Van Miller
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Van Miller (born 1927), the former play-by-play announcer for the American Football League's (later NFL) Buffalo Bills, was the longest-tenured commentator with one team (37 years) in pro football history upon his retirement after the 2003 season.
On July 30, 1960, Van Miller debuted on the air at War Memorial Stadium to call play-by-play for the Bills' inaugural contest against the Boston Patriots. In his 55 years in the business, Miller has earned legend status in Buffalo by doing everything imaginable behind the microphone. Besides his status as the "Voice of the Bills," Miller was the sports director for WIVB-TV 4 and its predecessor WBEN-TV for many years. During that time, he served as a sportscaster, weather reporter, and as host of the local version of It's Academic, among other shows.
Miller has called Buffalo Braves and Niagara University basketball, Buffalo Bisons baseball, Buffalo Stallions soccer, University at Buffalo football and, in his early years, high school sports.
With the exception of a seven-season hiatus from 1971 through 1977, when the Bills were being carried on rival station WKBW (and Miller was covering the Buffalo Braves), Miller covered the Bills for most of the team's existence, including the AFL championship in 1964 and 1965, and the Super Bowl run of the early 1990s. He shared the booth with color men Stan Barron and (after Barron's passing in the early 1980s) John Murphy, who succeeded Miller as play-by-play voice in 2004 following Miller's retirement.
After 43 years and almost 700 games, a now-harsher-voiced but still sharp 76-year-old Van Miller called his final broadcast for the Bills against the New England Patriots (the same franchise Buffalo had faced for Miller's first broadcast in 1960). The Bills lost 31-0 after having beaten the Patriots in the season opener by the same score.
Miller is now largely retired and lives with his wife, Gloria, in the town of Tonawanda, New York, although he's still heard on the air on occasion in guest sports commentary appearances or voicing commercial announcements for some Western New York retail businesses. The Pro Football Hall of Fame presented him with its Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award in 2004.
Signature calls include: "Fandemonium" – often referring to the celebrations after big Bills wins, and "Do you believe it?" after an exciting and often game-changing play
Van's estranged son, Van Miller, Jr., now in his late 40's, was once featured on Channel Four's Crimestoppers. He was wanted by the Erie County Sheriff's Department on an outstanding warrant for an incident relating to a former girlfriend.
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| Preceded by first |
Buffalo Bills announcer 1960–1971 1977–2004 |
Succeeded by John Murphy |
| Preceded by Chuck Healy |
WIVB-TV Sports Anchor –2000 |
Succeeded by Dennis Williams |
