George Michael (sportscaster)
Encyclopedia
George Michael was an American sportscaster
best known nationally for The George Michael Sports Machine
, his long-running sports highlights television program. Originally named George Michael's Sports Final when it began as a local show in Washington, D.C. in 1980, it was nationally syndicated by NBC
from 1984 until its final installment was aired on March 25, 2007. Michael won a Sports Emmy
in 1985 for his work on The George Michael Sports Machine.
on March 24, 1939. He grew up near Tower Grove Park
in the city's south side, and graduated from St. Louis University High School. While attending Saint Louis University
, he worked as a Midwest
promoter
for several record label
s such as Scepter
and Motown. It was also during this time when he made his radio broadcasting debut on a one-hour Sunday night show at midnight on WIL-AM, which invited individual SLU students to be the hosts every week. He earned a full-time job as a disc jockey
at the station after he was judged to be the best of the group.
His first radio appointment outside of his hometown was in 1962 at WRIT-AM
in Milwaukee, where he worked the 6-to-10 pm shift until he was reassigned to 5-to-9 am morning drive time
in early 1964. His next stop was at KBTR-AM in Denver later in 1964, working under the name "King" George Michael for the first time. He earned the nickname
due to his success in "ruling" evening radio.
He became one of the original Boss Jocks
at WFIL
-AM in Philadelphia when its new Top 40 rock and roll
format debuted on September 18, 1966. He served as music director
and evening deejay for the next eight years. WFIL, which was popularly known as "Famous 56" after the transition, ended WIBG-AM
's listener ratings dominance and became the city's most popular station by the summer of 1967. Michael was the first Philadelphia rock and roll radio personality to read the scores of local high-school
football
and basketball
games on the air. He also helped to start the career of Howard Eskin
by hiring him to be his engineer
. Decades later, Eskin would be a contributor to The George Michael Sports Machine. On George's last WFIL show (Sept 6 1974) he played "When Will I See You Again" by The Three Degrees for the first time ever on any radio station. The playing of this on his show broke the song into the mainstream, and within two months was a huge international hit, reaching #1 in the UK , and #2 in the USA. George was personal friends with the owners of Philadelphia International Records and the song's writers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. The aircheck of this can be heard on WFIL's tribute site www.famous56.com, where he says,"I don't know if this song will be a hit".
Michael, noted for his energetic style, was hired by WABC-AM
in New York City and began his new job on the evening of September 9, 1974. This was a daunting challenge not only because he was entering the nation's largest media market
, but he also had to succeed radio legend "Cousin Brucie" Morrow
, who had jumped to direct competitor WNBC-AM
. Several incidents from Michael's radio stint there have been chronicled in Morrow's autobiography. Even though he was reunited with Dan Ingram
and Ron Lundy
, colleagues from his WIL days in St. Louis, Michael's time at WABC, which ended on November 17, 1979, was mostly frustrating because he was no longer a music director who had any influence on a playlist
which was much shorter than the ones with which he was more familiar. One of the highlights during his time at the station occurred when he anchored its coverage of the New York City blackout of 1977
after the music format was temporarily suspended for the night.
His first experience in sports broadcasting also came in 1974 when he was a television announcer for the Baltimore Orioles
on WJZ
. He declined an offer to work for the ballclub full-time in order to accept the WABC position. As part of the deal to bring him to New York, Michael also worked for WABC-TV
as the weekend sports anchor and a color commentator
on New York Islanders
telecasts for several seasons, paired mainly with Tim Ryan
. He served as an occasional substitute on ABC American Contemporary Network's Speaking of Sports show whenever Howard Cosell
, the primary commentator, was on vacation
or assignment.
(News 4) from 1980 to 2007, Michael was easily one of the most popular media personalities in the Washington, D.C. area. Michael got significant latitude in his programming, employing a bevy of segments some might consider old-fashioned, including his "Tuesday Replays" and "Wednesday Wrestling." He also had devoted extensive coverage to and was considered a significant influence in the popularity of NASCAR
, broadcasting interviews with famous drivers such as Dale Earnhardt
well before that sport became what it is today. An avid equestrian himself, Michael also broadcast segments on bull riding and rodeo. He was the play-by-play announcer for most of the PBR's Built Ford Tough Series
NBC telecasts during the 2003 and 2004 seasons, including the final day of the PBR World Finals each year.
