Peter Arbogast

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Peter "Pete" Arbogast (born December 5, 1954) is an American sportscaster, born in Chicago, Illinois but grew up mostly in Los Angeles, California.

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Education 1.2 Broadcasting 1.3 Personal life 2 Trivia

[edit] Biography

Arbogast is the child of legendary radio DJ and cartoon voiceover Bob Arbogast. Throughout the 1960s Bob was a jazz DJ, and chief comedy writer for Gary Owens and Dick Whittinghill for the old KMPC-710 AM.

[edit] Education

Arbogast attended John Marshall High School in Los Angeles. The basketball team he was on became league champion (in the Northern League, a CIF-Los Angeles city-section sports league), though he saw little court time himself. He also was a track-and-field competitor during high school.

He later attended the Los Angeles City College and the University of Southern California.

[edit] Broadcasting

He began his broadcasting career in 1978 working for KLIX radio in Twin Falls, Idaho, KCIN in Victorville, California, KTIP in Porterville, California and KPRO in Riverside, California before landing his first big job as the radio announcer as the first radio play by play announcer for the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers in 1984. The year before, Arbogast joined station KNX as a sportscaster and part-time newscaster, where he remained for 12 years. Among other things, Arbogast provided coverage of the 1984 Summer Olympics and was the public address announcer at Dodger Stadium from 1989 until 1994. He also worked with station KFI , KRTH, KHJ and was a news director at now-defunct K-News AM 540/1260 in 1996. After the demise of K-News, Pete joined KFWB News 98 where he remained until moving to Cincinnati in 1997.

"Arbo", as he is nicknamed, however is best known as the radio play by play voice of the University of Southern California's football team, which he has followed since the early 1960s. He announced both football and men's basketball games for USC from 1989 until 1995 (replacing the legendary voice of USC Sports, Tom Kelly, who moved to television). Before that, he was the play-by-play announcer for women's basketball, and while attending USC he did play-by-play for USC Football on the campus' radio station KSCR. Arbogast has attended USC games since age 8, and has been to every home game from that point until 1988, when he missed one due to his commitment with the Summer Olympics in Seoul for CBS Radio and KNX.

Arbogast was ousted as the voice of the Trojans by Larry Kahn who purchased the radio rights to football and basketball from KNX -- then named himself as the play-by-play announcer. Pete however went on to broadcast several college football games nationally on the CBS radio network for two seasons, including a few games involving USC, as well as working with now-defunct news station KNNS/KNNZ AM 540/1260, and a short stint with the then-Los Angeles Ice Dogs of the now-defunct International Hockey League.

In 1997, Arbogast, having done auditions for radio jobs with the NBA's Sacramento Kings and NFL's Arizona Cardinals, landed his first NFL announcing job, as the play-by-play announcer for the Cincinnati Bengals, replacing departed Paul Keels who moved on to Ohio State. Arbogast, who was paired with analyst Dave Lapham was replaced in 2000 by Brad Johansen when his contract was not renewed, and he eventually returned to Southern California soon thereafter. Arbogast did manage to attend the USC-Notre Dame contests in nearby South Bend, Indiana while in Cincinnati.

Pete returned as the football only announcer in 2001 (replacing Lee Hamilton, who broadcasted Trojan games from 1998-2000 on XETRA Sports 690; Rory Markas continued on as the men's basketball announcer). Some have objected to what they perceive as Arbogast's bias in favor of USC especially attacking calls by the referees that go against the Trojans.

USC however welcomed Arbo back with open arms, having grown tired of Hamilton's non-affiliation with the University.

On broadcasting sports, Arbogast says: "I always want the team for which I broadcast to win. Especially so with USC. I want to, and believe I do call a factual and exciting description of the game at hand. Easy to follow and full of accurate calls and information. But no one can mistake that I want my Trojans to win. Impartiality is for news reporters. In sports, we have our passions, and I don't mind showing mine, ever." Pete echoed these same sentiments when he was in Cincinnati broadcasting games for the Bengals, and still keeps up with the Bengals on occasion, as well as the Rams and to an extent.

In recent years, Arbogast auditioned for radio announcing jobs with the San Diego Chargers and Los Angeles Lakers.

As of 2006, Pete Arbogast is the play-by-play announcer for the USC football and women's basketball teams, and since 1967, is a youth sports coach away from broadcasting. On February 26, 2006, Arbogast recorded his 1,000th victory as a coach.

He is also the public address announcer for all high school sporting events at John Marshall High School.

On April 14, 2006; Pete was released from KMPC 1540 AM by station manager Roger Nadel, as the University switched broadcasting rights from KMPC to KSPN. His play-by-play job with USC was never in jeopardy, as he is employed by the University to broadcast their football games. As of August 2006, Pete has not been heard on radio since leaving KMPC. He attends USC football practice daily, as he has done since every year while holding the position.

ESPN 710, formerly KMPC 710, is the same station his father worked at during the 1960s.

He and partner Paul McDonald, the former USC All-American quarterback are the lead play by play voices on the NBC/'Universal TV show Friday Night Lights which began airing on October 3, 2006.

On September 19, 2006; Pete served as the guest public address announcer for the game between the Dodgers and Pittsburgh Pirates at Dodger Stadium -- his first behind the P.A. mike in 12 years.

[edit] Personal life

Arbogast "dabbles" in unique sports such as geocaching, orienteering, and body surfing. In 2005, he finished 14th in his age group at the World Body Surfing Championships. He is also an avid runner, and although he had two spring 2005 knee surgeries done by USC team Dr. James Tibone, he is preparing with his girlfriend to run a half marathon in October of 2006, the day after the USC at Arizona State game.

He recently divorced first wife Linda after 20+ years, and (as of 2006) his children Stephanie and KC are in college and daughter Veronica attends Valencia High School and plays basketball, sings and is in musical theatre. He now lives with girlfriend Jennifer Swan, who has two school age children. She is an art teacher and writer.

Pete has coached youth sports since 1967, and his teams have amassed a winning percentage of well over .630 He coached and is friends with Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid. He has also been a long time YMCA camp director and counselor, is a white ragger in the YMCA rag program, and is an ordained minister n the Unversal Life Church. He inducts new members into the International Assciation of Turtles at every opportunity.

[edit] Trivia

In recent years, Pete began using his broadcast opening phrase, "Thank you and how do you do, everyone?" and closes his broadcasts with his sign-off, "Fight on, everybody!" He has adopted the phrases "Don't go wandering off just yet" and "How do you do!" from his colleague, Vin Scully. The latter phrase has also been used by a few other announcers, most notably CBS's Verne Lundquist and Dallas Mavericks announcer Chuck Cooperstein.

Arbogast, who is not a fan of stadiums using corporate names, is also known for refusing to refer to older stadiums by its current name, such as U.S. Cellular Field, Monster Park, and Angel Stadium, referring to these three by its old names (New Comiskey Park, Candlestick Park, and Anaheim Stadium respectively).

An example: The Angels will be playing the White Sox later on at Comiskey Park, or whatever they're calling the stadium now, we call it Comiskey around here.

Pete is also known for using the phrase 10 past 7 during games that start at 7:10 in the evening.

Beginning in the 1990s, Arbogast invented a term in which when UCLA and Notre Dame loses, and USC wins on the same football week. It is called a perfect day, and to commemorate the perfect day, Arbogast and other Trojan fans would gather outside the Coliseum to share a toast to that perfect day.