Hey guys, so, I’ve been digging into this Al Meltzer guy, the sportscaster. You might have heard of him, they called him “Big Al.” Born way back in 1928, died a few years ago in 2018. I didn’t know much about him, but his name kept popping up, so I got curious.
First off, I started with the basics, just to get a feel for who he was. Found out he was born in Syracuse, New York. He worked in Philly, for Channel 10 and Channel 3, that’s some solid local TV stuff, right?
Then, I stumbled on this book, his autobiography, apparently. The title alone sounded interesting. This man probably saw it all in the broadcasting world. I mean, the description said he might be the only person in history to have experienced everything in radio and TV. That’s a big claim, but it got me hooked.
His Career Highlights
- Started in Philly in ’66 at WPHL-17.
- Covered the 76ers.
- Made Big 5 college basketball legendary, whatever that means, it sounds pretty important.
I found out he had a five-decade career! That’s like, forever in the broadcasting business. Imagine the changes he saw, from the old days to the modern stuff. He even got into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame, which is a pretty big deal.
I kept digging and found out he started in Syracuse and Buffalo, then moved to the big leagues in Philly and Chicago. This guy was all over the place, doing play-by-play and everything. They called him “Big Al,” and everyone seemed to love him.
He passed away at 89. That’s a good long life, especially for someone in such a hectic industry. They called him one of the best of the golden age of Philly sports. Sounds like he was a legend.
There’s even this “Al Meltzer Legacy of Excellence” thing. Looks like he’s still remembered and honored in the sports world. They have this list of inductees, going back years. Pretty cool to see his name up there.
So, that’s what I found out about Al Meltzer. Seems like a real character and a big name in sports broadcasting. I’m definitely going to look more into his autobiography. Who knows what stories he had to tell!
