Long Overdue... Honor Lou Nolan Now

[Sawdalite]

A friend of mine who moved to NYC came back for the Lacrosse Tournament last week and in our discussion he mentioned that the PA Announcer at the Tourney sounded like the Flyers one he remembered as he called the Goals.

In our discussion I said, "Lou Nolan is the Flyers PA Announcer and has been since... since... uhhh, I honestly can't remember when he wasn't the Flyers announcer".

I looked it up and was floored to learn that he has been the Flyers PA Guy since 1972-73 Season. He worked through Two Stanly Cups, Eight SCFs, countless PostSeason Games, Two NHL All-Star Games, various Soviet/Flyers exhibition games and Hockey Tourneys, including a Frozen Four, an NHL Entry Draft, various Retirement and Award celebrations, many Flyers HoF inductions, Life Memorials, various Flyers in-house events. Yada, yada, yada... It may be safe to say that just about every meaningful Flyers Home event since the fall of 1972 has been hosted/emceed by Lou Nolan... What other living person besides Ed Snider has been longer associated with the Flyers than Lou? ...Is there anyone in Philadelphia besides arguably Mr. Snider who better personifies the Flyers than Lou Nolan?

Why is Lou Nolan not already in the Flyers Hall of Fame? Why has there not been a major honoring of this man? I know that it is not a major anniversary year of any sort for him or the Flyers, but why wait for him to retire or pass away before he is honored in a major manner? Let's now bestow an honor on him that he may enjoy as he continues to serve the Flyers.

I never thought I would say this... but there is ANOTHER 'Voice of the Flyers' besides the immortal Gene Hart... Co-Voices you might say... Hats off to Lou Nolan who has been at the mic for longer than many Flyers fans have been alive.

Click to read more...

 

[Rebels57]

Honestly. Could not agree more. Well said. I think we could maybe come up with a letter from all of us to the team?

 

[Rebels57]

Or maybe something more modern like an "Honor Lou Nolan Already" facebook page?

 

[Sawdalite]

Honestly. Could not agree more. Well said. I think we could maybe come up with a letter from all of us to the team?

I imagine that if we can get enough support maybe our voices can reach the Flyers ears.

 

[Danko]

yep lou is awesome. i know i'm not the only one who still imitates his, "the flyers are going on the Peeeeco Powerplaaaaay" calls.

 

[Sawdalite]

Just found out that Lou was employed with the Flyers even before he started as the PA... Worked in the Press Box with stats and other things for the Flyers before 1972-73 Season... how much before IDK, but his service is now even longer and closer to their inception Season.

 

[GKJ]

Just found out that Lou was employed with the Flyers even before he started as the PA... Worked in the Press Box with stats and other things for the Flyers before 1972-73 Season... how much before IDK, but his service is now even longer and closer to their inception Season.

I think he actually was around at the beginning.

 

[Sawdalite]

I think he actually was around at the beginning.

The case for a monumental celebration and honoring is getting better and better all the time.


If that be the case... I wonder who among -- whom among? -- the original members of the Organization is still associated with it beside Lou and Ed... Certainly there will have to be something major for the 2017 celebration of the Inaugural Season, but might I suggest that they celebrate when Philadelphia was awarded the NHL Franchise which has to have been sometime between 1964 when Mr. Snider first envisioned it and the April 4, 1966 announcement of a contest to name the Team... so most likely 1965, making the 2105-16 Season a wonderful time to get the Half Century Anniversary Party started and kick it off with honoring the remaining initial employees, and maybe the remaining initial Season Ticket Holders.

In any case Lou has bee too long taken for granted in this great Organization, as I see it.

 

[GrkFlyersFan]

Just seeing this now, but I actually started and run a Facebook page for him a while ago. We have over 1,000 likes. It's even afforded me the opportunity to meet Lou multiple times. I would certainly appreciate the support, and Lou himself sees the page from time to time as well.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Flyers-PA-Announcer-Lou-Nolan/115468928471655?fref=ts

 

[usahockey22flyers]

2 minutes hook-ing.

Talk about a great guy.

 

[Sawdalite]

2 minutes hook-ing.

Talk about a great guy.

Shoot... being a mere Flyers Fan who's been attending since back around the beginning is in itself a criteria for being a great guy... a Fan who has represented the Flyers as a PA from before the First Cup... and worked for them going back to possibly the beginning... eclipses the great guy category by miles.





... And why do the Sixers have a Zinkoff banner hanging at the WFC and the Flyers have yet to honor Lou in any major manner?... a mere article on the website doesn't cut in my book.

 

[GKJ]

... And why do the Sixers have a Zinkoff banner hanging at the WFC and the Flyers have yet to honor Lou in any major manner?... a mere article on the website doesn't cut in my book.

Just to be the realest...that only happened after Zinkoff died

 

[Sawdalite]

Just to be the realest...that only happened after Zinkoff died

Yeah... that is reality to the max... people rarely see their ultimate tributes since they occur only after they are dead. I did sadly realize that but still ranted anyway. <sigh>


Here's a novel suggestion... forego a Zink type banner and just select him for the Flyers Hall of Fame while he can enjoy it like Snider, Allen and Hart did and not after they have died like Ashbee (who died before Hall was created) and Shero who IIRC died just before induction in 1990... How about allowing Lou to be honored for his long and loyal and beloved service to the Flyers while he can attend and enjoy?


My guess is that the 50th Anniversary will be chuck full of honoring and include Lou... It would be nice however to have him stand out with an individual acknowledgement... I'm not holding my breath.

