By Malcolm Butler
He was a staple in northeast Louisiana households for decades.
Local broadcasting legend Lanny James just had that voice that every broadcaster would love to possess. And he had his share of charisma and flamboyance too.
From the way he dressed to the way he talked to the way he interacted with people. He was one of a kind.
James passed away Thursday at the age of 82.
For more than two decades he was the sports director for KNOE-TV. And his iconic sign-off “We’ll be right back … after this … timeout” is stuck in the brains of those of us who watched him for more than 20 years.
James was a story teller, both as part of his job at KNOE and just in life in general.
Aaron Dietrich, another long-time sports director at KNOE-TV, said James was one of a kind.
“Lanny was a broadcasting pioneer in Louisiana,” said Dietrich. “With his style and booming voice, the Big L was a personality that fans talked about decades after his final broadcast on KNOE.”
James did more than just anchor the sports on a nightly basis in the Monroe-based station. He used his story-telling talents as both a radio broadcaster and as a TV show talent.
“Lanny was a true sports legend in our part of the world,” said former LA Tech AD Jim Oakes. “He played a vital role in covering the Lady Techsters, Tech Football, and so many other championship teams. Channel 8 Sports was must see TV thanks to Lanny’s fantastic coverage of the area sports scene. He will truly be missed.”
Legendary Lady Techster basketball Hall of Fame coach Leon Barmore said James was more than just a voice. He was a friend.
“There is about a 15- to 20-year span where he covered us, did our TV show, and we were golfing buddies,” said Barmore. “We were really good friends. I thought he was really really good with what he did. When we came out of Lincoln Parish and the state of Louisiana and got national attention, I thought there were four people who were integral with helping the Lady Techsters get on the national scene in Dr. F. Jay Taylor, Sonja Hogg, Buddy Davis and Lanny James.
“Lanny was really good for the Lady Techsters and he was really good for me. I enjoyed him. He was good at what he did. He really promoted the Lady Techsters. We had really the only playback TV show in women’s basketball back then. Maybe Tennessee had one too. He really got us off the ground along with Buddy Davis. He was a valuable player in the rise of the Lady Techster basketball team.”
I was fortunate to get to know Lanny on a personal level. My first year as the Sports Information Director at Louisiana Tech was spent traveling with Coach Barmore, Lanny and the Lady Techster basketball team as Lanny handled the radio play-by-play responsibilities during that 1999-2000 season. Lanny is the first person to put a headset on me as I sat by him.
I will never forget his words sitting courtside in Knoxville, Tennessee.
“Hey kid, put this headset on and help me with some analysis,” that voice boomed. I was 29 years old at the time, but to Lanny I was a mere kid. And even at that age, I was almost fearful not to do as told by that deep bass voice. Thus, my radio career was born.
Here I am 24 years later serving as the Voice of the Bulldogs after following Lanny as the Voice of the Lady Techsters for 22 seasons.
Although I haven’t seen Lanny in probably 15 years, the memories from that one year are still ingrained in my mind. He never met a stranger and he never shied away from a microphone or any opportunity to entertain. He loved to tell stories, most of them I believed.
To say Lanny had a big personality would be an understatement. And a big heart.
And now northeast Louisiana has to say goodbye to one of the great TV personalities. You can almost hear the Friday night Sports Scope music playing in the background and Lanny’s booming voice saying “We’ll be right back … after this … timeout.”