Michael's affable personality enabled him to land rare interviews with many aloof local and national sports personalities. For example, Michael's team at WRC had been the only local sportscasters allowed to broadcast from inside the Washington Redskins
' FedEx Field during the season.
Two movies
, 8 Seconds
and The Rookie
, were inspired by stories featured on The Sports Machine. Michael made a cameo appearance
in the former, as well as in The Silence of the Lambs and Tin Cup
. The Sports Machine was also featured in There's Something About Mary
.
In November 2005, Michael was seriously injured in a horseback riding accident. He broke several ribs and injured his wrists during the mishap at his Comus
farm in upper Montgomery County, Maryland
. Michael resumed his duties in December 2005.
(News 4) over layoffs of his staff. The George Michael Sports Machine went off the air on March 25, 2007. He continued to host weekend sports panel shows, such as Full Court Press (basketball season) and Redskins Report (football season) as well as interviews at Redskins Park on Mondays with Jim Zorn
and Joe Bugel
through December 2008. He was completely dropped from WRC due to budget cuts despite the fact Redskins Report was consistently one of WRC's top shows. He indicated at the time of his layoff, he would like to work on a panel show again but not on a nightly newscast.
He is famous on the Internet for appearing in a video with the news co-anchor Jim Vance
where they laughed at a model who fell twice on a runway.
on December 24, 2009 after being diagnosed with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia for two years. He is survived by his wife Pat, whom he married in 1978 and who produced the Sports Machine, along with daughters Michelle and Cindi, son Brad, sister Jane, and brother Earl.
Sportscaster
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
best known nationally for The George Michael Sports Machine
The George Michael Sports Machine
The George Michael Sports Machine is a syndicated, sports-related television program which aired from 1984 until 2007. The show was hosted by George Michael, a former radio disc jockey-turned television sports anchor, and was produced at WRC-TV, the NBC-owned station in Washington,...
, his long-running sports highlights television program. Originally named George Michael's Sports Final when it began as a local show in Washington, D.C. in 1980, it was nationally syndicated by NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
from 1984 until its final installment was aired on March 25, 2007. Michael won a Sports Emmy
Sports Emmy Awards
The Sports Emmy Awards are presented by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in recognition of excellence in American sports television programming, including sports-related series, live coverage of sporting events, and best sports announcers...
in 1985 for his work on The George Michael Sports Machine.
Early life and career
Michael was born George Michael Gimpel in St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
on March 24, 1939. He grew up near Tower Grove Park
Tower Grove Park
Tower Grove Park is a municipal park in the City of St. Louis, Missouri. Most of its land was donated to the city by Henry Shaw in 1868. It is on 289 acres adjacent to the Missouri Botanical Garden, another of Shaw’s legacies. It extends 1.6 miles from west to east, between Kingshighway...
in the city's south side, and graduated from St. Louis University High School. While attending Saint Louis University
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis University is a private, co-educational Jesuit university located in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1818 by the Most Reverend Louis Guillaume Valentin Dubourg SLU is the oldest university west of the Mississippi River. It is one of 28 member institutions of the...
, he worked as a Midwest
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
promoter
Promoter (entertainment)
An entertainment promoter i.e. music, wrestling, boxing etc is a person or company in the business of marketing and promoting live events such as concerts/gigs, boxing matches, sports entertainment , festivals, raves, and nightclubs.- Business model :Promoters are typically hired as independent...
for several record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
s such as Scepter
Scepter Records
Scepter Records is a record company founded in 1959 by Florence Greenberg. She had just sold Tiara Records with The Shirelles for $4000 to Decca Records. When The Shirelles didn't produce any hits for Decca, they were given back to Greenberg, who promptly signed them. By 1961 Greenberg launched a...
and Motown. It was also during this time when he made his radio broadcasting debut on a one-hour Sunday night show at midnight on WIL-AM, which invited individual SLU students to be the hosts every week. He earned a full-time job as a disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
at the station after he was judged to be the best of the group.
