Stan Savran, one of the hallmarks of sports media in the city of Pittsburgh, passed away at the age of 76. He had been battling lung cancer and diabetes, and leaves an indelible legacy in the Steel City and beyond. The area’s professional sports teams – the Penguins; Pirates and Steelers – all offered condolences to Savran’s family, as did various personalities and fans in the locale.
“Today 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,” Pittsburgh Steelers president Art Rooney II said in a statement. “He was a gentleman in every way possible, and he did so much for our city and Western Pennsylvania with his honest candor and knowledge of all sports.”
Savran was known for his time hosting Sportsbeat with Guy Junker on Fox Sports Net Pittsburgh, a studio program featuring interviews with sports figures in the city. Junker was moved off the show in 2003. Savran ended up hosting the show solo for the remainder of its duration, bringing his conversational yet perceptive style to consumers across the city while aggrandizing the zeitgeist.
“Stan’s blatantly honest, almost to a fault,” Junker said in 2009. “He’s made as many enemies as he has friends. That doesn’t always make him popular, but people respect him.”
Once the show was canceled in July 2009, Savran became the host for pregame coverage of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Pittsburgh Pirates, along with the host of the Steelers’ coach show on the regional sports network. Savran was also a sports radio host on various different stations – most recently 970 ESPN Pittsburgh – and appealed to listeners both as a solo host and partner with Junker from 2008 until 2010.
“Stan poured his heart into covering Pittsburgh sports,” Pittsburgh Penguins chairman Bob Nutting said in a statement. “No one was more knowledgeable, more fair or more honest. He was a true professional who was universally respected for his journalistic integrity. Stan was [a] Pittsburgh sports legend whose legacy will live on within the hearts of all Pittsburgh sports fans and all of us who knew him. He will be missed.”
The commentary style of Savran was rooted in journalistic ethos, always adhering to the standards of objectivity and ethical conduct. He was responsible for divulging Mario Lemieux’s plan to make a comeback to the National Hockey League, reinvigorating the Penguins fanbase.
“Stan Savran, Pittsburgh broadcasting legend, delivered some of the best announcements in Penguins history,” the team said in a statement. “He was a friend and a true professional at his craft. As long-time listeners who loved the show, we will miss you, Stan.”
Various broadcasters from the world of sports media promulgated their memories of Savran and the enduring impact he has had on Pittsburgh sports and in the city as a whole on social media. The hashtag “RIP Stan Savran” was trending on Twitter across Pennsylvania on Monday, and users browsed the outlet in a cathartic manner to reminisce on the loss of a sports media professional pivotal in developing the industry as it is known today.
