Bob Neumeier

Robert E. Neumeier (November 3, 1950 – October 23, 2021) was an American sportscaster for several Boston-area media outlets. He also appeared on NBC Sports, specializing in Thoroughbred racing.

Early life

Neumeier was born on November 3, 1950, and grew up in Weymouth, Massachusetts where he graduated from Weymouth High School in Massachusetts in 1968. After graduating from Syracuse University, Neumeier taught history for a short while at Weymouth High School, worked in the sports department of the ''Boston Globe'', and did public relations work for the New England Whalers of the World Hockey Association (who later became the NHL's Hartford Whalers).

Broadcasting career

Hartford Whalers

Neumeier's first job in broadcasting began in 1975 on WTIC in Hartford, Connecticut where he called play-by-play of the Whalers, working with Bill Rasmussen and Larry Pleau; among their calls was the famous "Brawl at the Mall" in April 1975 during a playoff series with the Minnesota Fighting Saints. In 1979, Neumeier left the Whalers to become the sports anchor at WFSB in Hartford.

WBZ

In 1981, Bob Lobel replaced Roger Twibell as the principal sports anchor at WBZ-TV in Boston and recommended Neumeier for the position of weekend sports anchor. After only six months, Neumeier was replaced by Jerry Azar and reassigned to a reporting role. In 1989, WBZ promoted Neumeier to weekend sports anchor following the departure of Don Shane. Neumeier also co-hosted the ''Patriots Game Day Pre-Game Show'' with Tim Fox on WBZ radio from 1993 to 1995. In 1995, Neumeier became the play-by-play commentator for the Boston Bruins on WBZ Radio. He was succeeded as weekend sports anchor by Steve Burton, but remained with the station. By 2000, Neumeier had tired of traveling with the Bruins and saw WBZ-TV, where Bob Lobel was entrenched as the lead sports anchor, as a dead-end. He resigned as Bruins announcer after the 1999-2000 season and left WBZ-TV when his contract expired that summer.

Other work

From 1989 to 2000, Neumeier reported and handicapped on ESPN’s coverage of Thoroughbred racing. He was the play-by-play announcer for the 1990 Frozen Four, which was broadcast on WFXT. In 1994 he was a reporter for some of the NHL on ABC's late-season and playoff games.

NBC Sports

In 1990, Neumeier defeated around 350 of the world’s best handicappers to win the Caesars Palace World Series of Handicapping. That October, NBC hired him to serve as a roving reporter for its coverage of the Breeders’ Cup. For the 1991 Breeders’ Cup he was promoted to lead reporter, conducting interviews in the winner’s circle. In 1992, Neumeier was moved to the handicapper’s role. In 2001 he became a member of the broadcast team for the Triple Crown after NBC gained the rights to the races. During a May 1, 2009 telecast from Churchill Downs, Bob Neumeier collapsed, off the air and was taken to Audubon Hospital in Louisville. He missed the Kentucky Derby, but returned later that month for the Preakness Stakes. Neumeier was hospitalized after suffering a stroke on October 29, 2014. He was unable to attend the 2014 Breeders' Cup or the 2015 Kentucky Derby, but did appear on the Derby broadcast in a pre-recorded segment. The stroke affected his balance and coordination, but not his motor skills or speech. He returned for NBC’s coverage of the 2015 Preakness Stakes

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