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RIP Don Gillis (started in radio)

raccoonradio

raccoonradio

Worked with Curt Gowdy on radio and took over for him when Curt injured his back...

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/15978384/detail.html

BOSTON — Don Gillis, the man who invented the television sportscast in Boston, died Wednesday night, his son Gary said.

While Gillis began his career in radio and hosted post-game coverage of the Boston Red Sox. He became best known as a television sports anchor. In 1962, he began his nightly sports segment on WHDH-TV. (the old Ch 5)
 
A 'First Ballot' Hall-of-Famer for Boston sports media icons. He did his job marvelously in an era well before ESPN, the Internet, and the three-ring-circus that sports media has become today.

As host of candlepin bowling, Don introduced me to the clever term, 'Half-Worcester.' I have no clue what that is, but I like the name of it.
 
Agreed, he was someone I always respected, and the bowling show was a New England classic as well.

ChrisNH said:
As host of candlepin bowling, Don introduced me to the clever term, 'Half-Worcester.' I have no clue what that is, but I like the name of it.
Click to expand...

Don used to say that the term originated in a bowling tournament between a team from Boston and one from Worcester. Late in the tournament, the Worcester team needed a spare, got the "half Worcester" split on the first ball, and someone remarked that they were "halfway back to Worcester."
 
raccoonradio said:
Worked with Curt Gowdy on radio and took over for him when Curt injured his back...

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/15978384/detail.html

BOSTON — Don Gillis, the man who invented the television sportscast in Boston, died Wednesday night, his son Gary said.

While Gillis began his career in radio and hosted post-game coverage of the Boston Red Sox. He became best known as a television sports anchor. In 1962, he began his nightly sports segment on WHDH-TV. (the old Ch 5)
Click to expand...

Don Gillis is an important link to my youth. He was a big influence in my becoming a sports fan, particularly of the Red Sox, but also all the other teams in Boston. And I always watched Candlepin Bowling Saturdays at noon on Channel 5. I can still hear in my head, "Hi, everybody, and welcome once again to Candlepin Bowling. I'm Don Gillis, and I suppose you by now that we tape the show in advance here at Sammy White's Brighton Bowl (or The Boylston Bowladrome or the Fairway in Natick or Pilgrim Lanes in Haverhill). It's always three strings of candlepin bowling, total pinfall determining our winner..."

I also enjoyed that "Impossible Dream" special that aired after the '67 season with Don and Ken Coleman on the old Channel 5. The poetry they did was terrific. I saw it on the Red Sox 1967 40th anniversary DVD. You can see a 9-minute clip of it on YouTube (note the announcer was former Bruins radio legend Bob Wilson)...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=G1qlOjIVBuY

Don Gillis was a legend and a class act. He will be missed and fondly remembered.
 
I hope Don wasn't ill long, and enjoyed his Cape retirement.

Who was Don's #2 sportscaster on ch.5, who ended his broadcast career doing overnights at 99.1?
 
class act... for many years, it would be a weekly ritual of sitting down for lunch in front of TV, every Saturday at noon, with a Swanson frozen chicken meal and hearing Don say "the defending champion on Candlepin Bowling is..."

I don't believe in any sort of afterlife but, if there was one, I'm sure Don's covering another great effort from Stasia Czernicki, who could have beaten most of the guys, by the way.
 
That dink, David Scott, chastises Dale and Holley for not mentioning Candlepins for Cash upon learnining of Don Gillis' death. He then makes a condecending remark about them not growing up around here. One problem, Bob Gamere, not Don Gillis, hosted Candlepins for Cash on Channel 7.

What a yo-yo.
 
ArtSpooner said:
That dink, David Scott, chastises Dale and Holley for not mentioning Candlepins for Cash upon learnining of Don Gillis' death. He then makes a condecending remark about them not growing up around here. One problem, Bob Gamere, not Don Gillis, hosted Candlepins for Cash on Channel 7.

