Post by valpo04 on Aug 12, 2005 2:25:38 GMT -5
NWI Times
Mr. Roberts goes to the Hall of Fame
Notre Dame announcer worked in Gary, Valpo
BY MIKE NIETO
mnieto@nwitimes.com
219.933.3232
This story ran on nwitimes.com on Friday, August 12, 2005 1:06 AM CDT
COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME | CHRIS SCHENKEL AWARD
During his 40-plus years in the business, Chicago native Tony Roberts has always found an open door to a broadcast booth.
"I have always been fortunate that when one door closed, another one opened up for me," said Roberts, the radio voice of Notre Dame football for 26 years.
Roberts' career included seven years at WWCA in Gary, where he did Indiana University football, and three years at WAKE in Valparaiso, where he also did Valparaiso University football, basketball and baseball.
Today, another door with a red carpet will open for him when he receives the 2005 Chris Schenkel Award, which is given annually to a college football broadcaster who has excelled in his field. Roberts will receive the award at the Mayor's Breakfast during the College Football Hall of Fame's Enshrinement Festival in South Bend.
People may not remember Roberts at WWCA because then station owner Dee Coe made the sports director use the on-air name of "O'Hara."
"I hated it like a passion, it wasn't my name," Roberts said. "The edict was handed down. It was either that or work somewhere else. I wanted to work, so I was O'Hara.
"I also was hoping I was the last O'Hara because I really despised that name."
Roberts came to the Region from Macomb, Ill., in 1960 and worked at WWCA, which was located in the Hotel Gary and later across the street in the First Federal Building in the 500 block of Broadway. In 1967 he left for WAKE. He didn't just cut his teeth, but said he improved his tongue.
"This area was great for locution because you had a lot of Hispanics, Serbs, Croatians, Poles, people of Slavic descent," Roberts said. "If you left there and couldn't pronounce a name, then you had to be a dummy. It was just a great place to hone your skills."
Mainly because WWCA did basketball Tuesday through Saturday and did football Thursday through Saturday. Back then the Gary schools played football at Gilroy Stadium.
"Where else could you do that much basketball?" Roberts said. "The great football rivalries plus we also did some south county games, Crown Point, Merrillville and also Valparaiso."
No more did the electricity flow for Roberts than courtside at the old Memorial Auditorium for the Roosevelt-Froebel showdowns between Bo Mallard's Panthers and Mickey Sofiak's Blue Devils.
"I can remember the fans going over the scorer's table onto the court," Roberts said. "The Calumet Region was just great in sports and Gary was a great place."
Roberts, who lives in suburban Virginia, was the Hoosiers' announcer the last time they went to the Rose Bowl. He did not do the game, however, but spotted for NBC's Curt Gowdy and Paul Christman.
"He was a pro in the true sense," said long-time Region newsman and former WYIN anchorman Tom Higgins. "Tony did his homework and was always prepared. "
Roberts left WAKE for WWDC and did Washington Senators games just before the team moved to Texas.
"Another door opened, I did the Washington Bullets and the U.S. Naval Academy," Roberts said. "I've been very fortunate in my career."
Roberts still does an NFL game for Westwood One as well as Notre Dame football and college basketball.
But he still keeps his sense of humor and memories of the Region. His brother Art lives here.
"I always thought it was funny the street you turned down to go to East Chicago Washington's gym was Hemlock," he said. "Ironic because not too many teams faced Johnny Baratto there that didn't meet their doom."
Notre Dame announcer worked in Gary, Valpo
BY MIKE NIETO
mnieto@nwitimes.com
219.933.3232
This story ran on nwitimes.com on Friday, August 12, 2005 1:06 AM CDT
COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME | CHRIS SCHENKEL AWARD
During his 40-plus years in the business, Chicago native Tony Roberts has always found an open door to a broadcast booth.
"I have always been fortunate that when one door closed, another one opened up for me," said Roberts, the radio voice of Notre Dame football for 26 years.
Roberts' career included seven years at WWCA in Gary, where he did Indiana University football, and three years at WAKE in Valparaiso, where he also did Valparaiso University football, basketball and baseball.
Today, another door with a red carpet will open for him when he receives the 2005 Chris Schenkel Award, which is given annually to a college football broadcaster who has excelled in his field. Roberts will receive the award at the Mayor's Breakfast during the College Football Hall of Fame's Enshrinement Festival in South Bend.
People may not remember Roberts at WWCA because then station owner Dee Coe made the sports director use the on-air name of "O'Hara."
"I hated it like a passion, it wasn't my name," Roberts said. "The edict was handed down. It was either that or work somewhere else. I wanted to work, so I was O'Hara.
"I also was hoping I was the last O'Hara because I really despised that name."
Roberts came to the Region from Macomb, Ill., in 1960 and worked at WWCA, which was located in the Hotel Gary and later across the street in the First Federal Building in the 500 block of Broadway. In 1967 he left for WAKE. He didn't just cut his teeth, but said he improved his tongue.
"This area was great for locution because you had a lot of Hispanics, Serbs, Croatians, Poles, people of Slavic descent," Roberts said. "If you left there and couldn't pronounce a name, then you had to be a dummy. It was just a great place to hone your skills."
Mainly because WWCA did basketball Tuesday through Saturday and did football Thursday through Saturday. Back then the Gary schools played football at Gilroy Stadium.
"Where else could you do that much basketball?" Roberts said. "The great football rivalries plus we also did some south county games, Crown Point, Merrillville and also Valparaiso."
No more did the electricity flow for Roberts than courtside at the old Memorial Auditorium for the Roosevelt-Froebel showdowns between Bo Mallard's Panthers and Mickey Sofiak's Blue Devils.
"I can remember the fans going over the scorer's table onto the court," Roberts said. "The Calumet Region was just great in sports and Gary was a great place."
Roberts, who lives in suburban Virginia, was the Hoosiers' announcer the last time they went to the Rose Bowl. He did not do the game, however, but spotted for NBC's Curt Gowdy and Paul Christman.
"He was a pro in the true sense," said long-time Region newsman and former WYIN anchorman Tom Higgins. "Tony did his homework and was always prepared. "
Roberts left WAKE for WWDC and did Washington Senators games just before the team moved to Texas.
"Another door opened, I did the Washington Bullets and the U.S. Naval Academy," Roberts said. "I've been very fortunate in my career."
Roberts still does an NFL game for Westwood One as well as Notre Dame football and college basketball.
But he still keeps his sense of humor and memories of the Region. His brother Art lives here.
"I always thought it was funny the street you turned down to go to East Chicago Washington's gym was Hemlock," he said. "Ironic because not too many teams faced Johnny Baratto there that didn't meet their doom."