Category Archives: sports radio

“Dean of Sports” Passes Away at 82

Arnold Dean

“A sad day in Connecticut.  The nicest, warmest human being in the world has passed on.  RIP Arnold Dean.  You will be missed by all of us.” – Joe D’Ambrosio UConn Football and Men’s Basketball play by play announcer.

Arnold Dean, the man legions of Connecticut sports fans grew up listening to, has left us.  Dean was the host of a sports talk radio show on WTIC-AM 1080 in Hartford way before sports talk radio became what it is today.

Dean was the anti-Big O.  He was the anti-Mad Dog, the anti-Francesca.  He was too nice to be blustery and full of buffoonery.  In all the years I listened to him I never heard him raise his voice.  Dean was a gentleman who treated his listeners and those who called in with the respect and warmth of a long lost friend.  He made you feel as if you were part of his family.

The first time I ever won anything on the radio I won a prize from Arnold Dean.  I was about 11 years old and I was able to answer one of his trivia questions that about 7 or 8 previous other callers couldn’t answer.

In my adult life I got to meet Dean when I was covering the UConn football and basketball teams as a photographer.  He was just as he was on the air, warm and gracious.

Dean hosted the local call-in show, did the pregame for the New England/Hartford Whalers hockey and even did some color work on home games for a few seasons.  Later on after “retiring” he was still involved with UConn football when they went into Division 1-A and moved into Rentschler Field in East Hartford.  He did the pregame show below the scoreboard along with Ray Dunaway, Kevin Nathan, Bob Joyce and others.

If you were or are from Connecticut the sound of Arnold Dean’s voice told you that you were home.  I always thought that Dean, along with Bob Steele and Walt Dibble, should have been hired by Bradley International Airport to record the welcome announcements.  There were no better ambassadors for the state than that trio of broadcasting legends.

Dean was in broadcasting over 60 years (1948-2009) and was best known for his legendary run at WTIC which began in 1965 when he hosted the music show, “One Night Stand”.   With his love of Big Band music he also hosted a daily show called the “Golden Age of Radio” and that would spin into a monthly show featuring interviews with Big Band leaders and others.  He even played clarinet because he was inspired to do so by Artie Shaw. 

In 1976 he started “Sports Talk with Arnold Dean”, a show that still exists today as “WTIC Sports Talk”. 

In his illustrious career Dean won Connecticut Broadcaster of the Year seven times, numerous awards from the Associated Press and in May 1997 he was inducted into the Connecticut Sports Hall of Fame.  He was also the first non-Massachusetts resident to win the “Jimmy Award” for his work with the Jimmy Fund in Boston. 

It wasn’t until 1996 at age 66 that he cut back on his duties which included only doing one night on his then 20-year old weeknight show.  He didn’t officially retire fully until 2009 after 61 years in broadcasting. 

Arnold Dean was a broadcast legend, a Connecticut icon and he will be greatly missed by so many people whose lives he touched in his own special way.

follow Steve on Twitter @SteveMichaelsII

photo credit: the laurel

The Hits Keep Coming… – Tonight at 7 PM ET

The Hits Keep Coming

Tune in tonight as bloggers Anthony of the Oriole Post and Jason of My Baseball Bias join me for the very popular hour long baseball show called, “The Hits Keep Coming” on the Fantasy Sports Channel at Blog Talk Radio. Every week at 7PM Eastern Time (6PM Central/ 5PM Mountain/ 4PM Western/Pacific) we chat, analyze and comment about the world of Major League Baseball.

This week: NL East Preview

If you’d like to call in, the phone number is 718-664-6564 or you can send us an instant message if you use AOL IM at hitsradioshow.

Please join us at : http://blogtalkradio.com/oriolepost – 7 PM Eastern Time tonight!

Other topics to be discussed:

  • Chipper Jones extension
  • Detroit releases Gary Sheffield
  • Spring roundup

You can listen to last week’s show by going over to the sidebar on the left and look for “Fantasy Sports Channel”.

See you all tonight!!!

And the Fantasy Sports Channel will be broadcasting live on Sunday from 9 AM to 10 PM in anticipation of MLB’s Opening Day 2009.

Grand Slam 2009 - The Fantasy Sports Channel

The Hits Keep Coming Radio Show – Tonight at 7 PM

The Hits Keep Coming

Tune in tonight as bloggers Anthony of the Oriole Post and Jason of My Baseball Bias join me for the very popular hour long baseball show called, “The Hits Keep Coming” on the Fantasy Sports Channel at Blog Talk Radio. Every week at 7PM Eastern Time (6PM Central/ 5PM Mountain/ 4PM Western/Pacific) we chat, analyze and comment about the world of Major League Baseball.

This week: AL Central Preview

If you’d like to call in, the phone number is 718-664-6564 or you can send us an instant message if you use AOL IM at hitsradioshow.

Please join us at : http://blogtalkradio.com/oriolepost – 7 PM Eastern Time tonight!

Other topics to be discussed:

  • Curt Schilling retirement – Is he a Hall of Famer?
  • Alex Rodriguez’s comments during YES interview
  • Japan wins WBC
  • Pudge gets a job while Pedro is still out of work

You can listen to last week’s show by going over to the sidebar on the left and look for “Fantasy Sports Channel”.

See you all tonight!!!

The Hits Keep Coming Radio Show – Tonight at 7 PM

The Hits Keep Coming

Tune in tonight as bloggers Anthony of the Oriole Post and Jason of My Baseball Bias join me for the very popular hour long baseball show called, “The Hits Keep Coming” on the Fantasy Sports Channel at Blog Talk Radio. Every week at 7PM Eastern Time (6PM Central/ 5PM Mountain/ 4PM Western/Pacific) we chat, analyze and comment about the world of Major League Baseball.

