The Post Gazette was running a web poll that asked fans who they would rather have calling Penguins games on TV – as you could imagine, Mike Lange won in a landslide.

Unfortunately, the voting has ended on the one day poll. Keep an eye on this link for the results once they get posted.

Here are the final results of the poll that ended Tuesday evening (7/22/08):

Hey FSN, are you paying attention? Obviously not, considering they re-signed the absolutely atrocious paul steigerwald over the weekend. Ridiculous!

I am pretty much at a loss for words, and I am literally sick to my stomach. Inexplicably, FSN has re-signed paul steigerwald to a multiyear contract.

I'm going to attempt to keep this clean, but forgive me if my outrage pours from within.

Citing flourishing ratings, FSN decided to re-sign the bumbling, mundane, and absolute pathetic excuse for a broadcaster – paul steigerwald.

Ted Black.

ATTENTION Ted Black! A homeless man with no hockey knowledge could have been in the broadcast booth the last 2 seasons and ratings would not have slipped. When you have a wildly successful and youthful team on the ice, great ratings are a given.

Maybe therein lies the problem; FSN didn't have to care who was in the TV broadcast booth. Clearly you do not care about our total viewing experience; it is merely the bottom line that you are concerned with. I assure you, people of FSN, that if the Penguins team should ever falter, your ratings will indeed go south, and your newly re-signed, cut-rate announcer will not be able to do a damned thing for your ratings.

Paul Steigerwald.

Not worth it.

Bob Smizik.

That name draws equal rage from within my Pittsburgh–loving body; he now joins the likes of Steve Tello; Harpo Steigerwald; Ted Black; Don Barden; the list goes on. What exactly does that mean you ask? It means that they each are a disgrace to the fine city of Pittsburgh – not worth the paper that their names are often printed on.

Unfortunately it was Bob Smizik's gleeful story in the Post Gazette that alerted me to this disastrous news. The article was so filled with his omnipresent 'told you so' attitude that I could not even finish it. When people like Smizik and Steigerwald hold gainful employment it really makes me wonder why I ever wasted time and money going to college – it's obvious that you simply need to know the right people, or kiss the right asses to get a job.

FSN Pittsburgh.

Check back soon to see a list of your sponsors that I will be encouraging everyone to boycott. You make me sick; if it weren't for the Penguins and Stan Savran, you would never have anyone watching.

Pittsburgh Penguins.

Do you remember "Pens Vision"? Let me be the first to ask you to go exclusively PayPerView in order for true fans to be able to watch the Penguins with Mike Lange broadcasting games once again. Name your price; I'll be the first to sign up.

Mike Lange.

I've met you recently; I had a great discussion with you, and you are truly a class act. You are simply the best in the business and this decision is certainly not a reflection on your work – you were better than ever this past season.

I do hope you decide to re–up with your radio contract. However, if you decide to leave for a TV job, I do not blame you and we will never, ever, hold any resentment toward you for doing so – you were a victim of the team’s success.

I can draw a parallel between our respective situations. I've recently graduated again with my second college degree and what stood out to me is how employers do not care if your are the most qualified or talented or experienced applicant, they only care about how cheaply they can attain your services. I eventually reverted back my former career because I would not placate the undercutting nature of the industry which I recently studied to break into.

Unfortunately, Mr. Lange, the local and national hockey world suffers as a result of Ted Black's idiotic decision. FSN clearly does not have the best interest of Penguins fans in mind. They really should change their motto that states "Fans First"; with this decision, they have shown themselves to be the epitome of the term hypocrite.

Mike Lange's supporters.

Thank you so much for your efforts and support. I can't tell you how many thankful emails that I received from you all; it was very inspiring – especially when I awoke one morning to a bunch of emails from folks in Canada telling me that they learned of our plight on Canadian TV (TSN's Sports Centre).

Where do we go from here? I can only tell you what I plan on doing.

I personally will boycott all sponsors of FSN; I encourage you to do the same; I will post a list of them here soon.

