He should get back into some form of television — where he made his name — soon, but how did the Mason native and UD grad get into radio in the first place?
Five questions with Dan the Man:
Q So, how did you get into radio?
A I grew up with radio, Joe Nuxhall and Marty Brennaman and even Al Michaels (doing the Reds). I remember listening to WSAI with Jim Scott in the morning. We only had three television channels. Television didn't have the fascination for kids like those coming up now.
I had been doing SportsCenter at ESPN and they started weekend radio, and I'd come in for a six-hour radio shift on Saturday and Sunday. I never got paid. I liked it. When you're in television, you don't talk sports. You deliver. In radio, you talk sports. I always said to the radio people, 'If you ever go five nights a week, let me know.'
Q Since television made you famous, why didn't you stay with that? A I was never comfortable with television. I thought I mastered it, but I thought it was a lot of work for a little result. It was very superficial. Radio is me. It's not dressed up with highlights or anything. It's just me. I never got hold of it (television). I went into it every single night nervous. I used to get done with SportsCenter, take the tape and go upstairs and watch the entire show. (Keith) Olbermann finally said, 'This only makes you worse. It's done. Be yourself.' I never looked at a tape again. It would drive me crazy.
© 2012
