Many are mourning the unexpected passing of a "local broadcasting legend."

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Longtime Hudson Valley sportscaster Lou Brogno passed away suddenly on Saturday, Rutgers Athletics confirmed.

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"A local broadcasting legend, we were fortunate to have Lou be the voice of the Scarlet Knights, lending his talents to hundreds of games over the years. We are deeply saddened by this sudden loss and our condolences go out to Lou's family. He will be missed by all who knew him," Rutgers Deputy Athletic Director Sarah Baumgartner said. "Lou was a beloved member of our Rutgers Athletics family."

Brogno's sports broadcasting career spanned nearly 40 years. Working as a sportscaster and producer, Lou was the play-by-play voice of Rutgers University, and on-air talent for Princeton University, NJ.com, MSG Varsity, Army and Navy Football, and the Somerset Patriots, as well as other media outlets, according to his obituary.

He also recently worked for MSG Varsity as a reporter for MSG and NJ News 12 Varsity's Tri-State High School sports coverage. Brogno has also provided play-by-play for Princeton and Army athletic contests as well as for minor league baseball with the Somerset Patriots, Long Island Ducks, Newark Bears, Brooklyn Cyclones, and New Jersey Cardinals.

His work also includes MSG Varsity's High School Sports Desk, Jersey Sports Call, TKR's Final Score and Cablevision's Sports Scene.

Working for Cablevision Local Programming, Brogno was a sportscaster, producer, and play-by-play announcer covering high school sports in Orange, Ulster, Dutchess and Rockland counties.

On a personal note, it was at Cablevision Local Programming where I worked with Brogno. Brogno is the man most responsible for giving me my first "breaks" in the industry.

He first helped teach me how to shoot and edit sports highlights. He then allowed me to transition to a sports reporter and soon allowed me to anchor and produce my own 30-minute weekly high school sports show.

Here's a personal funny story about him. Cablevision Local Programming was my first job out of college. During my first year with the company, they did a gag gift Christmas gift exchange where you would pick a number and take whatever wrapped gift was left.

Wanting to make a funny first impression and at age 22, I probably went too far with the gag gift idea. I got a Brokeback Mountain calendar.

I also did not do a good job of wrapping. I simply put the calendar into a box. When Brogno was called up to pick a gift he picked mine because as he said "This looks like the wrapping of a sports guy!"

He was floored with what was inside....but proudly displayed it in his office for months. That is until he interviewing someone for a job opening and he noticed the person kept glancing at the calendar!

I really can't fully put in the words how much Brogno has meant to my career, but thank you so much for everything you've done. Rest in peace, my friend.

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