His first radio appointment outside of his hometown was in 1962 at WRIT-AM
WJYI
WJYI is a radio station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. It runs a Christian format with Contemporary Christian Music from Salem Radio Network's Today's Christian Music network. It also features brokered teaching and preaching programs from both local Churches and national ministries. It also airs...
in Milwaukee, where he worked the 6-to-10 pm shift until he was reassigned to 5-to-9 am morning drive time
Drive time
Drive time is the daypart analog to prime time for radio broadcasting. It consists of the morning hours when listeners wake up, get ready, and/or head to work or school, and the afternoon hours when they are heading home and before their evening meal. These are the periods where the number of...
in early 1964. His next stop was at KBTR-AM in Denver later in 1964, working under the name "King" George Michael for the first time. He earned the nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
due to his success in "ruling" evening radio.
He became one of the original Boss Jocks
Boss Radio
Boss Radio was the name of two radio programming formats, both launched in the early 1960s: One in the United States, and one in the United Kingdom. Although the names were the same, the formats were quite different.-Boss Radio in the United States:...
at WFIL
WFIL
WFIL is a radio station and a former television station serving the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its transmitter is located in Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania....
-AM in Philadelphia when its new Top 40 rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
format debuted on September 18, 1966. He served as music director
Music director
A music director may be the director of an orchestra, the director of music for a film, the director of music at a radio station, the head of the music department in a school, the co-ordinator of the musical ensembles in a university or college , the head bandmaster of a military band, the head...
and evening deejay for the next eight years. WFIL, which was popularly known as "Famous 56" after the transition, ended WIBG-AM
WNTP
WNTP 990 is a politically conservative talk radio station which serves the Philadelphia area. It is owned by Salem Communications, along with a number of similar channels in various markets. Some of those whose programs are run by WNTP include Michael Medved, Dennis Prager, Dennis Miller, Michael...
's listener ratings dominance and became the city's most popular station by the summer of 1967. Michael was the first Philadelphia rock and roll radio personality to read the scores of local high-school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
games on the air. He also helped to start the career of Howard Eskin
Howard Eskin
Howard Eskin is an American sports radio personality for WIP-FM 94.1/WIP-AM 610 in Philadelphia.-Career:After Eskin graduated from Northeast High School in Philadelphia in 1968, he got his start in local radio at WFIL-AM when evening shift disc jockey George Michael hired him to be his engineer...
by hiring him to be his engineer
Broadcast engineering
Broadcast engineering is the field of electrical engineering, and now to some extent computer engineering and information technology, which deals with radio and television broadcasting...
. Decades later, Eskin would be a contributor to The George Michael Sports Machine. On George's last WFIL show (Sept 6 1974) he played "When Will I See You Again" by The Three Degrees for the first time ever on any radio station. The playing of this on his show broke the song into the mainstream, and within two months was a huge international hit, reaching #1 in the UK , and #2 in the USA. George was personal friends with the owners of Philadelphia International Records and the song's writers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. The aircheck of this can be heard on WFIL's tribute site www.famous56.com, where he says,"I don't know if this song will be a hit".
Michael, noted for his energetic style, was hired by WABC-AM
WABC (AM)
WABC , known as "NewsTalkRadio 77 WABC" is a radio station in New York City. Owned by the broadcasting division of Cumulus Media, the station broadcasts on a clear channel and is the flagship station of Cumulus Media Networks...
in New York City and began his new job on the evening of September 9, 1974. This was a daunting challenge not only because he was entering the nation's largest media market
Media market
A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area , Television Market Area , or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same television and radio station offerings, and may also include other types of media including newspapers and Internet content...
, but he also had to succeed radio legend "Cousin Brucie" Morrow
Bruce Morrow
Bruce Morrow is an American radio personality known to many listeners as Cousin Brucie.-Radio work:...
, who had jumped to direct competitor WNBC-AM
WNBC (AM)
WNBC was a radio station that operated in New York City from 1922 to 1988. For most of its history, it was the flagship station of the NBC Radio Network...
. Several incidents from Michael's radio stint there have been chronicled in Morrow's autobiography. Even though he was reunited with Dan Ingram
Dan Ingram
Daniel Trombley "Dan" Ingram is an American Top 40 radio disc jockey with a forty-year career on radio stations such as WABC and WCBS-FM in New York...
and Ron Lundy
Ron Lundy
Fred Ronald "Ron" Lundy was a popular radio announcer in New York City from the early-1960s to his retirement from WCBS-FM in 1997...
