As a kid growing up in Sunbury, Ohio, where he graduated from Big Walnut High School, Bob Kennedy would listen to his radio, creating introductions to songs he'd hear as they'd play. He would talk over the TV, doing play-by-play for various sporting events, more than once incurring the wrath of his father who would open the basement door and exclaim “Shut the hell up! We're trying to watch TV!”
Bob Kennedy is a name with which you might not be familiar, but if you've ever stepped foot into the hallowed grounds of Ohio Stadium in the last decade-plus, you are familiar with Bob Kennedy's voice.
Every home football game since 2003, he has informed and entertained the masses in the Shoe. His unique role makes him just one of three public address announcers over the past 50 years for Ohio State football games, joining the ranks of Ron Althoff and Dave Parr.
Ohio State has 36 varsity sports and Kennedy says he has announced at least 20 of those 36, lending his talents to regular season, playoff and championship games.
Kennedy was kind enough to take time from his busy schedule and allowed Eleven Warriors to take a closer look at the man behind the voice.
11W: Do you have any memorable stories you can share?
Bob Kennedy: I'm working an early season basketball game and one of the timing crew guys had Sour Patch Kids. Right before tip-off Greg Oden comes over to the scorer's table and grabs the candy. Greg Oden, this 7-foot-all, 260 pound guy, acting liking like a six-year old because he put something in his mouth he wasn't expecting. He let out a war-hoop that made your ears ring. Oden, a man that size with a beard who looked like he was 40, was like a six-year old school girl at that moment.
11W: Are you an Ohio State fan?
BK: Without question. I have several books on Ohio State football and many vinyl albums of the band. I own the second album the band ever released. I don't have every album, but a lot of them. I'm an Otterbein grad, but I can sing Carmen Ohio word for word. I need help with Otterbein's song.
11W: How long have you been the stadium voice of the Buckeyes?
BK: 2003 through today. 13 years.
11W: How do you stay impartial?
“Oden...was like a six-year old school girl at that moment.”– Bob Kennedy
BK: I take instruction seriously and literally. I have never subscribed to the philosophy of being there to entertain. I've worked enough NCAA games at the DI and DIII level to know to play it down the middle. I have a hard copy brochure from Otterbein given to me 26 years ago with one segment titled BE FAIR AND IMPARTIAL. I've never been one to be a rap star or a carnival worker.
On that note, I remember one year we tried a bit to entice the crowd to get involved with some of the cheers. One of the problems was the one to two second delay from my booth to the band and the fans. A few games into the season we scrapped that idea at the Timing Meeting.
11W: Are you ever nervous? How do you calm yourself?
BK: You always get nervous before you start. Nerves are just excess energy. Once the first 5-10 minutes wear off then you're good. If you're scared, then you've had it.
Never been to that point except in 1971 when I was six and a half. I have always been a Johnny Cash fan. We're sitting up in the bleachers at the Phil Donahue Show at the Ohio State Fair. My dad asks a question. Donahue puts the mic in my face and I'm the biggest six and a half year turd you've ever seen. I froze. Rigor mortis personified. I'm crying after the show because I didn't get a chance to ask my question. My mom told me “You had your chance and you blew it.”
Bob Kennedy has had the opportunity to attend Ohio State sporting events for over 15 years. During that time he has witnessed many great victories and a couple of deflating defeats. He was there for The Game in 2006 when No. 1 Ohio State defeated No. 2 Michigan. The loudest games in Ohio Stadium under his tenure were the 2005 game against Texas and the 2009 contest when Ohio State hosted USC. However, there is one moment that stands out among them all.
11W: What is your favorite moment as Ohio State's PA announcer?
BK: My all-time favorite moment was a night game against Washington. There is a still photo of the team in the tunnel from the open end of the stadium at sunset . It was my first game as full-time announcer, the ambiance of the scene was fantastic and beautiful.
Ohio State defeated Washington 28-9. The Buckeyes have a record of 84-8 and are 6-0 against Michigan with Kennedy behind the microphone.
