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Absolutely honored to give a prayer at the memorial for the legendary and beloved Bob Ahrens, mentor and teacher of generations of sports broadcasters at WFUV. #bobahrens #wfuv #

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GAME DAY 🏈

SHOW UP AND SUPPORT - 7PM @ Murphy Field

#3andout #fordhamfootball #flagfootball #letsgetit #support

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Balling Out Overseas: Episode 1!

Come with me to report my first game across the pond for the @londonlions Preseason Invitational Tournament🇬🇧😎🏀
#london #londonlions #europe

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Our founder sat down with @fordhamuniversity magazine to discuss battling through injuries after joining the Fordham women’s basketball team @fordhamwbb, building her broadcast career with @wfuvsports and creating YWE shortly after playing professional basketball! 🏀🎙️

Check it out — link in bio 📖

#ywe #sportsmedia #sportsbroadcasting #womeninsports

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A pair of Bob Ahrens liners in tonight’s pregame at the Stadium. ❤️ #IYKYK #Yankees

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We lost Bob Ahrens two days ago. And man, what a life.

I’ve been fortunate to see him in so many lights since 2013 — teacher at Fordham & WFUV first, then a mentor, and finally a friend. Professionally, I wouldn’t be where I am today without him.

There are a lot of ways to describe Bob - I’m going with fearless.

Fearless in his pursuit of opportunities for his students.

I mean who would just call up Doc Emrick when a college freshman asked how in the world do you call water polo? And like that, I was picking the brain of an icon. That was the first of so many “Bob” moments.

Fearless in the time he gave to everyone.

Fearless in how he cared for others.

Fearless in how he operated a motor vehicle.

The outpouring of support in his final hours overwhelmed his care facility. In the 48 hours since his passing, it’s been incredible to witness so many tributes. Talk about impact.

Post-retirement when various challenges presented, Bob needed some assistance. Many pitched in and one day when chatting with my mom, she knew she could help resolve an initial crisis or two.

I grew skeptical as weeks went on, but as we navigated some of these challenges together, my mom and Bob had developed their own language.

Picture 5 years of banter between your own mother & Bob Ahrens.

Without my mom’s weekly check-in and oftentimes a lot more, these tributes would’ve come a long time ago. So, on behalf of everyone in Bob’s orbit and especially me, thank you mom for helping give us as much Bob time as possible.

My final visit with Bob was Monday. He was largely unable to respond, but could hear. We talked about the latest baseball news. That included Mark Walter’s financial situation with the Dodgers. And within milliseconds, there was a large reaction that didn’t seem possible. Undoubtedly, he was laughing his butt off and saying “the Dodgers never should’ve left Brooklyn.”

This feels like one of those “5-minute” phone calls with Bob. It never ends.

“Let me put it this way,” I could keep going.

Thanks for living such a full life in service to so many, including me.

It turns out you were the icon.

Rest in peace my friend. ❤️

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If you’re fortunate enough, you can trace back to the little moments that shaped your future. For me, it was a “special time in a special place.” I was 17, decided to get serious about life, but that if I had to do this whole “work thing,” I might as well reach for the stars and do what I wanted, right? Somehow, I wanted to call baseball games for a living. A dream that was a lump of clay back then was molded with the help of many, but Bob Ahrens was my first true mentor in play-by-play, journalism…and life. He was my greatest school teacher who never taught me in a class room, but inside Fordham’s WFUV Radio. We lost Bob on Wednesday as he passed peacefully at 89.

I’ve often valued the notion that we hold the pen to our own story, but mentors help you frame the moments. Bob helped countless people frame their moments through loyalty, devotion and persistence. Boy, did he fight and pound the table, but never for himself. Always for the betterment of his kids. He would show you true drive. He would be your biggest cheerleader and believe in you when it was difficult to see how you could ever believe in yourself. I met my closest friends in life because of Bob. We learned what it meant to be great teammates and show up for each other in a cut-throat industry, and even more so outside of it. We all grew old with a teacher long after our days in school. His words and moments (and one-of-one mannerisms 😂) will stay with me, and for that I’m blessed.

Bob was born & raised in Brooklyn, loved the Dodgers, and it’s fair to say he will be eternally crushed they left for LA after 1957. Of Ebbets Field, he’d often say (in his distinct delivery) how “it was a special time. In a special place.”

