Just call him S.O.B.

That’s “Sweet Ol’ Bud.”

Because that’s exactly who he was.

Allan “Bud” Daum died a few days ago at age 93. The man was a radio personality who had his hand in a number of sports, auto racing, in particular.

More importantly, he had a smile and laugh that could captivate any room he was in. Those traits made Bud plenty of friends who became friends for life.

I consider myself fortunate to be one of them.

Bud, Jim Lokhaiser and Bucky Parisi were the original trio on the Saturday Morning Sports Journal radio program in Butler. Bud stayed with that show for 20 years.

Before becoming a regular on that broadcast, I would occasionally fill in for one of the others and did a number of those shows with Bud. He would bristle anytime Parisi posed the question whether a NASCAR driver got to “take the pole home with him” when he won the pole for a particular race.

You didn’t dis auto racing with Bud Daum. That was one of very few ways to make him angry.

Bud raced stock cars at the old Butler Speedway during the 1940’s and 50’s. He served as track announcer at Lernerville Speedway for a few years and joined Lokhaiser and Charlie Moorehead in doing a pre-race show at that track for years afterward.

Bud contracted polio as a youngster and went through life with a bad leg as a result. As he got on in years and walking became more difficult for him, Lernerville supplied him with his own personal golf cart to get around the track grounds on Friday nights.

They even put a Sprint wing on top of the cart in honor of Bud, who always loved the Sprint car division.

Bud was eventually inducted into the Pittsburgh Circle Track Club Hall of Fame and the Sharon Speedway Hall of Fame. He served as color commentator for Slippery Rock University football broadcasts when Lokhaiser did the play-by-play for those games.

He also joined Lokhaiser for 26 consecutive Saturdays of bowling play-by-play and commentary for a huge local tournament.

The guy was versatile and would chat with you about pretty much anything.

Always a sports fan, Bud had some knowledge of virtually every sport. He was a big fan of local sports as well.

He had a strong opinion on different sports as well, which always made for interesting radio conversation on Saturday mornings.

His bad leg never stopped him from enjoying his passions in life — hunting, fishing, golf and racing.

And people.

There are few folks I’ve come across in my life as personable and downright friendly as Bud Daum.

Right now, he’s probably chatting up a storm with a few race car drivers and promoters who passed on before him.

Rest in peace, buddy. Your friendship and warm spirit will be forever valued by many.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle