[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 23 (Wednesday, February 13, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E142]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        BOB ALLEN--A KTRK LEGEND

                                 ______
                                 

                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 13, 2013

  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today I'm honored to recognize a 
Houston legend, Bob Allen who recently signed off from the sports desk 
at KTRK Channel 13 after nearly forty years. Bob's last broadcast was 
Thursday, January 17th after the Houston Texans' closed their electric 
2012 season. The timing of his exit was no coincidence; he had high 
hopes of a Super bowl for the Texans just like the rest of us. Bob has 
brought sports into our homes for decades. His outstanding career at 
KTRK may have come to an end but for many of us Houston sports will 
always be synonymous with Bob Allen.
  KRTK hired Bob as a weekend sportscaster all the way back in 1974, 
but his passion for sports and the news began long before that. Legend 
has it that when he was just ten years old, Bob took off on his bike 
from his West University house to the KTRK studios just to get a peek 
at the newsroom. In those days Guy Savage was the sportscaster. Young 
Bob was shown the exit that day, but little did they know that this 
bright eyed young boy would be the future face of sports in Houston.
  After Bob joined KTRK it took just six months for him to be named 
sports director. And the rest is history. Bob has been in our living 
rooms through some of the greatest sports moments of the last half 
century; the Rockets championships in the '90s and the Love Ya blue 
oilers in the 70s just to name a few. I spent many nights after supper 
watching his sports casts after the Oilers and Astros games with my son 
Kurt. Bob has told the story of sports to generations of Houstonians. 
He has interviewed some of the greatest sports legends, including Nolan 
Ryan, Stan ``the Man'' Musial and George Foreman. Bob even tested out 
his acting skills with roles in the ABC TV movie Murder at the World 
Series in 1977, and another sports mystery thriller, Night Game, in 
'89. He played a sportscaster and an announcer for the Houston Astros, 
of course.
  Bob has also given back to the Houston community in other ways 
through his charitable work with the Special Olympics and the Sunshine 
Kids, which helps children struggling with cancer. His commitment to 
service earned him recognition from the Special Olympics, who awarded 
him the Spirit of Special Olympics award.
  Bob's departure from KTRK marks the end of an era for Houston but it 
also marks a new beginning for Bob. He dedicated forty years to a 
fantastic career in sports broadcasting. Now that this chapter is over, 
he's looking forward to pursuing new projects. He insists that he is 
resigning, not retiring. He won't stop, that's just the kind of guy he 
is. When asked about his future he said ``I'll probably end up being 
busier than I was at 13.'' I don't doubt that one bit. He plans to 
start a media company that includes public speaking engagements and 
radio, and he will write a book about working on TV with some of the 
world's greatest athletes. Bob is a credit to the broadcasting 
profession and a credit to Texas. We will miss him in our homes but 
wish him well on his next adventure. Congratulations, Bob, on a 
fantastic career. And that's just the way it is.

                          ____________________