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Randy Rosenbloom is leaving Los Angeles after 55 years in broadcasting to move to South Carolina. He will make the 3,300-mile journey next weekend with his wife.
Randy Rosenbloom is ending 55 years of broadcasting in Los Angeles next weekend when he moves to South Carolina. (Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
Itâs time to reveal memories, laughs and crazy times from Randy Rosenbloomâs 55 years as a TV/radio broadcaster in Los Angeles. Heâs hopping in a car next Sunday with his wife, saying goodbye to a North Hollywood house thatâs been in his family since 1952 and driving 3,300 miles to his new home in Greenville, S.C.
âWhen I walk out, Iâll probably break down,â he said.
He graduated from North Hollywood High in 1969. He got his first paid job in 1971 calling Hart basketball games for NBC Cable Newhall for $10 a game. It began an adventure of a lifetime.
âI never knew if I overachieved or underachieved. I just did what I loved,â he said.
John Wooden, Jerry Tarkanian and Jim Harrick were among his expert commentators when he did play by play for college basketball games. He called volleyball at the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games for NBC and rowing in 2004. Heâs worked more than 100 championship high school events. He did play by play for the first and only Reebok Bowl at Angel Stadium in 1994 won by Bishop Amat over Sylmar, 35-14.
âThere were about 5,000, 6,000 people there and I remember thinking nobody watched the game. We ended up with a 5.7 TV rating on Channel 13 in Los Angeles, which is higher than most Lakers games.â
He conducted interviews with NFL Hall of Famers Gale Sayers and Johnny Unitas and boxing greats Robert Duran, Thomas Hearn and Sugar Ray Leonard. Heâs worked with baseball greats Steve Garvey and Doug DeCinces. He called games with former USC coach Rod Dedeaux. He was in the radio booth for Bret Saberhagenâs 1982 no-hitter in the City Section championship game at Dodger Stadium. He was a nightly sportscaster for KADY in Ventura.
He was the voice of Fresno State football and basketball. He also did Nevada Las Vegas football and basketball games. He called bowl games and Little League games. He was a public address announcer for basketball at the 1984 Olympic Games with Michael Jordan the star and did the P.A. for Toluca Little League.
Nothing was too small or too big for him.
âI loved everything,â he said.
He called at least 10 East L.A. Classic football games between Garfield and Roosevelt. He was there when Narbonne and San Pedro tied 21-21 in the 2008 City championship game at the Coliseum on a San Pedro touchdown with one second left.
Probably his most notable tale came when he was doing radio play-by-play at a 1998 college bowl game in Montgomery, Ala.
âI look down and a giant tarantula is crawling up my pants,â he said. âMy color man took all the press notes, wadded them up and hit the tarantula like swinging a bat.â
Did Rosenbloom tell the audience what was happening?
âI stayed calm,â he said.
Then there was the time he was in the press box at Sam Boyd Stadium and a bat flew in and attached itself to the wooden press box right next to him before flying away after he said, âUNLV wins.â
Recently, heâs been putting together high school TV packages for LA36 and calling travel ball basketball games. Heâll still keep doing a radio gambling show from his new home, but heâs cutting ties to Los Angeles to move closer to grandchildren.
âI'm retiring from Los Angeles. Iâm leaving the market,â he said.
Hopefully heâll continue via Zoom to do a weekly podcast with me for The Times.
Heâs a true professional whoâs versatility and work ethic made him a reliable hire from the age of 18 through his current age of 74.
Heâs a member of the City Section Hall of Fame and the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. He once threw the shot put 51 feet, 7 1/2 inches, which is his claim to fame at North Hollywood High.
One time an ESPN graphic before a show spelled his name âRosenbloomâ then changed it to âRosenblumâ for postgame. It was worth a good laugh.
He always adjusts, improvises and ad-libs. He expects to enjoy his time in South Carolina, but he better watch out for tarantulas. They seem to like him.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Randy Rosenbloom is leaving Los Angeles to move to South Carolina after 55 years of broadcasting in the city.
Randy Rosenbloom worked as a broadcaster in Los Angeles for 55 years.
Randy Rosenbloom is moving 3,300 miles to South Carolina.
Randy Rosenbloom's last day as a broadcaster in Los Angeles is next Sunday.

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