Lee Pete
Leeland C. Pete[1] (November 14, 1924 – March 25, 2010[2]) was an American sports-talk radio broadcaster. After serving as an Army Air Force pilot in World War II, he played college football as a quarterback at the University of Toledo. Pete also played baseball for the Rockets as an outfielder, and was inducted into the school's Varsity T Hall of Fame in 1986.[3][4] He tried out unsuccessfully with the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL).[2]
In 1954, Pete began his sports radio career at a small station in his hometown of Toledo, Ohio. After moving to Las Vegas in 1970,[2] he established a sports talk radio show on KDWN in 1981.[2][5][6] The 50,000-watt station had a night signal that was heard as far north as British Columbia, south to Mexico, east to the Plains, and west to some islands in the Pacific Ocean.[3][7] Pete's Stardust Line show, which ran nightly from 10 until midnight,[8] became the longest-running sports betting show in the history of radio.[3] He also hosted a televised sports handicapping show, Proline, on cable television that was viewed in over 30 million homes.[3][9] Pete finished his career at KRLV, retiring in 2002.[10]
Pete was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a.k.a. Lou Gehrig's disease, in 2005.[3] He died in Toledo on March 25, 2010. He was 85.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ "Leeland C. Pete". The Blade. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Carplas, Steve (March 25, 2010). "Former local radio host Lee Pete dies". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e "Lee Pete thankful for a great life". The Blade. May 7, 2007. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
- ^ "Lee Pete". UTRockets.com. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
- ^ Carp, Steve (May 16, 1997). "Worth a Re-Pete". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
- ^ Youmans, Matt (June 30, 2006). "'Stardust Line' goes silent after 25-year run". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on September 11, 2010. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
- ^ Miech, Rob (2019). Sports Betting for Winners: Tips and Tales from the New World of Sports Betting. Kensington Publishing Corporation. p. 28. ISBN 9780806540306. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
- ^ "Lee Pete was Las Vegas radio pioneer". Las Vegas Sun. July 15, 2003. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
- ^ Stewart, Larry (January 17, 1986). "When the Chips Are Down, TV Usually Backs the Gamblers". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
- ^ Haney, Jeff (January 9, 2002). "Lee Pete: '12,000 shows is enough'". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
External links
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