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Bucs' press box misses its longtime Royal voice

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By MARTIN FENNELLY | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 6, 2009

TAMPA - I've heard it all Bucs season.

It's right up there with "When are these guys going to win a game?"

Every game, someone in the press box asks a better question:

"Hey, where's Royal?"

They're talking about Royal Sorensen, the grand old man of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' press box, season after season. They're talking about Royal, who for 32 years was the press box announcer, first at the old Tampa Stadium, then at Raymond James Stadium. Silver-haired Royal and his golden pipes, that deep, rich voice letting us in the media know what was happening on the field.

Hey, where's Royal?

Royal Sorensen, 77, doesn't do the Bucs' games anymore. Now, that might not seem like news to fans, who've never heard Royal's voice. Only the media did. Game after game, there was Royal, and there was Royal's smile, too. He retired from the press box before the 2009 season. The Bucs wanted a new voice. That would be Paul Porter, a familiar voice to all of us, given his public address work over the years at Tampa Bay Lightning and Orlando Magic games. Paul is a good man, too.

Only this is throwback Sunday at Raymond James Stadium. The Bucs will be decked out in their historical Creamsicle uniforms when they play the Packers in honor of the 1979 Bucs, who made the NFC title game. And Lee Roy Selmon will become the first inductee in the new Bucs Ring of Honor.

They ought to have Royal back, too.

He ought to do the press box this Sunday.

It would just be a damn nice thing to do.

You'd never hear Royal ask for anything like that. He's content, like always. He retired from his investment business years ago and lives a good life in the big condo in a high-rise on Redington Beach, where he counts former Bucs coach Jon Gruden among his neighbors and friends. Who doesn't like Royal Sorensen?

No, life is good, any day of it, for Royal and his bride, the amazing Betty. They were high school sweethearts in Jacksonville and have been married 57 years. Royal is just a good man who for years and years did a very good job at Bucs games.

To me, it wasn't a Bucs home game without Royal's drawl.

OK, it wasn't a drawl – Royal is of Danish descent – but it seemed like one.

"It was sort of a drawl," he said.

His job was a simple one. Announce who did what, and for how many yards.

"I tried to do it right and do it quickly," Royal said.

He never put on airs, never dealt in clichés, never tried to gussy up what just happened.

You're talking about every home game in Bucs history, preseason, regular season and playoffs, more than 300 games, and Royal, in all that time, missed only one.

It was a preseason game that very 1979 season. The morning of the game, Royal was swatting tennis balls (he was an intramural champ at the University of Florida, where he graduated in 1955) when he felt a pop. It was his Achilles' tendon.

"You've got to get me out of here by 7. I have a ballgame tonight," Royal told the doctors in the emergency room. They looked at him funny and immediately operated. Royal missed a game. One game – in all those years. Royal and his voice were about the two most dependable players in Bucs history.

He served in the Navy out in San Diego, and it was there he became good friends with broadcaster Charlie Jones. Royal got the itch to do some announcing, too.

After moving to Brandon in 1967 ("They said there were 7,000 people and 7,000 cows.") he did public address announcing at University of Tampa sporting events. He eventually landed the Bucs' press box job. Royal has been the press box announcer for USF football and Outback Bowls and Tampa Super Bowls.

"I don't like the word 'homer' when you talk about announcing, but it was always great to see the Bucs win," Royal said.

Even when the Bucs were awful (ring a bell?) you'd never know it by Royal. A few times I'd walk past him after a particularly bad Bucs moment, and Royal would look up with that smile of his, always the gentleman.

His emotions did catch up with him one game in his last season.

It was kicker Matt Bryant's first game back after his child died and he hit the game-winning field goal.

Royal has three grown children.

"Maybe because of the emotion, it sticks in my mind," Royal said. "Two years ago, after that baby died, with all that was on Matt Bryant's mind – and he just drills that kick. I think my voice might have cracked on that one. I think I yelled, 'It's GOOD.' A little emotion popped out."

You know, there's something to be said for doing a good job, year in and year out, and being a nice guy.

"It was a fun experience, each and every game," Royal said.

Royal has battled and beaten kidney cancer. He is fighting a rare lung disease as we speak. The doctors gave him three years to live – only that was four years ago.

That's Royal for you.

"I'm not going until we're out of Miller Lite," he said. "All you can do is enjoy all the days you have."

He sure did enjoy his days behind the microphone at Bucs games.

We did, too.

The Bucs ought to bring Royal back, if not this Sunday, then some Sunday sooner rather than latter. The man deserves a send-off – and a Creamsicle jersey with his name on it.

Royal deserves the royal treatment.

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