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Eddie Andelman is an American sports radio talk show host. He has worked over 40 years in sports talk radio in Boston and has appeared on over 100 sports stations all over the country.
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[edit] Career
His career as a sports talk radio personality began in 1970 when he was hired by WBZ radio, to do a program called "Sports Huddle," along with Jim McCarthy and Mark Witkin. He remained at WBZ till mid 1971 when he and the show moved to WEEI. He also began to do a television program for WNAC Channel 7 (Now WHDH) in November 1972, a job he left in early 1976. He has also been a host on WCVB Channel 5, and in addition to his early work at WBZ and WEEI, he has hosted talk radio shows on WUNR, WHDH, and WWZN.
He hosted a Sunday evening talk show called Sports Huddle on WTKK retiring with his last WTKK show on December 26, 2010.[1]
Andelman is credited by some wrestling websites as the creator of the World Wrestling Entertainment King of the Ring tournament.[citation needed]
Andelman is a graduate of Boston University, and received his MBA from Northeastern University. Prior to being hired by WBZ Radio, he ran his family's real estate development business.[2]
His son David Andelman is the creator of The Phantom Gourmet television show.
[edit] Charitable work
[edit] Hot Dog Safari
Andelman is involved with many charitable organizations, but is best known in the New England area for hosting Eddie Andelman's Hot Dog Safari. The event which he has hosted for the past 18 years raises money for the Joey Fund / Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Foundation.[3] The event started in 1990 when during his program Andelman declared the hot dog the ultimate sports food and he and his listeners proceeded to debate on who made the best ones. After some time, Andelman decided to resolve the issue by organizing a bus trip for 200 people to visit certain locations to sample various hot dogs. As Eddie told his listeners: "We are on a Hot Dog Safari". The money from ticket sales went to benefit the Joey Fund. Since then the event has grown, and now includes local celebrities, members of the media and professional athletes and over the years has raised over a million dollars for the Joey Fund / Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
[edit] Other charitable works
He is the creator of the New York/Boston Unity Fund, which raised over $135,000 after the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 and was named Honorary Fire Chief upon his visit to Ground Zero.
He raised $50,000 to enable paralyzed jockey Rudy Biaz to build ramps in his house.
Delivered baseball equipment to kids in the Dominican Republic.
He and his wife Judith were made honorary Goodwill Ambassadors by the Aruba Tourism Authority in honor of them having visited the island 53 times over the 35 years.[4]
[edit] Recognition for works
- He has been named Jimmy Fund Man of the Year
- Joey Fund-Cystic Fibrosis man of the Year
- Big Brother Man of the Year.
[edit] WEEI
Andelman worked at WEEI for ten years until abrupt departure in December 2001. Reports say that he was unhappy with the direction the station had taken towards more confrontational shows like ‘The Dennis and Callahan Show’ and ‘The Big Show’. Reports say he was also unhappy when the station paired him up with co-host Dale Arnold to form the ‘A-Team’. Though Arnold denies any personal problems existed, reports say that the two did not get along on or off the air.[5][6] WEEI replaced Andelman with former television sportscaster Bob Neumeier.
[edit] Andelman Comments about WEEI since leaving the station
Regarding the current state of sports radio, including WEEI, Andelman states,
- “I’ve been planning this show at WTKK for almost two years. Radio should be a theater of the mind, not screaming and stupidity.
- “WEEI has too many people who are not trained and not educated. They pay players and coaches to be on their shows. Then, they have to watch what questions they ask. I won't pay guests. Sports radio has become public relations. Everyone kisses ass.” [7]
He pledged to start a movement called Fans Against Idiot Radio (FAIR) as an antidote to the "venomous" WEEI.[8]
[edit] WWZN
In early 2002, Andelman joined WWZN in Boston, a direct competitor to WEEI.[8] The station hired Andelman as part of its strategy to challenge WEEI as Boston’s sports talk leader. Andelman joined former Red Sox announcer Sean McDonough and Ryen Russillo as on air talent. The station additionally paid for the rights to broadcast Boston Celtics basketball games for five years. In the end, the station couldn’t compete with WEEI and sold its Celtics rights to WRKO and ended all local broadcasts in October 2005 in favor of a nationally syndicated lineup.[9]
[edit] References
- ^ Shaughnessy, Dan, Pieces of His Mind", The Boston Globe, December 18, 2010
- ^ McLean, Bob, "Andelman Leaves as Channel 7 Sports Critic", Boston Globe, 31 January 1976, p. 4
- ^ Greater Media, Inc. - 17th ANNUAL EDDIE ANDELMAN’S HOT DOG SAFARI SET FOR JUNE 4, 2006[dead link]
- ^ EDDIE & JUDY'S TOP 10 REASONS TO RETURN TO ARUBA | Official Travel News from Aruba[dead link]
- ^ Molori, John, "Andelman quits WEEI", The Eagle-Tribune, Thursday, December 13, 2001. (archived 2005)
- ^ Molori, John, "Sheppard tops list to replace Andelman", The Eagle-Tribune, Friday, December 14, 2001 (archived 2005)
- ^ The Remy Report
- ^ a b Eddie Andelman and the Sports Huddle
- ^ Company pulls plug on WWZN's local shows - The Boston Globe