 

[OzFlyers]

 

[Sawdalite]

Much thanks... I never saw that before.



Nice guy Lou... had a great Career through the point of filming... since then... and hopefully a greater one going forward for many, years to come. Now is the Organization's turn to do the Honors... Mr. Snider, please hire a worthy PA man for the night Lou gets inducted in the Flyer Hall of Fame... one who will do him as much justice on that Occasion as Lou has done for the previous Inductees over the years.

 

[04' hockey]

Much thanks... I never saw that before.



Nice guy Lou... had a great Career through the point of filming... since then... and hopefully a greater one going forward for many, years to come. Now is the Organization's turn to do the Honors... Mr. Snider, please hire a worthy PA man for the night Lou gets inducted in the Flyer Hall of Fame... one who will do him as much justice on that Occasion as Lou has done for the previous Inductees over the years.

THIS .....

 

[Sawdalite]

FWIW; Bill Meltzer in his HB Blog today imbedded that above Video Tribute to Lou and gave a nice little write-up listing some of Lou's many achievements and his standing amongst the Flyers 'Voices' over the many Decades... even going so far as to place him besides Gene Hart as being a Voice of the Flyers also.

Bill however didn't go as far as to champion our stance that Lou should be selected for the Flyers HoF... or receive a major Honor by the Organization. That said, I can see where it might not be his place to do that in such a place... but with that, Bill's support was greatly appreciated and I feel that we, may have his support going forward.

BTW: Bill has in the past also supported my stance that Jimmy Watson has been underappreciated and should be in the FHoF... Before I die I would love to see both Jimmy Watson and Lou Nolan in the Flyers' Hall... At this point though I believe Lou has a better shot of eventually entering, as there are so many more recent players... such as the Late-'90s/Early-2000s ones like Recchi and Primeau... about to be enshrined and Jimmy's chances have been greatly diminished of late, as I see it... Supposedly though Jimmy has the backing of many of the Flyers Alumni.

 

[Sawdalite]

This is a step in the right direction... Now the Flyers Organization has to step up and honor Lou for all his many years of service with them.

From Twitter:

Adam Kimelman ‏@NHLAdamK · 15m15 minutes ago
Congrats to voice of the Flyers Lou Nolan on his induction into Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame.

 

[Danko]

Way worth the honor. That video above was well worth the watch.

If they don't honor him now, whenever he decides to hang up the mic he will definitely be honored. It's kind of a thing where you just retire a guys number when he's outta the game, maybe the same thing here.

Completely agree

 

[BackToTheBrierePatch]

put a banner up with a golden mic on it.
He is long, long overdue to be honored.

 

[Sawdalite]

Way worth the honor. That video above was well worth the watch.

If they don't honor him now, whenever he decides to hang up the mic he will definitely be honored. It's kind of a thing where you just retire a guys number when he's outta the game, maybe the same thing here.

Completely agree

In the case of employees, rather than players, when great milestones are met, it is nice to make the employee and the public aware of your appreciation -- and even with players, certain milestones such as GP, Goals, Points, etc. are honored on the ice -- Lou has been on the job pushing fifty years now... I would like to see him honored while he can well enjoy the Honor, and not wait until he no longer can or wants to continue... at which time an even greater tribute should be made... When the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Organization/Expansion is celebrated Lou's anniversary will be lost amid all the other events... Placing Lou in the PFHoF is a great way to show the Organization's appreciation as it is arguably their greatest honor, and he would be the total focal point of the honor.

JMO

 

[PHILOUDELPHIA]

so who would be the PA announcer for Lou Nolan if he ever got his ceremony. Would Lou nolan PA announce his own ceremony?

 

[Hockeypete49]

A buddy of mine took me to a spot in Philly after a game where some of the visiting teams would stay and we wanted to say Hi to Behn Wilson. We ran into Lou and we had a few minutes to talk to him. He was by himself and was friendly to say the least. I agree there should be something in his honor there. However I still go back to the days when I would just listen to the games on the radio and write the stats down. For me it will always be Gene and Don and the boys scoring for another case of tastycakes

 

[Sawdalite]

A buddy of mine took me to a spot in Philly after a game where some of the visiting teams would stay and we wanted to say Hi to Behn Wilson. We ran into Lou and we had a few minutes to talk to him. He was by himself and was friendly to say the least. I agree there should be something in his honor there. However I still go back to the days when I would just listen to the games on the radio and write the stats down. For me it will always be Gene and Don and the boys scoring for another case of tastycakes

I agree... Gene Hart was on another stratosphere -- I believe that Lou would agree to that statement -- There will most likely never be another Gene Hart in Philadelphia, and maybe no one even close... The memories I have of him and Don Earl doing the games during the Glory Years will forever hold the dearest spots in my memory bank... whether in the car or on the transistor or when available on the B&W television, the games were vividly and expertly detailed... and they allowed us to so happily keep our stats pads up to date. Gene's voice is one of the most unforgettable ones of my youth... and clearly will always be the 'Voice of the Flyers'. He has been honored by the Organization and will always be an integral part of Flyers History... Now is the time to have Lou honored also, IMO... and it seems most people agree with me on this.

 

[Sawdalite]

At this time, during all the Official 50th Anniversary celebratory Events and recognition, there is no better time to honor Lou Nolan... Put Lou Nolan in the Flyers Hall of Fame on this, the 50th Anniversary.

Lou may well be the last tie into the Flyers initial organizational footing... While we all can enjoy this with Lou, let's do it... Let's have our voices heard... let's have our desire felt... Let's get Lou's name on the PHoF Banner THIS Season.


LOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU