A regular column by Athletic Director Bill Husak.
There are so many people who work to put on a game so that our fans enjoy the experience. One group that receives very little recognition and who you rarely see, but always hear, are the Lions announcers. These are the people who do the broadcasts over the internet or radio and who you hear in the arena. Let me highlight three Lions, who are or were students and have continued to be involved in bringing the games to you. There are Manny Nunez, Jeff Lampe and Bernie Sandelow.
Manny Nunez is currently a senior at LMU. Manny's father was a Lion and played for the baseball team, and his dream since his sophomore year in high school was to become a Lions as well. When he set foot onto the campus, his mind was set on becoming a teacher in the field of Mathematics. In the second week of his freshman year, Manny approached LMU Athletics for a job opportunity in sports broadcasting. In that first year, he did a few play by play games for volleyball and became the public address announcer for men's and women's soccer during the fall. In the spring he became the voice of Lions Baseball and did a whopping 60 baseball games. Since then, he has become one of the recognized voices for our program and has continued his development most recently doing the webcast of the WCC Tournament.
For those who listen to the men's basketball broadcasts over KXLU and the internet, you will hear the exciting call of the game by Jeff Lampe. Jeff is 1993 English major alum who makes his career as a director of marketing for an IT firm. Jeff has a passion for his alma mater's Athletics program. During the winter months he does all of the home and away games for Lions basketball. The excitement that he demonstrates during the course of a game causes you to be tempted to tune in whether you are at home watching it on television or viewing the game in person within the confines of Gersten Pavilion. He also fills in as an MC during banquets. He are grateful that his wife Erica and new son Jackson share Jeff with our Athletics Department.
For 33 years, Bernie Sandelow has been the public address announcer for men's basketball at Gersten Pavilion and before that at alumni gym. Bernie recalls doing his first game as undergrad in Alumni gym, climbing up into the crow's nest and wondering if anyone could hear him with the portable sound system. His voice introduced so many outstanding basketball players during the past 33 who were both Lions and Lions opponents. Bernie has also been the master of ceremonies for numerous banquets. Most recently, Bernie was inducted into the LMU Hall of Fame for his outstanding commitment to our program for so many years.
Each of these three, as well as so many others, are involved with LMU Athletics because they love it and have a passion for the University. LMU is not unique in having people like these three. When you get an opportunity, please introduce yourself to Manny, Jeff and Bernie as well as our other announcers and thank them for their service and for adding enjoyment to the game experience.