, colleagues from his WIL days in St. Louis, Michael's time at WABC, which ended on November 17, 1979, was mostly frustrating because he was no longer a music director who had any influence on a playlist
Playlist
In its most general form, a playlist is simply a list of songs. They can be played in sequential or shuffled order. The term has several specialized meanings in the realms of radio broadcasting and personal computers.-In radio:...
which was much shorter than the ones with which he was more familiar. One of the highlights during his time at the station occurred when he anchored its coverage of the New York City blackout of 1977
New York City blackout of 1977
The New York City blackout of 1977 was an electricity blackout affected most of New York City from July 13, 1977 to July 14, 1977. The only neighborhoods in New York City that were not affected were in southern Queens, and neighborhoods of the Rockaways, which are part of the Long Island Lighting...
after the music format was temporarily suspended for the night.
His first experience in sports broadcasting also came in 1974 when he was a television announcer for the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
on WJZ
WJZ-TV
WJZ-TV, channel 13, is an owned and operated television station of the CBS Television Network, located in Baltimore, Maryland. WJZ-TV's studios and offices are located on Television Hill in the Woodberry section of Baltimore, adjacent to the transmission tower it shares with four other Baltimore...
. He declined an offer to work for the ballclub full-time in order to accept the WABC position. As part of the deal to bring him to New York, Michael also worked for WABC-TV
WABC-TV
WABC-TV, channel 7, is the flagship station of the Disney-owned American Broadcasting Company located in New York City. The station's studios and offices are located on the Upper West Side section of Manhattan, adjacent to ABC's corporate headquarters, and its transmitter is atop the Empire State...
as the weekend sports anchor and a color commentator
Color commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
on New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
telecasts for several seasons, paired mainly with Tim Ryan
Tim Ryan (sportscaster)
Tim Ryan is an American sportscaster, currently a resident of Ketchum, Idaho.-Early life and career:Raised in Canada, Ryan graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1960, and took a job the newly-formed CFTO as an assistant sports director...
. He served as an occasional substitute on ABC American Contemporary Network's Speaking of Sports show whenever Howard Cosell
Howard Cosell
Howard William Cosell was an American sports journalist who was widely known for his blustery, cocksure personality. Cosell said of himself, "Arrogant, pompous, obnoxious, vain, cruel, verbose, a showoff. I have been called all of these...
, the primary commentator, was on vacation
Holiday
A Holiday is a day designated as having special significance for which individuals, a government, or a religious group have deemed that observance is warranted. It is generally an official or unofficial observance of religious, national, or cultural significance, often accompanied by celebrations...
or assignment.
Television career
As the primary sports anchor at WRC-TVWRC-TV
WRC-TV, channel 4, is an owned and operated television station of the NBC television network, located in the American capital city of Washington, D.C...
(News 4) from 1980 to 2007, Michael was easily one of the most popular media personalities in the Washington, D.C. area. Michael got significant latitude in his programming, employing a bevy of segments some might consider old-fashioned, including his "Tuesday Replays" and "Wednesday Wrestling." He also had devoted extensive coverage to and was considered a significant influence in the popularity of NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
, broadcasting interviews with famous drivers such as Dale Earnhardt
Dale Earnhardt
Ralph Dale Earnhardt, Sr. was an American race car driver, best known for his involvement in stock car racing for NASCAR...
well before that sport became what it is today. An avid equestrian himself, Michael also broadcast segments on bull riding and rodeo. He was the play-by-play announcer for most of the PBR's Built Ford Tough Series
Built Ford Tough Series
The Built Ford Tough Series is the "major league" tour of the PBR competitions. It is a 30-city event series culminating in the PBR World Finals every year in Las Vegas, Nevada. The top 45 riders of the PBR compete in the BFTS with the rankings determined by points and money won...
NBC telecasts during the 2003 and 2004 seasons, including the final day of the PBR World Finals each year.
Michael's affable personality enabled him to land rare interviews with many aloof local and national sports personalities. For example, Michael's team at WRC had been the only local sportscasters allowed to broadcast from inside the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
' FedEx Field during the season.