So was learning your wisdom, Bob. Of the craft. Of life.

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Teaching is the world’s most noble profession. I’ve always known that. My wife is a teacher. Today, it hit me harder than ever because my favorite teacher died.

I didn’t have a ton of direction 29 years ago when I got a voicemail in my college dorm room that WFUV, the radio station at Fordham, was looking for people interested in sports broadcasting.

They had just hired a professional producer named Bob Ahrens to work as a mentor and teacher to the student broadcasters, along with the legendary Marty Glickman, who was already providing weekly coaching sessions. Suddenly, I had my direction.

I was already a sophomore when I showed up at the station on the same day as an energetic Italian freshman (pictured here) named Reali. Our Greek Freak, Spero, came a year later. It really was the best of times. We laughed and we learned, all thanks to Bob.

What did he teach us? He taught us to care and to prepare. If I prepared half as long for astronomy class as I did for a basketball game, maybe my path would have been different. I always tell people that it’s preparation that breeds confidence, and confidence that breeds success. Today, it dawned on me that I learned that from Bob. He set a standard and we met it.

He also set an example of how to care. No one cared more than Bob. About everything. He cared about stuff nobody else cared about, or should care about, like the time on the clock in Fordham’s gym, which always seemed to be a few seconds off. At least Bob said it was. He also cared about things that do matter, like getting the facts right on a story. More than anything, he cared about us, and we cared about him.

I’m so tremendously proud to be a small part of the legacy Bob Ahrens left behind when he died today. We’re all proud. Thanks, Bob. Thanks for caring.

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I’m so lucky I get to do what I love. I have wanted to be a play by play broadcaster since elementary school. The people most responsible for me being able to live out my dream are my incredible parents…
The next most responsible person is my mentor & the man who taught me the art of play by play Bob Ahrens.
We lost Bob today…a man who has changed so many lives in this business thru his countless hours of care, advocacy, wisdom & humor.
Bob was the longtime executive producer of WFUV Sports at Fordham. Arriving there thanks to Marty Glickman, after a self proclaimed “Forest Gump” road. It was Marty’s thoughtful broadcasting style that Bob imparted on all of us. “Consider the listener”. Bob made sure our broadcasts were always about the audience first. Getting Bob to dole out praise was a Herculean task. If you could muscle out a “You did Fine!” You’d want to hang it on the fridge.
He was hilariously strict to his mannerisms and sing songy sayings. So unique that when I was a senior, my college roommate Bobby secretly recorded Bob and turned it into an 18 track album for us all to enjoy lol. One of the two main foundational pieces of PBP advice I always share with young broadcasters is a classic Bob original….”Umm Ryan when SHIT’s LIVE..SHIT HAPPENS.” The line meant to remind us always to roll with the unexpected in a live show.

Bob’s lessons extended far beyond the microphone. At the end of my first year at @wfuvsports Bob pulled my good friends Lou, Bobby, Justin and I into his office. He said, “This friendship you have is special. You guys are going to start competing for the same positions. You can NOT let that affect this bond you have. Your friendship is way more important.” The four of us remain incredibly close to this day. And this may be the most significant part of Bob’s legacy. He not only prepared us for the X&O’s of this business but made sure we always prioritized being great teammates and good people. And you can feel that across our entire WFUV brotherhood thanks in large part to Bob. Love you Bob ❤️ And thank you for being a huge reason why I have this life I love.

2k

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Last night at UFC 330 Welterweight Champion @islam_makhachev entered a league of his own, when he broke Anderson Silvas record for the longest win streak in mma history. I asked Islam what makes moments like this special after everything he already accomplished, and about his influence on American culture #ufc330. 🎥 Credit: @homeoffight @jakenoecker

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I got to ask @danawhite about the amateur boxing bouts on the prelims of #zuffaboxing09 and he said that #zuffaboxing will be supporting ammeter boxing. #boxing #mma

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It was a hot week in Las Vegas for NBA Summer League, and I’m not just talking about the triple-digit temperatures. 🔥

From Yaxel Lendeborg leading the Warriors to a championship, to AJ Dybantsa and the loaded rookie class living up to the hype, here’s a recap of my biggest takeaways from an unforgettable week in Vegas.

Now it’s time for the next chapter of the offseason…

Where’s LeBron going? 👀

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