Lou Nolan Inducted in Philly Sports Hall of Fame

LOU NOLAN BECOMES 1ST PHILLY BORN HOCKEY MEMBER INTO THE PHILADELPHIA SPORTS HALL OF FAME

He Still Calls Them As He Sees Them

When a guy who could not handle high school classroom public speaking assignments, becomes recognized a master of every nuance of voice and tone in a highly specialized type of public speaking before a giant audience, he deserves recognition as a master in his profession. When his profession happens to be that of telling it as it is and doing that exactly the way his special public wants to hear it, he has earned a doctorate.

In this case, in the often crazed coliseums of NHL hockey, this speaker’s public consists of knowledgeable, paying fans who want end to end excitement on the ice and accurate commentary from the in-house announcer. That is what Lou Nolan, a fan above all, has given to Philadelphia Flyers fans as their P.A. announcer for over four decades. He believes that recognizing the best interest of fans always comes first in doing his job as an announcer and often as master of ceremonies for many other Flyers events. For hockey, Wells Fargo sits over 15,000 – along with Lou and his “golden pipes” that charm his P.A. audience.

Flyers fans know that anyone who would wear those Groucho Marx nose and glasses outfits, as Lou has done at Halloween games and other occasions, would never take himself too seriously. It is the sport itself and its fans that he takes very seriously. He does enjoy it when they spot him en route to his perch. He laughs, “Yeah, I get Lou’d” a lot.

Lou has served his audience expertly for forty-three years to the approval of Philadelphia hockey fans. He has done so in the best of all places, his own hometown. He has done it in buildings, the earlier Spectrum and the current Wells Fargo Center located just a few miles from that old West Catholic High classroom where his adolescent stammers in public speaking class certainly did not suggest his future. He is now the NFL’s senior P.A. voice.

His description of his early learning period after getting the Flyers in-house announcing job in the 1972-73 season testifies to his humility about his sensitive role, advancing Flyers fortunes in their ups and owns over the years from Broad Street Bullies to today. That unmistakable voice and the confidence that was absent in his teen years, matured beautifully just in time, without Lou having to worry about that part.

“The players are the show,” he says. “I just try to be consistent and keep the fans in the game. “I’ve never tried to be a cheerleader. I’ve tried to be professional,” Nor does he want to scream his announcements or offer catch phrases aimed attracting attention to the announcer. True, he did introduce a favorite phrase quite a few years back that his fans won’t let him loose. That is the popular, Peeeco Powerrr Playyy well known to Flyer fans and their opponents.

Nolan, a 1963 graduate of West Catholic, was hired as the Flyers public address announcer at the Spectrum for the 1972-73 season. He had never previously done public announcing. But through his friendship with Joe Kadlec, the Flyers public relations director, Lou had worked in the press box handling statistics and other chores. Occasionally he would announce the goals and penalties in the press box in those early days.

Here is what Lou Scheinfeld, Flyers Vice President, recalls about Nolan’s noisy tryout and his smashing tryout and debut.

Lou Nolan has been the home game voice for the Philadelphia Flyers for as long as many fans have been alive. He wasn't the first, but he is the best. Gene Hart, Eddie Ferenz and Kevin Johnson preceded him in the team's early years. I knew Lou as a press box aide who requested an audition when an opening occurred way back around 1972. His tryout took place on the Spectrum floor in summer amid cranes, riveters and seat installers constructing the Spectrum’s third level. Despite the din of the machinery and the clatter of workmen, Lou nailed it in the first 30 seconds. "If you can handle this, you can handle anything, "I said. "You're hired!" Lou rarely has missed a game and is the first to volunteer to host most off-ice Flyers events. I am proud to call Lou (Peeeco Powerrr Playyy) Nolan not only a consummate professional, but one of my closest friends. We're lucky to have him.” Nolan first introduced the playing of Kate Smith's God Bless America in person, Oct. 11, 1973 and introduced Kate at The Spectrum on all four of her personal performances for the Flyers. The 1976 Flyers-Central Red Army game is one of Lou’s career highlights. For Flyers fans who weren’t around then, this was the final game of a series pairing NHL teams vs. the Russians. Since the Russians had beaten the New York Rangers and Boston and tied Montreal, it was up to the Flyers to win and uphold the NHL’s reputation. Canada, the United States and the world were watching. The Flyers did just that, convincingly in a crazy game.

Since assuming his current duties, Lou has missed very few games but has been allowed to take a few special short-term assignments. One of those was the NCAA basketball Final Four at the Spectrum in 1976, his first basketball job, handled seamlessly. Bobby Knight’s Indiana University team was the winner. Lou recalls that the runner-up was not another opponent. It was Knight’s striking plaid sportcoat, the wildest ever seen at courtside. Hoop fans may recall that Bobby made headlines in other ways that week staying with his team at the Cherry Hill Inn. Nolan’s introduction to hockey began in the late 1950s, before the Flyers arrived in Philadelphia. A classmate of his at St. Barnabas School in southwest Philadelphia had an uncle, George Lennon, who was a goal judge for the Ramblers, the minor league team that played at the Arena, at 46th and Market streets. Lennon became the original timekeeper for Flyers home games. “He used to take us myself, his nephew George and a couple other guys from St. Barnabas to Ramblers games on Friday nights,” Nolan recalled. “We’d bring home broken sticks, glue them together and play street hockey. I became interested in hockey. I’d take the trolley downtown to the only place that sold hockey magazines, at 13th and Market.”

Lou’s wife, Ellen and sons Matt and Jeff are enjoying this great honor with him. No matter what you hear, however, it is not true that when Lou came home with the good news about being voted into the Philly Sports Hall of Fame, Ellen was heard to say, “Speak up, Lou; we can’t hear you.”