I also intend to buy the "Delay Play" device that helps synch the audio between TV and Radio. It requires a tiny bit of babysitting, as it gets a little out of synch occasionally, but that’s a small price to pay for getting Mike Lange back if he decides to re-sign on the radio.

Also, Excuses Bar & Grill on 26th and Carson St. in the South Side has this device, as well as a great 100" HD projector to watch the games while listening to Mike. They are great people and if any bar/restaurant truly represents Pittsburgh, it is them!

Those who know me personally know that I am a pretty closed–off, private and abrasive guy. Basically, I am not the type of guy who cries or gets sad easily; but when I woke up this morning and learned of this news, I don't mind admitting that I got teary–eyed and pretty choked up.

During my last college stint, I was living outside of Pittsburgh for about 2 or 3 years and eventually missed it so much that I moved back.

I've watched the Pens since I was in 5th grade (I'm almost 33 now) and they were the primary reason that I moved back. I love playing hockey and equally love watching and going to games. I'm not one of the Johnny-come-lately crowd. I grew up listening to Mike Lange and watching Mario Lemieux; this decision by FSN is on par with modern sports in general – there is no loyalty and no tradition anymore.

...I'm sort of at a loss for words again, so I will end with this...

Ted Black, Steve Tello and the rest of the brass at FSN have robbed Penguins fans twice now, and they should get "Five to Ten" for that!

I sincerely apologize for not updating the site in a month. However there is nothing much to report right now. I personally continue to call FSN Pittsburgh, as I hope all of you are doing as well! They obviously won't offer up any information, but they surely have to be close to making a decision.

I think the Pens are quietly rebuilding a pretty strong team for next season; but to me, the most important piece of the puzzle is still to come – Mike Lange!

I continuously tell people about the website and our initiative to get Mike back in the TV booth; every single person agrees that Tello's decision to fire Mike was absolutely ridiculous and they also love the fact that we are trying to correct the mistake. However, voicing support to me is not good enough; if you want our Hockey-viewing experience to be phenomenal once again (instead of bland and run of the mill); I really hope you take just a couple of minutes to CALL the folks at Fox Sports Pittsburgh!

The phone number is: 412 - 316 - 3800 (then choose option 6 for media relations)

Now that the Hockey season has come to a close, it's time to remind Fox Sports Pittsburgh that we want our beloved Hall of Fame broadcaster back on TV.

For those of you who have been listening to Mike Lange call games on the radio, you are well aware that he is better than ever! I realize if he were the current TV play-by-play man, we may not have him calling the Conference and Cup Finals. But, I would rather have him for the entire regular season and first 2 rounds of the playoffs and then hope that another radio outlet hires him to call the last two rounds if we should make it.

As great as it has been to listen to Mike on the radio, it has also been a tremendous hassle synching up the radio and TV to eliminate the 7 - 10 second delay. There are devices that help out with this process, but they require babysitting and adjustments throughout the game. This is something that we just should not have to deal with; Mike belongs on TV where he was for nearly 30 years prior to his untimely and unjustified firing.

I encourage you all to call FSN Pittsburgh (don't simply sign the petition) and voice your opinion to them in a professional manner; they are listening, and they are pleasant people to talk to on the phone. Please remember the media relations person didn't fire Mike - please be kind. Be sure to ask her to forward your opinion and wishes along to management; I've spoken with FSN Pgh a few times and I do get a good feeling that they are listening.

Please call 412 - 316 - 3800 (then choose option 6 for media relations)

* If you get voice mail, please leave a quick message; it only allows about 10 or 15 seconds to get your point across.

Scott Ferrall had a great interview with Chuck Finder of the Post Gazette on his Sirius Satellite Radio show recently; they talked about Pittsburgh, it's sports and Mike Lange!

For those of you who are not familiar with Scotty, he is originally from Pittsburgh and has been all over the country as a broadcaster; he even did play-by-play for the Atlanta Thrashers radio network. Two years ago, he signed on with Sirius Satellite Radio and now works on the Howard Stern channel - Sirius 101. Check his career out on wikipedia.

