Just heard legendary Boston sportscaster Don Gillis has
passed away:
http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/15978384/detail.html
BOSTON — Don Gillis, the man who invented the television sportscast in Boston, died Wednesday night, his son Gary said.
While Gillis began his career in radio and hosted post-game coverage of the Boston Red Sox. He became best known as a television sports anchor. In 1962, he began his nightly sports segment on WHDH-TV. (the old Ch 5)
“He was the first one in Boston to do a sportscast,” his son Gary said. “It was in October of 1962, the same night Johnny Carson started ‘The Tonight Show’”.
The segment was so popular that the television station expanded its late newscast from 15 to 30 minutes.
Texaco was a sponsor of the newscast and “they wanted him to wear a Texaco uniform on the set. They said they would give him another $15, but he wouldn’t wear it,” his son said. “With five kids at home, that wasn’t easy.”
Gary, who followed his father into broadcasting, said, “The greatest thing about him was that I never worried about running into someone who said ‘what a jerk your father is’. They talked about him with great admiration and great respect. That is the way he approached things. He felt everyone deserved respect until they proved otherwise.”
http://mumblesmenino.us/mumbling/Who%20Don%20Gillis.mp3
WHO TOM MENINO?
Is that Andy Moes?