{"id":77358,"date":"2015-09-15T14:13:01","date_gmt":"2015-09-15T14:13:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sandbox.web.rcn.net\/rcntv\/?p=77358"},"modified":"2023-02-28T14:29:04","modified_gmt":"2023-02-28T14:29:04","slug":"behind-mic-dick-tracy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.astound.com\/atvn\/behind-mic-dick-tracy\/","title":{"rendered":"Behind the Mic: Dick Tracy"},"content":{"rendered":"

I spent 35+ years working alongside Dick Tracy announcing football, basketball, and baseball.\u00a0 I knew Dick as a coach, a teacher, a professional colleague, and, most importantly, as a friend ever since I began my broadcasting career.\u00a0 He passed away on Friday, September 4.<\/p>\n

Six years ago, while I was on vacation and out of the country, the news broke about Dick Tracy\u2019s retirement after 40 years of announcing basketball, football, and baseball here at RCN.\u00a0 Dick and I chatted about his decision right before I left and he specifically asked that there be no publicity.\u00a0 And, at the very end of his life, he still did not want any publicity.\u00a0 His instructions to the funeral director included this line:<\/p>\n

\u201cOthers will write and talk about all of the accomplishments, so why should I pay to talk about myself.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

He was right.\u00a0 I will happily write about him for free!<\/p>\n

His coaching career speaks for itself with his phenomenal record (205-51) and a state basketball title in 1982.\u00a0 I can still vividly recall following the \u201982 team to their state semifinal win only to be told that we could not broadcast the state championship game from Hershey.\u00a0 Bob Gehris and I could not have been more disappointed.\u00a0 We had followed this wonderful team made up of wonderful young men, coached by a defensive basketball genius. We wanted to call their last game.\u00a0 I watched Dick\u2019s team put the defensive clamps on that night to win the state title.\u00a0 The telecast was on Channel 6 out of Philadelphia and all night long they showed the school librarian who was on the Whitehall bench and referred to him as Coach Tracy.\u00a0 I think that is where the clich\u00e9 \u201cI could have thrown my shoe at the set\u201d came from.\u00a0 The announcers and the production team did not even know the state championship coach.\u00a0 They did not talk to Dick or, and this is probably closer to the truth, Dick would not talk to them.\u00a0 \u201cPleasant\u201d, \u201ccongenial\u201d, \u201csympathetic\u201d, \u201csociable\u201d, \u201ccomplaisant\u201d are all words I would NOT use to describe Dick Tracy.\u00a0 \u201cCranky\u201d, \u201cobstinate\u201d, \u201chard-nosed\u201d, \u201cstubborn\u201d and \u201cornery\u201d seem to come to mind much more easily.\u00a0 But, with that said, the game announcers did not do their homework.<\/p>\n

They did not do their homework.\u00a0 It seemed so ironic because these are words that could never be uttered ABOUT Dick Tracy.\u00a0 He ALWAYS did his homework.\u00a0 Nobody was more prepared for an opponent; nobody was more prepared for class; nobody was more prepared for a broadcast.\u00a0 Nobody was more prepared!<\/p>\n

Dick\u2019s preparation, however, never got easier because he was a technological misfit.\u00a0 All his notes were done by hand.\u00a0 He had to write out lineups, background information, records, stats, etc. each and every time we did a game.\u00a0 There was no computer file- there was no computer.\u00a0 Why would there be?\u00a0 Dick could never use one \u2013 a TV remote pretty much stretched his technological wherewithal.\u00a0 But for Dick it all worked.\u00a0 He was passionate about everything he did and everything he enjoyed.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t just root for the Yankees \u2013 he lived and died after every game.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t just love Notre Dame \u2013 he worshiped the Fighting Irish.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t just go to a game \u2013 he tirelessly understood the game before we got there.<\/p>\n

What I most remember, however, about the man I spent so much time with the past 35 plus years is the iconic persona thrust upon him by so many people.\u00a0 Dick was a former Marine and certainly knew the meaning of \u201csemper fi\u201d- \u201calways faithful.\u201d\u00a0 His former students, his former players, his former assistant coaches absolutely adored the man and I always had the sense they would do anything for him and that they knew him so well he did not have to solicit their help.\u00a0 They anticipated what he needed and they were \u201calways faithful\u201d as he was to them.<\/p>\n

If respect and friendship are the true measure of a man, Dick Tracy was immeasurable.\u00a0 Today they refer to these people as \u201cpeeps\u201d or the \u201cposse\u201d.\u00a0 Dick only heard the words \u201cCoach\u201d or \u201cMr. Tracy\u201d.\u00a0 These three words represented who this man was to so many people and represented the love and respect they thrust upon him.<\/p>\n

Dick gave his time, his effort, his insights, and his friendship to his students, to his players, and to all of us at RCN for so many years.\u00a0 He was a pioneer behind the microphone and he did the job with grace and humility.\u00a0 His spirit, for me and my colleagues, continues to be a part of every broadcast.<\/p>\n

Finally, on a personal note, I will miss my color analyst and my friend.\u00a0 We had a great run together!\u00a0 I have no greater wish than for him to meet up with his beloved Mary.\u00a0 Much like the nights when I returned Dick home only to see her waiting at the door, I am quite certain she waited for him at the Gates!\u00a0 They will be together again and, despite my sadness, that puts a smile on my face.<\/p>\n

Frances Richard \u201cDick\u201d \u201cCoach\u201d Tracy \u2013 May you rest in peace!<\/p>\n

However, with both Dick and Mary in heaven together again, I am a bit concerned about God\u2019s peace!<\/p>\n

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Not in \u201cMusing\u201d mood this week.<\/p>\n

\"Gary's<\/a><\/p>\n

NFL PICKS LAST WEEK \u2013 9-7 (56%)<\/strong><\/p>\n

DENVER
\nCAROLINA
\nNEW ORLEANS
\nPITTSBURGH
\nDETROIT
\nNEW ENGLAND
\nARIZONA
\nTENNESSEE
\nCINCINNATI
\nST LOUIS
\nGIANTS
\nBALTIMORE
\nMIAMI
\nPHILADELPHIA
\nSEATTLE
\nJETS<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I spent 35+ years working alongside Dick Tracy announcing football, basketball, and baseball.\u00a0 I knew Dick as a coach, a teacher, a professional colleague, and, most importantly, as a friend ever since I began my broadcasting career.\u00a0 He passed away on Friday, September 4. Six years ago, while I was on vacation and out of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"Yoast SEO Relevanssi index exclude","inline_featured_image":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,3,4],"tags":[158],"class_list":["post-77358","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-behind-the-mic","category-featured","category-sports","tag-dick-tracy"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nBehind the Mic: Dick Tracy - ATVN<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Behind the Mic: Dick Tracy - ATVN\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I spent 35+ years working alongside Dick Tracy announcing football, basketball, and baseball.\u00a0 I knew Dick as a coach, a teacher, a professional colleague, and, most importantly, as a friend ever since I began my broadcasting career.\u00a0 He passed away on Friday, September 4. 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