Scott will also be doing a live show from Dave & Busters in Homestead before Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals; there is a "meet and greet" from 2pm to 3pm, and a live show from 3pm to 7pm. More info on his website.

I have compiled some audio clips for you to listen to; Chuck Finder's entire interview; just the segment where they talk about Mike Lange; and I even called in to say Hello!

The interview is pretty long, so this file will take about a minute to load. Please be patient, it is definately worth a listen. Also, please be advised; Sirius is uncensored and there is some explicit language used in this interview.

KDKA has a fantastic interview series with Mike Lange:

Watch - "The Story Behind Mike Lange-isms"
Watch - "Lange Shares Memories From 1st Stanley Cup Win"
Watch - "Lange Compares Today's Team To Pens Of The Past"

There are a bunch of Mike Lange stories, interviews and videos on the KDKA site, you can look through them here.

Thanks to Dan L. who alerted me to this; I really appreciate all the help from those of you who email me with articles and ideas! All I ask in return is that you call FSN Pittsburgh and tell them (nicely) that we want Mike Lange back on TV!

Here is Fox Sports Pgh's contact info:
Phone: 412 - 316 - 3800 (then choose option 6 for media relations)

I hope FSN Pittsburgh is paying attention:

• TSN Canada did a segment on Mike (and also mentioned this site)
• KDKA is now profiling Mike
• The City Paper wrote an article about Mike and this website
• Local bars are airing Pens games with the TV synched to Mike on the radio
• The Post Gazette 'Empty Netters' blog profiles Mike after each game
• Supportive hockey fans everywhere are helping out
• And the obvious, overwhelming fan opinion is that Mike Lange Belongs on TV!

TSN Canada has recently aired a segment called "Top 10 Mike Lange Calls"; thanks to Steve from the South Hills for letting me know about this! Check it out here.

Not only did they profile Mike's Top 10, but I was informed that they also talked about this website on the air! For those of you not familiar with TSN, just imagine hearing about this website on ESPN SportCenter!

You can read more about this at Evan "Hammer" Hammond's Blog! Check it out here.

*If anyone can get video footage of the entire segment (website mention included), I'd sincerely appreciate it! Maybe you could post it on youtube? Thanks!

Also, the Post Gazette 'Empty Netters' section has picked up on all of this. Plus, they have some great videos to watch too! Check it out here.

This Post Gazette article is worth a read as well; I'm not the only person who disagrees with Bob Smizik! Check it out here.

I was listening to Scott Ferrall's Sirius Satellite Radio sports show last night and a guy from Florida called in to say he wished Mike Lange was still calling games on TV. Scott Ferrall, being from Pittsburgh, couldn't have agreed more!

Keep up the great work folks! I hope you continue to CALL FSN Pittsburgh and express your opinions and wishes to have Mike back on TV! "Pittsburgh Fans First", right Fox?

Here is Fox Sports Pgh's contact info:
Phone: 412 - 316 - 3800 (then choose option 6 for media relations)

Rocky says, Go Pens!

FSN Pittsburgh's Myspace page has a section that reads:

"SEND US YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT OUR SHOWS!
We want to hear from you! What do you like or dislike about the shows?"

The only catch is, they won't post any messages or comments that fall under the "dislike" category. "Fans come first", huh?

UPDATE

I received an email regarding this subject from a Mike Lange supporter who called FSN Pgh.

While Fox won't post the negative comments on the myspace page, they assured him that they do get forwarded to management. Understandable from business standpoint.

Personally, I have also talked with FSN Pgh a few times and they do seem to value fan input, and say they forward our opinions on to management, so please CALL FSN Pgh and tell them you want Mike Lange back!

Here is Fox Sports Pgh's contact info:
Phone: 412 - 316 - 3800 (then choose option 6 for media relations)

The Pittsburgh City Paper (CP) has published a story about us!

In the newest edition, there is a story about this website and the movement to get Mike back on TV next season! It was well done and informative; the only complaint that I have is that the story is broken up between 2 pages and 3 columns and gets a little confusing to read - but it did make the front page as a main story! Check it out in print, or here!

Other websites are now helping out too! I just found this blog page.

I would like to sincerely thank everyone for supporting this website, the effort to get Mike Lange back on TV, and for all of the kind emails that I've received!

This website has only been up for 2 months and it's about to go over 4000 unique visitors! I really had no means to promote the website other than word of mouth, and you folks have really kept the word moving! Thank you!!!

I want to also reiterate that the very best thing that you all can do, is CALL Fox Sports Pittsburgh! I realize it's easy to simply sign the online petition, but taking a moment to make a phone call will really make the difference! If no one answers, please leave a voice mail. If FSN truly values viewer input as they claim to, they will take note of your call and add it to the list of Mike Lange supporters who have called!

Now is the time folks! There is brand new management at FSN Pgh, the season is ending, and both Mike Lange and steigerwald are in the last season of their contracts! This is the perfect time to make this happen!

Pittsburgh is a traditional sports town, let's get our legendary broadcaster back where he belongs!!!

Here is Fox Sports Pgh's contact info:
Phone: 412 - 316 - 3800 (then choose option 6 for media relations)

Sunday April 20th
Excuses Bar & Grill
2526 E Carson St
Pittsburgh, PA 15203
(412) 431-4090
6pm

Please stop by and show your support for Mike Lange!

Excuses Bar & Grill - Myspace

The following is the actual message I received today from the awesome folks at Excuses Bar and Grill on the South Side of Pittsburgh:

I would like to thank-you, on Mike's behalf, for getting the fire going, again. Fox Sports net really screwed the pooch on this one. Pittsburgh Fans first, yeah right. How do you throw away the one and only voice of the Pittsburgh Penguins, behind his back? He wasn't up for contract negotiation and he took a pay cut after the strike so he could stay in Pittsburgh after ESPN ,New York and Chicago wanted him. He definitely doesn't deserve this.

I am the bar manager at Excuses Bar and Grill on the South Side. We bought a delay play, at the beginning of the hockey season, so we could mute the bucketheads and sync up the games with Mike.

If there is anything more I can do to help the cause, please let me know.

Take care and God Bless.
Alisa
Excuses Bar and Grill

IMPORTANT NOTE

This Sunday, Excuses is having a "Mike Lange Appreciation Day"; Mike WILL be attending. It is tentitively scheduled for 6pm, but depending on what happens in tonight's game, things may change. I will update you all tomorrow on exact details.

Excuses Bar & Grill - Myspace

Delay Play (device to synch radio and television) - Website

Fox Sports Pgh continues to drop the ball; only this time it's for not showing Stanley Cup Playoff games in HD. Game 2 was not in HD, and games 3 and 4 will not be in HD either!

I encourage you all to call Fox Sports Pgh to voice your displeasure...and while you are at it, make sure they know you want Mike Lange back on TV next season!

Phone: 412 - 316 - 3800 (then choose option 6 for media relations)

I was so frustrated by Bob Smizik's irresponsible reporting in the PG last week, that I wrote my own letter back to them.

Read my letter to the PG - here.

Read another Mike Lange supporter's email to Smizik - here.

A Mike Lange supporter by the name of Steve B. emailed and alerted me to an online survey that either FSN Pgh or the Penguins organization are conducting to gauge fan interest in their Hockey media; it appears as though they are specifically interested in our opinion of the Radio broadcast team versus the TV team.

Please take part in this survey, and forward the link (along with this website) to all of your hockey-viewing friends! While answering the questions, keep in mind that steigerwald also hosts that awful 'Inside Penguins Hockey' show.

Again, this is a great sign that they may actually care what we think, but I encourage you to ALSO call FSN Pgh in order to directly voice your opinion in a professional manner!

Take part in the Survey here - sorry, the survey is now closed.