11W: Worst moment as an announcer?
BK: The 1985-86 season. Otterbein is No. 2 in the Nation and we have two All-American's in Dick Hempy and Michael Mckinney. We're hosting DePauw, in the Great Lakes Regional in February of 1986. The Rike Center was packed and we put in temporary bleachers to get 3,100 in the arena. The Fire Marshall was there and gave his blessing to squeeze everyone in.
Otterbein goes on a run in the second half and Depauw takes a timeout. Someone in the bleachers goes into cardiac arrest and people are calling for help. I'm on air and have no idea what to do. 15 minutes of CPR and the shock paddles are out. The gentlemen died from a fatal heart attack. Otterbein lost the next week in OT. It was the best team at Otterbein to never win a title.
11W: Any embarrassing moments?
BK: On more than a few occasions I have left out a starter for the soccer team. I've put starters in the starting line up who weren't there. That makes you feel like an ass. I can successfully say in 26 years of doing this I have never one used one of George Carlin's seven dirty words.
11W: You announce games for both Ohio State and Otterbein, how do you do that?
BK: In the spring of 2002 I get a call from David Brown and he asks “Do you want to work the Spring Game?” Dave Parr was the PA announcer at the time and I didn't think I would announce the game. Brown says, “We know you announce for Otterbein and have for a long time. Look at their schedule and see if there are any conflicts with our schedule.” I'm not the smartest guy, but at this point I knew something was up.
“I've never been one to be a rap star or carnival worker.”
Brown went on to say “We want you to announce football games on one condition. You do all of the games or none at all.” I spoke with Otterbein's coach, Dick Reynolds, and he said, “You make damn sure that you have someone in our press box doing our game when you are at Ohio State.” That was it. Fortunately, Dawn Stewart (Otterbein's athletic director) has honored the agreement and I still work Otterbein games.
11W: Who is your backup in case you are unable to attend a football game?
BK: I haven't had to cross that line yet. I'm sure that someone could probably fill in in a pinch. Jim Evans (lacrosse, field hockey, women's ice hockey) would probably be someone I would rely on in an absolute pinch. Nobody is really lined up. That's because you are expected to be there.
11W: What was the interview process like?
BK: In 2000 I met with Tom McGinnis on site at the Schott and I had the approach of working as a fill-in. They needed someone on a regular basis for Women's hockey and soccer. That got my foot in the door and led to where I am now.
11W: Do you get to travel with the team? Road games? Bowl games?
BK: No. The only road game I've been to is the 1973 Michigan game. My dad worked at the Nestle Company in Sunbury. Dad took off a half day of work because he had four tickets. I took a buddy of mine from school and we stayed the night in Findlay.
The morning of the game it was raining and miserable. If you've never been to Michigan Stadium, the press box is at street level. The field itself is well below ground. If you need a fall-out shelter this is the place to go.
By this time it had quit raining and we're walking around the stadium and a gentlemen is selling white ponchos with a block M on them. My parents are trying to convince me to get a poncho, but I don't want to wear that cursed “M”. My mom figures out why I don't want one and she says “you can turn it inside out.” I said that M will burn my chest.
“‘shut the hell up! We're trying to watch tv!’”– Bob Kennedy's father
As we're watching the players come out of the tunnel the Buckeyes tear down the Michigan Banner. Later in the game, Archie rips off a big run. My dad and I are sharing a box of popcorn at the 15-yard line about a third of the way up. My dad takes the box of popcorn and throws it up in the air to make it look like confetti on tv. At school a buddy of mine watched the game and asked me about the confetti. I've still never got a replacement popcorn box.
11W: Do you have a favorite player?
BK: When you do football you are so removed from the action due to your proximity in the press box you don't get to know them. You go your way, they go theirs. You simply don't see them. I try to make a point during baseball games to go down to the field and mingle without putting my nose in where it doesn't belong.
