I have lived in the Richmond area, with the exception of 14 months in the mid-1980's, for my entire life. Having spent a fair amount of time in the sports world, and nearly four decades in Richmond radio, I feel confident in my ability to express the following opinion:
If Richmond created a Mount Rushmore of sports broadcasters, save a spot for Bob Black.
Since arriving on the scene over forty years ago, Bob, through a fantastic work ethic, built a resume in our region that is second to none. Appropriately, his beginnings in the Old Dominion came by the side of another member of our mountainside, the legendary Frank Soden.
While he walked a similar path to Soden, working as the voice of Richmond baseball (the Braves at the time) and for the University of Richmond, he charted and created his own impressive legacy. My earliest memories of Bob include the early days of The Diamond, and the incredible knack of Richmond Spiders men's basketball of making, and usually making noise in, the NCAA Tournament.
Many Saturday mornings, once home from my newspaper route (yes, we did that for fourteen years!), I'd be greeted by Bob doing sports on CBS6. During my "stay-at-home" Dad era in the late 1990's, Bob was a frequent guest in my kitchen, I catching up on the latest sports news and talk on the radio while taking care of my two kids and fixing dinner.
But the most impressive part about Bob, for me, is what he doesn't have. When I became his colleague up on Church Hill in late 1999, I figured out quickly that there was absolutely no pretentiousness, no ego when it came to Bob. The personality you have heard for decades isn't manufactured. He doesn't change when the "on air" light comes on. In the media, that's a trait that is very hard to find.
After over a decade apart, our paths crossed again a dozen years ago, thanks in part to the Atlantic 10's presence at the Richmond Coliseum for their annual women's championship. We'd cover as many regular season games as possible to have the knowledge necessary to give the tournament justice in our reporting.
Boy, was it good to see Bob again, in his wheelhouse, representing the Spiders as only he can. A few years later, he suggested we talk high school sports on the radio, which led to "RVA Locals Only" in the late 2010's until the pandemic, and again in 2025, our merry band of Black, Sean Robertson, Matt Josephs, and, for some reason, yours truly. :)
Covering American Legion? I run into Bob, who is the PA announcer when West End Post 361 was the home team. Randolph-Macon? Well, if Roanoke was in town for baseball, you knew Bob would be in the stands doing what he loved most: being the dad. And, NO, he was never "that dad". :) :)
And of the over 100 editions of "In The Red Zone" I hosted at Sports Page in Ashland from 2018 to the pandemic's beginning, my all-time favorite was the hour spent with Bob, as he graciously became the interviewee for an episode I cherish to this day.
I'm so very happy that Bob will be continuing his work at the University of Richmond, and we will continue to hear his dulcimer tones bringing us all the action. But I will miss hanging out with him in studio, both on the air and off.
My career, and my life, is so much better because of Bob Black.
There have been many great voices, many great storytellers to grace our presence in the Richmond sports world, and in Richmond culture overall. But you'll be hard pressed to find a resume, and a human being, as impressive as Bob.
--Rob Witham, May 6, 2026