Two movies
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
, 8 Seconds
8 Seconds
8 Seconds is a 1994 biographical film about American rodeo legend and world bull riding champion Lane Frost. It details his life from his youth learning how to ride bulls, until his death in 1989. It was directed by John G...
and The Rookie
The Rookie (2002 film)
The Rookie is a 2002 drama sports film directed by John Lee Hancock. It is based on the true story of Jim Morris, who had a brief, but famous Major League Baseball career in 1999. The film stars Dennis Quaid, Rachel Griffiths, Jay Hernandez, and Brian Cox....
, were inspired by stories featured on The Sports Machine. Michael made a cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
in the former, as well as in The Silence of the Lambs and Tin Cup
Tin Cup
Tin Cup is a 1996 romantic comedy film co-written and directed by Ron Shelton, and starring Kevin Costner and Rene Russo with Cheech Marin and Don Johnson in major supporting roles.-Synopsis:...
. The Sports Machine was also featured in There's Something About Mary
There's Something About Mary
There's Something About Mary is a 1998 American comedy film, directed by the Farrelly brothers, Bobby and Peter. It stars Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon and Ben Stiller, and it is a combination of romantic comedy and gross-out film....
.
In November 2005, Michael was seriously injured in a horseback riding accident. He broke several ribs and injured his wrists during the mishap at his Comus
Comus, Maryland
Comus is an unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. Its elevation is . The mostly rural community is located about by car from Washington D.C.-References:...
farm in upper Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland, situated just to the north of Washington, D.C., and southwest of the city of Baltimore. It is one of the most affluent counties in the United States, and has the highest percentage of residents over 25 years of age who hold post-graduate...
. Michael resumed his duties in December 2005.
Later career
Michael left his role as WRC's daily sports anchor on March 1, 2007 following a dispute with WRC-TVWRC-TV
WRC-TV, channel 4, is an owned and operated television station of the NBC television network, located in the American capital city of Washington, D.C...
(News 4) over layoffs of his staff. The George Michael Sports Machine went off the air on March 25, 2007. He continued to host weekend sports panel shows, such as Full Court Press (basketball season) and Redskins Report (football season) as well as interviews at Redskins Park on Mondays with Jim Zorn
Jim Zorn
James Arthur "Jim" Zorn is an American quarterbacks coach in the National Football League. He was formerly the quarterbacks coach for the Baltimore Ravens and now holds that same position with the Kansas City Chiefs...
and Joe Bugel
Joe Bugel
Joseph John 'Buges' Bugel was the Offensive line coach for the Washington Redskins from 1981 to 1989 and from 2004 to 2009...
through December 2008. He was completely dropped from WRC due to budget cuts despite the fact Redskins Report was consistently one of WRC's top shows. He indicated at the time of his layoff, he would like to work on a panel show again but not on a nightly newscast.
He is famous on the Internet for appearing in a video with the news co-anchor Jim Vance
Jim Vance
Jim Vance is an American television news anchor. Vance originally studied to be a teacher and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary Education from Cheyney University in Cheyney, Pa.-Biography:...
where they laughed at a model who fell twice on a runway.
Death
Michael died at age 70 at Sibley Memorial HospitalSibley Memorial Hospital
Sibley Memorial Hospital is a non-profit hospital located in NW Washington D.C.. It is fully accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, and is licensed by the District of Columbia Department of Health and Human Services. The hospital specializes in surgery,...
on December 24, 2009 after being diagnosed with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia for two years. He is survived by his wife Pat, whom he married in 1978 and who produced the Sports Machine, along with daughters Michelle and Cindi, son Brad, sister Jane, and brother Earl.
External links
- George Michael radio interview with Mark SimoneMark SimoneMark Simone is an American radio personality. Currently heard on WABC in New York, he also fills-in for ABC Radio hosts such as Don Imus, Mark Levin, and Sean Hannity.Simone occasionally appears on CNN, MSNBC and PBS....
on WABC-AMWABC (AM)WABC , known as "NewsTalkRadio 77 WABC" is a radio station in New York City. Owned by the broadcasting division of Cumulus Media, the station broadcasts on a clear channel and is the flagship station of Cumulus Media Networks...
, March 25, 2006 - ESPN: Michael steps down as Sports Machine host, November 16, 2006
- Video: George Michael disccused his horse riding accident in 2005
- USA Today article, "Michael's 'Sports Machine' going silent", March 22, 2007
- A heartfelt goodbye George Michael signing off on NBC4 March 1, 2007