CINCINNATI (April 11, 2005) -- Thomas F. Kinder Sr., the Cincinnati Bengals' only public address announcer since their inception in 1968, has died. He was 78.
Kinder died early April 10. Family members said he suffered complications from a recent surgery.
"We have lost someone who was an integral part of our Bengals family, and who was simply a very good friend," Bengals president Mike Brown said.
Kinder met Bengals founder Paul Brown while stationed at a naval base near Chicago, where Brown was the head football coach. Brown sought out Kinder to be the Bengals' public address announcer when the team started play.
Unlike most stadium public address announcers, Kinder preferred to work from the sideline rather than the press box.
