Lee Hamilton (sports) - Play-by-play Work

Play-by-play Work

Hamilton has also been a noted play-by-play host for the San Diego Chargers, Seattle Seahawks, USC Trojans, Minnesota Vikings, and San Diego State Aztecs.

Hamilton was the play-by-play announcer for San Diego Chargers on radio from 1986 to 1997, one of the longest tenures of any play-by-play announcer in the team's history. Hamilton replaced Ted Leitner, whom Hamilton referred to as "Teddy Lightweight." Leitner eventually replaced Hamilton in 1997 when XTRA Sports lost the broadcasting rights to KFMB, but not before Hacksaw went on an on-air tirade during his last game as Chargers' announcer. (In an ironic twist, Hamilton and Leitner became broadcast partners in 2007 as KOGO assumed the broadcast rights to San Diego State Aztecs football games. Hamilton is normally a color commentator, but switched to play-by-play for a few early season games when Leitner called San Diego Padres games on XEPRS-AM.)

In 2001, he resigned as the play by play announcer for the Minnesota Vikings after just one pre-season game. The resignation came after Minneapolis sportswriter Larry Fitzgerald (father of future NFL wide receiver Larry, Jr.) exposed allegedly racist and sexist comments that Hamilton sometimes used on his talk shows. Hamilton was going to replace long time Vikings announcer Dan Rowe. The job would eventually go to Paul Allen, who took over in 2002.

As a Chargers announcer, Hamilton would criticize the referee's calls against the Chargers; on one occasion, Hamilton screamed at the refs to throw the flag, dammit!, calling for pass interference against the defender on a long pass play.

Among the games he called was Super Bowl XXIX in January 1995, the only such appearance in team history. His partners were Jim Laslavic and Pat Curran. Another broadcasting partner was Chet Forte, who was too ill to continue during the Chargers' run to the Super Bowl.