FEBRUARY 20, 2025

A TRIBUTE TO MIKE LANGE

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Often times things become clear upon reflection, and as I sit here this morning, reflecting on the life of Mike Lange, it’s become clear how influential he was on me – more so, perhaps, than I ever realized.
 

My career has centered around sports storytelling, it’s a craft, an art, and there may be no person who has been better at painting a picture with words, than Mike Lange.
 

I moved to Pittsburgh in 1990, fortuitous timing for an impressionable sports fan. The Penguins were embarking on back-to-back Stanley Cup Championships, a journey that I wasn’t expecting to go on with a tour guide that I didn’t know I needed.

 

Mike Lange was my gateway to hockey, that I always knew, what I’m realizing with hindsight is that he was also my gateway to storytelling.
 

He was captivating, informative, creative, and entertaining. When he was on TV, he did not tell us what we could see with our own eyes, he told us what we couldn’t see. When he was on radio, he didn’t tell us what was happening on the ice, he described it in a way so you could see what was happening on the ice – that was his gift, he was transcendent.
 

Mike made everything better. Whether it was a conversation, a broadcast, or a perspective. He thought differently and was uniquely himself. He also made everything that I did with the Penguins better – my ideas, my stories, my productions – all uniquely enhanced by Mike Lange, directly or indirectly.
 

However, my experience is hardly unique. That was also Mike’s gift. He had a way of making people feel like they were uniquely important to him.  

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So whether it’s the butcher’s dog, a rented mule, Loretta, or even Sam himself, I hope someone’s getting you a drink, Mikey. Cheers to you, and because of you, it will forever be A Hockey Night in Pittsburgh.