Here is Fox Sports Pgh's contact info:
Phone: 412 - 316 - 3800 (then choose option 6 for media relations)

The most boring sports writer in Pittsburgh has chimed in with some mind boggling thoughts; he wrote a story today in the PG concerning Mike Lange and steigerwald.

You can read the story here.

Proof that Bob doesn't watch Penguins games on TV:
"Steigerwald, who had been doing radio, made the switch easily and has done good work."

He also rambles on to suggest that because Mike Lange supporters haven't taken to the streets with picket signs and molotov cocktails, then we must not care. Well Bob, street-level protests may have been prevalent in the 70's (back when you may have been relevant), but you can't get people to show up in any great numbers for a Penguins arena rally, or a Mayor-led Myron Cope tribute, let alone to protest the firing of Mike Lange.

In the modern age, Bob, we use telephones and email to contact the appropriate parties.

Bob also observes that TV ratings have not slipped since the firing of Mike Lange. Bob, I know you don't like hockey, but have you heard of this kid named Crosby?

Here is Fox Sports Pgh's contact info:
Phone: 412 - 316 - 3800 (then choose option 6 for media relations)

Sean, from 'Going Five Hole hockey blog' (link) dropped me an email to inform me about an interesting new idea that he has come up with; it's a March Madness style bracket game based on all of Mike Lange's catch phrases.

You can check it out at his website - here.

The kind folks over at Faceoff-Factor.com have been good enough to mention this site in a recent article. You can read it here.

This website has also been referenced in a recent Post-Gazette.com Penguins blog. I'm not sure if the daily blogs are archived, but the section is a good read nonetheless! You can visit "Empty Netters" here.

Thanks to everyone who has contacted me with kind words of support! Please keep spreading the word!

A supporter by the name of Joe just dropped me an email concerning his phone call to Fox Sports Pgh's media relations. Here are a few interesting notes from his conversation:

• A representative at FSP said the email address that was listed here is no longer valid.

(I find that a bit hard to believe, but I guess if hundreds (possibly thousands) of Penguins fans emailed me about wanting Mike Lange back on TV, I may change my email address too.)

• The lady he spoke with claimed there are no "planned" changes for the TV broadcast crew, but that isn't to say it won't happen.

• She claimed all the emails and phone calls are being sent to the appropriate person within FSP and are being taken seriously.

• Since FSP is now part of Liberty Sports Group, all of the email addresses at the company will be changing soon.

My Take on the conversation

Okay, here is what I take away from Joe's reported conversation; it is apparent that an impact has been made due to the calls and emails.

That being said, I am going to remove the email address and encourage you all to make phone calls to FSP. This was recommended to me by another supporter, as it would show greater interest in the cause. Again, please be professional when you call, and insist that your complaint be taken seriously.

Here is Fox Sports Pgh's contact info:

Phone: 412 - 316 - 3800 (then choose option 6 for media relations)

You've gotta read these posts from another forum, concerning the Penguins TV broadcast team. You can read them here.

FSN Pittsburgh has named Steve Tello's replacement

FSN Pittsburgh has named former Penguins Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs, Ted Black, as their new vice president and general manager.

Read the article here.

Now is the time Pens fans! Call Fox and demand Mike Lange be re-hired as our TV play-by-play man! (but please be professional.)

Here is Fox Sports Pgh's contact info:

Phone: 412 - 316 - 3800 (then choose option 6 for media relations)

I am blown away by the support for this site and for getting Mike Lange back on TV! Every time i check the site and the petition, there are a bunch of new visitors and signatures!

I want to reiterate that contacting Fox Sports Pgh in a courteous manner is the very best thing we can do to show how strongly we feel about this; signing the petition is great, but they will really take notice to the phone calls.

Keep up the great work Pens fans! Spread the word; link this website to all your friends and encourage them to do the same!

I found out that this is the last season of both Mike Lange's radio contract, AND Steigerwald's TV contract. If that is indeed true, the time is NOW to really turn up the heat on Fox Sports Pgh; call them, email them, spread the word that Pittsburgh Penguin fans want Mike Lange back on TV!!!