What a yo-yo.
Click to expand...

Turns out a lot of references to Candlepins for Cash were made in the media, because the Associated Press obit on Don mentioned it. But you would think a lot of broadcasting folks would have known that Don did Candlepin Bowling, not Candlepins for Cash, and corrected the AP story. I saw Scott Wahle on the TV38 News last night mention that Don "had hosted CfC forever". Ugh.
 
Ok....so nobody took the bait, I'll bite, check HC's Mumbles page for the eternal quote from Menino..."Who Don Gillis"! Seeya ::)
 
gosox said:
ArtSpooner said:
That dink, David Scott, chastises Dale and Holley for not mentioning Candlepins for Cash upon learnining of Don Gillis' death. He then makes a condecending remark about them not growing up around here. One problem, Bob Gamere, not Don Gillis, hosted Candlepins for Cash on Channel 7.

What a yo-yo.
Click to expand...

Turns out a lot of references to Candlepins for Cash were made in the media, because the Associated Press obit on Don mentioned it. But you would think a lot of broadcasting folks would have known that Don did Candlepin Bowling, not Candlepins for Cash, and corrected the AP story. I saw Scott Wahle on the TV38 News last night mention that Don "had hosted CfC forever". Ugh.
Click to expand...
It wasn't so much that the punk got it wrong, but that he did it in the context of looking down his nose at Dale and Holley for not growing up around here.
 
I was going to mention Da Mayah's quote but it was too obvious. Did on Free Republic though.

http://mumblesmenino.us/mumbling/Who Don Gillis.mp3

Caller: About three weeks ago Boston and its vicinity lost a living legend, he involuntarily stepped down from a position. He and all of us, I think including you, Andy, left so much...

Andy Moes: Who is this are you referring to?

Caller; Well with that in mind, I'm wondering if you, Mayor Menino, with all your powers can
find a humble government position for Mr. Don Gillis?

Mayor: Who Don Gillis.
 
I can't really add anymore than what's already been said...

The guy is a NE broadcasting LEGEND... this is a tremendous loss...

I am not old enough to remember Don's days broadcasting Red Sox games... HOWEVER... like others who have already responded here, I too made it a weekly ritual of sitting down in front of my TV every Saturday at Noon for Candlepin Bowling... it was a sad sad day back in 1995 when Channel 5 decided to replace the Candlepin Bowling show for... ... news. ::)

A program that showed regularly in the Herald's weekly Boston television sports ratings (alongside the Sox, Pats, Celts and Bruins!)... and VERY inexpensive to produce (two camera men, a director and Don... oh yeah, and Ralph Stewart, the lob-line judge and referee! Wonder if he's still sitting there along side lane 21? ;) )

Who can forget Don's call of Paul Berger's 500 triple? (no sweat to accomplish in Ten Pin bowling, but very difficult to do in Candlepins!)

My favorite Don Gillis/Candlepin Bowling memory (that needs a bit of a set-up): I remember the amazing run the Gary Carrington had back in, i'd like to say fall of 1991, week after week Gary had returned as champion... it's been a long time but if memory serves me correctly he probably lasted as champ for two months... From the way he was bowling at the time I thought that he would be unbeatable the following summer (of 92) at their annual "Tournament Of Champions" ... well, the very week before the tournament that summer (and the last week of qualifying for the tourney) then-unknown Gary Casey came on the show and bowled I think a blistering 505 to become the number one seed... he would go on to beat Carrington a week later to win it all...

At the end of Gary's 505, it was Don with the call: Wow..... WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Aren't you glad you decided to watch today? 8)

R.I.P. Don.
 
I was sorry to hear about Don Gillis. When I was a kid we lived in NY and would come here during the summer to visit family and I would always watch Candelpin Bowling on Ch 5. He will be missed.
 
First Jess Cain, now Don Gillis. :(

Two links to The Impossible Dream of 1967. :(

RIP to both.
 
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