Bobby Rhine, FC Dallas broadcaster and former player, died of an apparent heart attack Monday night while vacationing in Florida.
I didn’t know Bobby Rhine well, but I knew him better than I deserved to. Bobby didn’t know me from any other kid in school, yet he always treated me how I saw him treat everyone else – with complete respect.
I started going to FC Dallas matches as soon as I could drive, and I saw Rhine play all over the field for my hometown club. He was the kind of guy the supporters loved, and it was for good reason. Versatility was one of Rhine’s strengths on the pitch and it didn’t raise eyebrows when Rhine was called into action in an unfamiliar position. He was gutsy and what he did lack in skill he more than made up for in effort and passion. Not only that, but he was always one of the first to give the supporters a round of applause, and you never knew when Bobby might show up for an event or at a pub to watch a match.
That translated over well as Bobby moved off the field and into the front office, continuing to be the face of the franchise both locally and nation wide by aiding in FCD’s community relations department. He was pretty much everywhere, doing his best at an unenviable task of getting the club into the local sports conscience while keeping existing fans happy.
He also went into the broadcast booth, originally serving as the color commentator on local broadcasts and transitioning into the play-by-play role when Dallas elected to drop longtime broadcaster Brad Sham.
Bobby was a very good analyst, but wasn’t the best play-by-play guy initially, something I said very publicly at the time. Rhine was probably better than I gave him credit for, but when somebody is in your dream job you’re typically pretty critical. He never held it against me, though, and we conversed about the craft several times by DM on Twitter. The first time shocked me, as Bobby sent me a message to discuss the Big 12 soccer tournament he was broadcasting online a few years ago. I was attempting to keep up with the tournament, and had @ messaged Rhine earlier. It was who Bobby was though, always up for a chat about soccer no matter who you were or whether or not you’d lobbed criticism at him in the past.
Over time, as he dedicated himself to becoming better at broadcasting like it seemed he did with everything in life, Bobby began to improve as a broadcaster. He still wasn’t the best in MLS, but he became a serviceable, solid announcer, and you got the feeling that he would start to master the craft sooner rather than later.
He also did several Web features and podcasts, including insightful pre-game videos giving a tactical breakdown of both FC Dallas and the opposition that were a must-watch for fans hoping to get inside the nuts and bolts of the game. He helped get a radio show on the local ESPN Radio affiliate (no small task in a market where even the NBA Champions don’t get as much play as a Dallas Cowboys summer practice).
With FC Dallas having their most successful seasons in club history, it was a joy to listen to Bobby, clearly enjoying the ride with the team he loved. I hope to emulate the passion he had for his club, the sport and life in general.
Bobby Rhine was 35 and is survived by his wife and two children. He will be missed.