I try to be friendly with these kids. I'm an only child and treat the kids like the brother or sister I never had. I definitely don't cross the professional line, but try to be friendly with the kids and treat them in a positive manner. I'll send them a happy birthday message with their jersey number. Many of the kids are amazed I remember them and their number. With baseball, basketball and soccer you are close to the action. Basketball players come to the scorer's table and interact with us.
11W: Do you receive championship rings?
BK: I received one from Otterbein for the 2001-2002 basketball season. I asked for one. I probably wasn't on the list for automatic qualifiers. I went up to coach Reynolds after the season ending banquet and asked if I could receive a championship ring. Reynolds said I earned it, but would have to pay for it. The ring has the team record on one side, my name on the other and a diamond in the middle. I was more than happy to pay for it.
“I try to be friendly with these kids. I'm an only child and treat the kids like the brother or sister I never had.”
I did not receive a ring for the '14 season. Is that disappointing? Sure. But, I know you have to cut it off somewhere and I don't begrudge anyone.
I did get to work the celebration with the team and that was nice. Would I like to have one in my possession? Obviously. I'm hopeful to get a chance at another one in the future. I'm fine with that. I have no grudges or beefs. It's just the way it is and I'm fine with that.
11W: Do you have a favorite announcer?
BK: I'm old enough to remember Jim Simpson who died recently. I'm 51 and I can go back to Ray Scott, Frank Glieber, Curt Gowdy people like that. Of course Pat Summerall and Jack Buck did early tv back in those days. In Columbus Martin Petree (WMNI), Bert Charles (WVKO) and Chuck Underwood (WTVN) were people you gravitated to.
I remember growing up and Channel 4 would occasionally do Ohio State Basketball games. Jimmy Crum covered the Ohio State Minnesota game in 1971. My dad is watching the game with me on a little 9” black and white tv. I ask my dad why are they doing this? Why are they not playing basketball? Why are the fighting? As a six year old not being able to comprehend what was happening it scared me. Fortunately my dad was there to guide me through it. Other announcers were Bill Myers, Tom Ryan, Jerry Razor and Earl Green. All of them helped solidify my decision to get into the business.
11W: Did you go to Urban Meyer's first press conference?
BK: I'm at St. Ann's the Sunday after Luke Fickell's last game as head coach. In the 15 minute drive from my house to the hospital I'm bleeding like a sieve. My BP was 280-160 and I'm walking around like "Hi, how ya doing? Want a beer or something?" I was taking too much Excedrin and it was eating away the lining of my nostrils.
The day of Urban Meyer's press conference I had a shunt put in my nose to prevent future nose bleeds. Due to this I decided not to go to Urban Meyers press conference.
11W: Any stories you can share?
BK: Melissa Marsh and I graduated together from Otterbein in 1987. Melissa married Jerry Elliott several years. ago. I'm in my cousin's husband's wedding party and we head out for the bachelor party. I'm not expecting filet-mignon or anything like that at the Holiday Inn comedy Club on Brice Road. But when we get there they only have pretzels.
I'm on my third Long Island on an empty stomach. At this time Jerry is the headliner and on stage. I get up in the middle of his act to go to the bathroom and he lets me have it . He heckled me all the way out. I relieve myself of 5 pounds of urine and he heckles me all the way back to my seat. After the show he finds me and we had a good laugh about it.
Jerry and I have socialized since then. He's a straight shooter and a great guy.
11W: Favorite drink?
BK: Yeah, (laughs) I like beer. I'm a good beer drinker, but I have an affinity for a Maker's Mark and Coke, Captain Morgan and Coke and a Long Island iced tea.
Bob Kennedy is an entertaining, intelligent and genuine person. His passion for announcing and radio shines through. Mr. Kennedy truly cares about the athletes and coaches he covers. The Ohio State University and Columbus air waves are blessed to have a talented and compassionate individual promoting the kids and the city.
“And that's another Ohio State first down.” Here's to many years of Bob Kennedy's voice announcing first downs and touchdowns in Ohio Stadium. If you are lucky enough to meet Mr. Kennedy, remember that he likes Long Islands or Maker's Mark and Coke.
