Fans react after announcer fired

OLYMPIA - Fans supportive of Eric Rowe's passionate "What do you say now?" comments and his energetic delivery as the public address announcer for the Olympia Bears' home football games want him reinstated.

Rowe, who has “Blue Bear” on his car license plate and is an Olympia High School graduate, was dismissed for his alleged “cheering in the press box” during the Capital-Olympia rivalry football game on Sept. 11. It was his second game as the school’s volunteer PA announcer.

“We think Eric Rowe should be the announcer for Olympia’s home games, period,” said Mike Snodgrass, whose son is on the Olympia team.

Skip Hauser sent Olympia School District superintendent Bill Lahmann a letter from the Olympia Gridiron Backers asking for Rowe’s return. A petition for Rowe’s reinstatement with an anticipated 600 signatures will be given to Lahmann at next week’s school board meeting.

Rowe’s replacement is expected to be announced today. Olympia plays South Kitsap at 7 p.m. Friday at Ingersoll Stadium.

In a three-page letter, Hauser argued that Rowe never said anything derogatory about the opposing team. Hauser also wrote “Mr. Rowe obviously brought energy and passion to the announcer’s booth” and any offense to Capital fans “clearly was not intended.”

Rowe was fired for being biased.

“We can assure you,” Hauser said in the letter, “that nothing said was intended to embarrass anyone or to be taken personally.”

However, the district plans on proceeding with finding a replacement. Peter Rex, the district’s communication director, said the district will have a response to the booster club’s letter today. Several candidates are in consideration for the PA announcer position.

The district isn’t backing down from its decision in the face of a community backlash.

“I was surprised how drastic the decision was,” said John Amidon, Olympia athletic director. “I believe in second chances. He wasn’t given any parameters.”

In Olympia’s 35-28 victory over Capital, after the Bears trailed 14-0, Rowe laced the dramatic comeback with frequent declarations, “What do you say now?”

Rowe said that comment was his version of what longtime Tumwater Thunderbirds fan Jake Berschauer used to say to rally the fans. He’d stand in front of the crowd and say, “Who you for?”

But the district’s rebuttal to Rowe’s comment is that Rowe was the PA announcer. Berschauer was a fan.

Rowe’s supporters argue that because the superintendent and principals from both schools were at the game, why wasn’t Rowe reprimanded early in the game?

“If there was something at the time that was over the top or considered inappropriate, all you had to do was have someone tell him to tone it down, cut out editorializing,” said Snodgrass, who supports giving Rowe a second chance. “It wasn’t a problem until there was a complaint. A simple word would have changed the complexion if it was that big of a deal.”

With about two minutes left in the game, after Olympia’s Justin Henry scooped up a fumble and raced 72 yards for the winning touchdown, someone went to the press box and asked Rowe to tone it down.

In his defense, Rowe said he was never given any guidelines on how to be a proper PA announcer. However, Kevin Wright, the Capital PA announcer who was at the Olympia-Capital game as a fan, said he was told from the beginning what his role as an announcer was.

“Basically it was my job to tell people what’s happening,” Wright said. “Have fun on touchdowns. Don’t ad lib.”

The district’s job description for the PA announcer is tell fans the down-and-distance, who made the tackle and who carried the football.

“What fans got mad at was ‘What do you say?’ ” Wright said. “We’d get an 8-yard gain and there was nothing. They’d get a 2-yard gain and it was ‘What do you say?’ ”

Rowe and his supporters would like to see him get another chance. But it doesn’t appear likely.

“If they do not reinstate him, I think a number of Eric’s supporters should take our three minutes to express our opinion next week at the school board meeting,” said Snodgrass, who thinks the district overreacted.

“What we’re trying to do is show that there’s a bigger portion of the community, much bigger than those who complained, that think there was nothing wrong with how Eric called the game,” Snodgrass said. “And if they had an issue with him, the consequences don’t match the issue. There’s a much larger segment of the community who appreciated the excitement Eric brought.”

Gail Wood: 360-754-5443

gwood@theolympian.com