This week: NL Central Preview

If you’d like to call in, the phone number is 718-664-6564 or you can send us an instant message if you use AOL IM at hitsradioshow.

Please join us at : http://blogtalkradio.com/oriolepost – 7 PM Eastern Time tonight!

Other topics to be discussed:

* A-Rod Hip surgery
* WBC happenings

You can listen to last week’s show by going over to the sidebar on the left and look for “Fantasy Sports Channel”.

See you all tonight!!!

The Hits Keep Coming Radio Show – Tonight at 7 PM

The Hits Keep Coming

Tune in tonight as bloggers Anthony of the Oriole Post and Jason of My Baseball Bias join me for the very popular hour long baseball show called, “The Hits Keep Coming” on the Fantasy Sports Channel at Blog Talk Radio. Every week at 7PM Eastern Time (6PM Central/ 5PM Mountain/ 4PM Western/Pacific) we chat, analyze and comment about the world of Major League Baseball.

This week: AL EAST Preview

If you’d like to call in, the phone number is 718-664-6564 or you can send us an instant message if you use AOL IM at hitsradioshow.

Please join us at : http://blogtalkradio.com/oriolepost – 7 PM Eastern Time tonight!

Other topics to be discussed:

* Manny Signs with the Dodgers
* Jim Bowden Resigns as GM of the Nationals
* Barry Bonds Trial put on hold
* A-Rod and Johan injury updates
* O-Cab signs with the A’s

You can listen to last week’s show by going over to the sidebar on the left and look for “Fantasy Sports Channel”.

See you all tonight!!!

The Hits Keeping Coming…. – 12/24

The Hits Keep Coming: Anthony of the Oriole Post and I taped our weekly show this afternoon that will air tonight at 7 PM on the Fantasy Sports Channel at Blog Talk Radio. We talked about the Mark Teixeira signing and it’s impact on the game as well as gave our thoughts. Unfortunately, Jason of My Baseball Bias had other obligations today but I’m sure we would have just heard him gloat. Lenny Melnick of Melnick and Greco Fantasy Sports stopped by at the end of the show as well. You can check it out by following the link provided at the end here. [The Hits Keep Coming – 12.24]

WEEI’s D&C Get A Warning

Gerry CallahanJohn DennisWEEI morning show hosts John Dennis and Gerry Callahan received a warning from the Massachusetts Secretary of State’s office earlier today after the two staunch Republicans told listeners this morning that the elections were postponed and Democrats should vote tomorrow.

Brian McNiff of the Massachusetts Secretary of State’s office said in his email to D&C that they were doing a disservice to voters and cited a state law against interferring with elections. 

The Secretary of State’s office received several calls complaining about the on air tactics this morning.

The thing about this is that with the WEEI Radio Network the station and the two right-wing extremists who occupy the morning drive slot reach far more than the Boston metro radio market and Massachusetts as their signal is also heard in Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.  I wonder if any other states received complaints about the radio shenanigan’s that occurred earlier in the day.

The Hits Keep Coming… – Tonight at 7 PM

The Hits Keep Coming

Tune in tonight as bloggers Anthony of the Oriole Post and Jason of My Baseball Bias join me for the very popular hour long baseball show called, “The Hits Keep Coming”. brought to you by MLBFrontOffice.com on the Fantasy Sports Channel at  Blog Talk Radio. Every week at 7PM Eastern Time (6PM Central/ 5PM Mountain/ 4PM Western/Pacific) we chat, analyze and comment about the world of Major League Baseball.

This week: 2008 World Series Preview

If you’d like to call in, the phone number is 718-664-6564 or you can send us an instant message if you use AOL IM at hitsradioshow.

Please join us at : http://blogtalkradio.com/oriolepost – 7 PM Eastern Time tonight!

Topics to be discussed:

  • Joba Chamberlain DUI
  • The Jake Peavy Trade Market
  • Big Hank Steinbrenner Speaks Again

You can listen to last week’s show by going over to the sidebar on the left and look for the Fantasy Sports Channel Section.

See you all tonight!!!

WEEI Wins Marconi Award

The MarconiI don’t know how they did it but Entercom Sports Talk Giant, WEEI-AM 850 in Boston won the Marconi Award for the Best Sports Station in country last night.  It is the second time they won the award the first in 2006.

On the brighter side Glenn Ordway did lose out to Ryan Seacrest for Major Market Personality of the Year. 

The Marconi’s award excellence in radio broadcasting at the annual NAB conference.

The Hits Keep Coming… Returns Tonight @ 7 PM ET

Click above to go to our website

Tune in tonight as bloggers Anthony of the Oriole Post and Jason of My Baseball Bias join me for our hour long baseball show called, “The Hits Keep Coming” on Blog Talk Radio. Every week at 7PM Eastern Time (6PM Central/ 5PM Mountain/ 4PM Western/Pacific) we chat, analyze and comment about the world of Major League Baseball.

This week: Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee

If you’d like to call in, the phone number is 718-664-6564 or you can send us an instant message if you use AOL IM at hitskeepcoming20.

Please join us at : http://blogtalkradio.com/oriolepost – 7PM Eastern Time tonight!

Topics to be discussed this evening:

  • Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee
  • Goose Gossage in the Hall.
  • Billy Beane and his trades
  • Hot Stove Roundup

You can listen to last week’s show by going over to the sidebar on the right and looking for the Blog Talk Radio section.

See you all tonight!!!