Bill Mazer facts for kids

Bill Mazer (born Morris Mazer; November 2, 1920 – October 23, 2013) was a famous American television and radio personality. He was known for his amazing knowledge of sports facts and figures. Many people in New York thought of him as a sports reporting legend.

Bill Mazer won several awards during his career. He received the Sportscaster of the Year award for New York three times. He was also added to several halls of fame, including the Buffalo Broadcasters Association and the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. He is famous for hosting the very first sports talk radio show in history, which started in 1964.

People called him "The A-Maz-In" because he knew so much about sports trivia. He often showed this knowledge on his WNBC radio show in the 1960s. Because of his talent, he wrote several sports trivia books. One of his books was Bill Mazer's Amazin' Baseball Book, published in 1990.

Bill Mazer: A Sports Broadcasting Legend

Early Life and Military Service

Bill Mazer's family moved from Kiev, Ukraine, before his first birthday. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He went to Yeshiva University High School for Boys. Later, he studied at the University of Michigan.

During World War II, he served in the Air Force Transport Command. He spent most of his time in the Pacific region. After the war, he married his sweetheart, Dora Sudarsky, also known as "Dutch." They had three children together. Their marriage lasted 50 years until Dora passed away in 1996. Bill Mazer never married again.

Starting His Career

Bill Mazer began his broadcasting career in 1942 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He joined the United States Military in the same year.

Buffalo Days

His career as a sportscaster started in Buffalo, New York in 1947. He worked at WKBW radio. In 1947, he also did commercials for a CBS newscast and a soap opera called When a Girl Marries. By 1948, he became the sports director for WGR radio. He was also the main sports anchor for WGR-TV starting in 1954.

Bill Mazer was very popular in Buffalo. He broadcasted games for the Buffalo Bisons hockey and baseball teams. He also covered the Buffalo Bills football team and Little 3 Basketball. After many years of reporting sports in Buffalo, Mazer moved to New York City in 1964. This was when WNBC (AM) started its first all-talk radio format. His show was one of the first modern sports talk shows in America.

He sometimes filled in for other hosts on TV. He hosted his own game show called Reach for the Stars in 1967. He also hosted parts of the long-running NBC Radio series Monitor.

National TV and Radio

Bill Mazer worked as a color analyst for CBS's National Hockey League coverage. He worked with Dan Kelly from the late 1960s to the early 1970s. He covered the Stanley Cup Playoffs several times. One famous game he covered was Game 4 of the 1970 Stanley Cup finals. The Boston Bruins won this game with a famous overtime goal by Bobby Orr.

Famous Games and Commercials

Mazer also specialized in Golf for NBC. He covered tournaments like the U.S. Open in the mid-1960s. ABC used him for regional football games in New York. He also reported from the sidelines for CBS's NFL coverage.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Mazer did many voice-over commercials. He did ads for companies like Kodak, Ford, and Trident chewing gum.

A Star in New York City

Bill Mazer was a sportscaster at New York's WNEW/WNYW-TV (Channel 5) for twenty years. This lasted until the early 1990s. He also co-hosted a show called Sports Extra. This show was one of the first "sports wrap-up" shows of its kind.

Sports Extra and Trivia Challenges

While doing sports news for The 10 O'Clock News on WNEW, he had a daily contest. Viewers would send in a question to try and "stump" Bill. If they succeeded, they would win a prize. The anchorman, John Roland, usually asked the question.

Later Radio Shows and TV Appearances

Mazer hosted a WFAN sports show from 1988 to 1991. He returned to the station for a special show in 2007. He also hosted a morning talk show on WEVD from 1992 to 2001. This show covered many different topics. It ended when WEVD became a sports station.

He appeared on the cable TV show The Leon Charney Report. He also had small parts in movies like Eyewitness and Raging Bull. He appeared in episodes of ESPN's SportsCentury. In these shows, he shared his knowledge about sports figures like Gordie Howe and Mickey Mantle.

His Final Years

After leaving WEVD in 2001, Mazer started an afternoon interview program on WVOX. This show was in New Rochelle, New York. His son, Arnie Mazer, was the producer for the show. His last show on WVOX was on August 3, 2009. He had been at the station for almost eight years.

Bill Mazer passed away on October 23, 2013, at the age of 92. He died at a hospital in Danbury, Connecticut.

See also

In Spanish: Bill Mazer para niños