Tennant was Mentor

They laid Jack Tennant to rest on Thursday. The news that Tennant had died on Monday hit me like a sledgehammer. It is an unfortunate fact of life that I have reached an age where more and more people that I know

are turning up in the obituary column.

As a young man growing up in Western Pennsylvania and dreaming of a broadcasting career Jack Tennant was one of the voices that I listened to and learned from. Others included Jack Fleming, Bob Prince, Jim

Woods and Joe Tucker.

I took a special interest in Tennant because he hailed from my hometown of Uniontown, Pa., and he knew my mother - in fact they were in a theatre group together in high school. Tennant used to come into my Uncle Ted Laskey's sandwich shop when I was very young. He worked next store at Cohen's Furniture store.

Tennant went to Fairmont, W.Va., and jump-started his radio career the old-fashioned way - he did news, sports was a disc jockey and swept out the place. Eventually, he moved to Morgantown, W.Va., where he teamed with Jack Fleming on West Virginia University football and basketball games. He

had a 17-year association with WVU, eventually taking over as play-by-play voice when Fleming went to the Chicago Bulls.

Tennant was West Virginia's Sportscaster of the Year in 1971 and 1972. He joined the University of Louisville staff in 1974 and announced Cardinal football and basketball games for several years, including the

Cards 1980 NCAA Championship season. He became an assistant AD and retired in 1993, but continued to serve as the Cards'football public address announcer until 1998.

I renewed my acquaintance with Tennant when I came to work with Ron Steiner and the U of L football program in the publicity department for one season in 1991. I was at a low ebb in my broadcasting career and

Tennant, always the good friend, offered words of encouragement.

A few years later when I was named play-by-play voice of the University of Cincinnati I think Tennant was almost as pleased as I was. Another broadcaster from Uniontown was following in his footsteps.

Tennant started writing for the Louisville Sports report six years ago and shared a microphone with Steiner on Cardinal Corner show for a couple of years. I was a

frequent guest on the show and fulfilled a long-time dream and was on the air working with Tennant. That was fun.

I don't think I ever heard anyone say a bad word about Jack Tennant - he was a good man and they are not in plentiful supply these days.

We'll miss you Jack.