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Mike Lange is hardly one to shiver in front of a microphone, having spent 27 years as the voice of the Penguins. But as he was unfurling the papers of his Hall of Fame acceptance speech yesterday, the nerves were evident.
So, in an attempt to cool down, he cracked a joke.
"Right now, I feel like a turkey trying to hide out on Thanksgiving Day."
Sounds like it has potential for one of those patented Lange goal calls, doesn't it?
Lange was feted as the 2001 winner of the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award, given for outstanding work as an NHL broadcaster. The ceremony is held separately from those of the Hall of Fame, four blocks away at the Westin Harbour Castle, but winners in this category are recognized with the players and builders.
"It's a very special moment, isn't it?" Lange said as he tried on his blue Hall jacket. "Obviously, I'll cherish this for the rest of my life."
Lange appeared touched by the outpouring of affection from family, friends and co-workers in attendance. Len Shapiro, a former broadcasting partner in Sacramento, Calif., presented him with a proclamation from Sacramento's City Council declaring it Mike Lange Day. Greg Brown and Steve Blass of the Pirates' announcing team made the trip. So did Ed Olczyk, his current color commentator.
And Paul Steigerwald, his longtime partner in the Penguins' booth, presented him to the audience.
"If you've ever been to Western Pennsylvania, it's a very provincial place," Steigerwald said. "It has its own accent, unique unto itself, and the people in Pittsburgh embrace their public figures in a way I don't think they do in other cities....