrived before sports-talk radio became a 24-7, multi-station, constant harangue and ear irritant. So the pairing of personalities, the thirst for more sports talk and Pittsburgh sports being under-represented in broadcast media at the time, it was a perfect storm for a thunderclap,” Finder said, former Pittsburgh Post-Gazette sportswriter as well as the author of The Big Picture media column for the paper. “They became a singular cultural icon, fused together in a memorable phrase.”
During part of the show, Savran and Junker would take calls. Another Pittsburgh radio icon would help spur one of the biggest gimmicks in all of Pittsburgh Sports. "Stan, Guy, love the show." Longtime Pittsburgh morning show host Jimmy Krenn would call into the show under the nickname 'Scorekeeper.'
“And the Scorekeeper would always start the skit with, ‘Stan, Guy, love the show’ and end it with ‘I am going to hang up and listen.’ The spirit of the character came from me loving the show," Krenn would say. "I did it, and it instantly became huge.”
As the years went by it became a staple. And man did people LOVE the show and LOVE Savran. Junker would eventually be let go by the company and Savran would continue on for six more years by himself before the show was ultimately canceled in 2009.
By that time Savran and Junker had touched the sports lives of millions. Savran's trajectory in Pittsburgh media lure would just continue to grow. He was often referred to as the 'Godfather' of Pittsburgh media. A lifer. And as much as each and every one of us loved the show, Savran loved the show more.
Tom Reed - DKPS
In February of 2022, Savran announced on his radio show that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer the month prior. He immediately started chemotherapy and was having those treatments every three weeks he explained. Savran would continue to work up until the very last day he possibly could. At the beginning of April, he was forced to have his foot amputated and that took him off the air. But on occasion, he would still call different radio shows so that he could get his daily fix on sports talk.
I’m going to be appearing on @DVERADIO #dvemorningshow Thursday 945 . Talkin @steelers draft. Looking forward to it! #Godfather. #LTStan
— Stan Savran (@StanLoveTheShow) April 26, 2023
Steelers President Art Rooney II said in part in a statement released by the team,
"This is a sad day in the City of Pittsburgh as we lost a legendary person, media icon and close friend with the passing of Stan Savran. He was a gentleman in every way possible, and he did so much for our city and Western PA. with his honest candor and knowledge of all sports, both locally and nationally."
Rest in peace, Stan. I always loved the show.
#SteelerNation
