For the Baltimore Ravens, a resume comprising a 10-year stint with ESPN Radio and announcer of a Super Bowl isn’t enough for their play-by-play announcer role. While the CV shows experience and nuance in the game, it wasn’t enough for the Ravens, as they rejected veteran broadcaster Bill Rosinski, who applied for the position after Voice of the Ravens, Gerry Sandusky, announced his retirement.

Expressing his disappointment with this decision of the Ravens, Bill Rosinski shared a post on X, revealing the generic response he received for his application.

“The Ravens are looking for a play-by-play voice. I applied for the position and got this response,” Bill Rosinski shared on X. “I’ve been the voice of 2 NFL teams, along with 10 years at ESPN Radio doing college football, and 3 stints at Westwood One. The “requirements” line had me laughing. Oh well, I tried.”

Gerry Sandusky announced his retirement after a 20-year stint as a mainstay on the Ravens airwaves as the play-by-play announcer since 2006. Sandusky grew into a well-regarded broadcaster in Charm City after graduating from Towson University. He joined WBAL-TV in 1988 and became the station’s sports director in 1993.

So replacing such an important figure like Sandusky demands a candidate who has built a career on the back of covering top-tier sporting events over a significant span of time. Hence, a seasoned pro like Bill Rosinski would have been the perfect name to take on such a crucial responsibility. Rosinski began his broadcasting career in 1982, after graduating from Marietta College in Ohio with a B.A. in radio and television.

After stints with United Press International and Westwood One, Rosinski became the voice of the Atlanta Falcons in 1992 and continued in that role for two years. He then joined divisional rivals as the Voice of the Carolina Panthers in 1995, spending five years with the franchise. During this stint, the veteran broadcaster commented on every major game for the franchise, including two NFC Championship Games and Super Bowl XXXVIII.

Although he left the Panthers in 2004, he continued calling NFL games alongside college basketball games for Westwood One Radio over the next four years. In 2009, Bill Rosinski moved to ESPN Radio as a play-by-play caller while also being the voice of PGA Tour Radio as the on-course play-by-play caller.

The Ravens’ requirement for the role was having at least five years of play-by-play experience, with on-camera work strongly preferred. Candidates were required to submit a 12- to 15-minute demo showcasing everything from pacing and accuracy to storytelling and big-play calls.

Even with these requirements, Rosinski should have been a no-brainer choice for the Ravens; instead, he was rejected with a generic response.

Empathizing with Bill Rosinski, countless football fans called out the Ravens organization for their decision and voiced their concerns regarding the AFC North powerhouse on social media.

Fans rally behind Bill Rosinski after Ravens’ rejection

With Bill Rosinski failing to qualify for the Baltimore Ravens’ play-by-play announcer role, the football community voiced its support for the media veteran. Fans slammed the Ravens for not even issuing a personalized response for Rosinski and even questioned what actual qualifications the franchise was looking for.

“When you send someone a standard reply and look foolish…,” one fan commented, while another one wrote, “What’s the requirement, be an actual Raven that can talk?”

One fan threw a jibe by reminding the  Ravens of the nixed Maxx Crosby trade.

“They would’ve failed your physical as soon as they found someone else who would do it for cheaper, anyway,” the fan shared on X.

Supporters also expressed that Bill Rosinski was better off not pursuing a job with the Ravens and even argued about a return to a former team, he used to call games for.

“You can do better than the ratbirds anyway,” one fan shared while another one commented, Their loss! You, to me, will always and forever be the voice of the Panthers! #KeepPounding.”

The Ravens’ rejection of Bill Rosinski, a broadcaster with four decades of experience, has led to evident widespread criticism from fans who felt his credentials were more than sufficient. Their loss may well be another team’s gain.