A familiar voice to Ravens fans is looking forward to watching games from a new perspective.
Bruce Cunningham, who was the Ravens' public address announcer from 1999 until 2019, recently announced he will step down March 31 as sports director and weekday sports anchor at FOX 45. It will end his 31-year run at WBFF, but Cunningham will continue doing radio shows for 105.7 The Fan, keeping a passionate eye on the Ravens and Baltimore's sports scene.
You might even see Cunningham watch a Ravens game from the stands at M&T Bank Stadium next season, something he's never done.
"I've only seen the Ravens play from the press box, never from the stands," Cunningham said. "I'm looking forward to scoring some tickets and sitting down in one of those purple seats, seeing what that's like."
Cunningham remembers the first game in Ravens history like it was yesterday, a 19-14 victory over the Raiders at Memorial Stadium in 1996. Cunningham was part of the Ravens' original radio broadcast team with Scott Garceau and Tom Matte, and they watched fans celebrate the franchise's first win.
"You felt like you were part of history because there was so much emotion in this town," Cunningham said. "The two Super Bowl wins later were also a thrill, but broadcasting that first Ravens game was a thrill beyond compare."
When Cunningham was approached by the Ravens in 1999 about becoming their public address announcer, he jumped at the opportunity.
"That's how I started my career as a PA announcer for minor league baseball," the 63-year-old Cunningham said. "It didn't seem like I spent 20 years doing PA at Ravens games, because it was so much fun. It went so fast."
Cunningham has been overwhelmed by the amount of people who have wished him well since announcing his plans to retire from FOX 45, and he is eager to start a new phase in life.
"I've been doing TV news since I was 18 years old," Cunningham said. "That's my entire adult life. I've been very fortunate. I just want to experience not getting home at midnight, not working weekends and holidays."
