Usually when you grow up, there's someone who catches your eye or ear, and you want to be like them when you grow up.
Way back in 1984, I remember being up late at night at my grandparents and watching "The George Michael Sports Machine" at about 12:30 on a Sunday night... considering they didn't have cable, there was no ESPN to see any sports highlights. I stayed up and watched it. Then I was with my family in Maryland in 1989, and was listening to the radio, and I heard this George Michael guy again, not the Wham! singer, the sportscaster. I was hooked again... then I saw him on Channel 4 in DC later that night. I loved the way he presented highlights, and made you laugh every once in a while.
Channel 28 brought back the Sports Machine on Sunday nights around '91. I would tape Sports Machine and watch SportsCenter.... you couldn't miss both. Then, 28 dropped Sports Machine, and I later found that KYW showed it at around 3am the next day. When Channel 10 flipped to NBC in '95, they picked up GMSM at midnight... and Channel 8 carries it at 11:35.
Little did I realize that prior to becoming the host of the Sports Machine, George Michael was one of the most-loved DJ's in Philadelphia. His resume is one I would dream of... as he put it, "I was the only white fella promoting records for Motown." He worked in St. Louis, and Denver. He came to WFIL Philadelphia in 1966, and was King of nighttime radio in Philly for the next 8 years. He also worked at legendary WABC New York from 1974-79. He also worked Islanders hockey games and did weekend sports for WABC-TV. He got out of radio in '79, and hooked up with Channel 4 in DC in 1980.
Tomorrow night, George retires from day-to-day duties. Those who learned from him say he was one of the hardest workers ever, and most devoted to his work and co-workers. It showed on all his broadcasts. His last sportscast as a full-timer is tomorrow night. The last George Michael Sports Machine is expected to be taped within the next few weeks.
If you're into the glory days of pop music radio like I am, go to www.famous56.com, or www.musicradio77.com to hear George Michael in action. Despite how hard I could work at it, I'll never be half as good as he was/is.
Good Luck, George. Thanks for being a great person to look up to.
Short show tonight with basketball. Talk with you later. Buckle up.
TS
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