Gil Santos facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gil Santos
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | April 19, 1938 Acushnet, Massachusetts, U.S.
|
| Died | April 19, 2018 (aged 80) |
| Burial place | Raynham, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Occupation | Sports announcer, sports reporter |
| Years active | 1959–2012 |
| Known for | Radio play-by-play for the New England Patriots |
| Spouse(s) | Roberta |
| Children | 2 |
Gilbert A. Santos (born April 19, 1938 – died April 19, 2018) was a famous American sports announcer. He was known for his exciting play-by-play calls on the radio. Gil Santos worked mostly in the Boston area.
He called games for the New England Patriots football team and the Boston Celtics basketball team. He also worked as a morning sports reporter for WBZ radio in Boston. Gil Santos was so good at his job that he was added to the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
He stopped working at WBZ radio in January 2009. Later that year, he was also added to the WBZ Radio Hall of Fame. The 2012 Patriots season was his very last time calling games on the radio.
Contents
Early Life and Start in Radio
Gil Santos was born in Acushnet, Massachusetts. He grew up in a nearby town called Fairhaven, Massachusetts. He finished high school in Fairhaven in 1956.
He went to the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and later studied at the New England Broadcast School. From 1959 to 1971, Gil Santos worked at several radio stations. These stations were in cities like New Bedford, Massachusetts and Fall River, Massachusetts.
A Career in Sports Announcing
Gil Santos started working with the Patriots football team in 1966. At first, he was the "color commentator." This means he helped explain the game alongside the main play-by-play announcer, Bob Starr. They worked together until 1970.
After Bob Starr left, Gil Santos became the main play-by-play announcer for the Patriots. He did this for nine years. For a while, from 1980 to 1990, the Patriots' games were on different radio stations. During this time, other people called the games.
But Gil Santos returned as the voice of the Patriots in 1991. This happened when WBZ radio started broadcasting the team's games again.
Partners in the Booth
For many years, Gil Santos had a great partner in the radio booth. This was Gino Cappelletti, a former Patriots player. They worked together from 1972 to 1978 and again from 1990 to 2011.
In 2001, Gino Cappelletti was sick for a short time. Another former Patriots player, Peter Brock, filled in for him. Gino Cappelletti retired before the 2012 season. After that, former Patriots quarterback Scott Zolak became Gil Santos's new partner.
Other Sports and Retirement
Besides the Patriots, Gil Santos also called games for other teams. He announced games for the Boston Celtics basketball team. He also covered college sports, like Providence Friars basketball and Boston College Eagles football.
In January 2009, Gil Santos announced he was retiring from WBZ radio. However, he kept calling Patriots games. The team's radio network moved to a new station, "The Sports Hub."
In April 2012, Gil Santos got sick with pneumonia. This made people wonder if he would keep announcing games. But he decided to return for one last season. He retired after the 2012 NFL season. In April 2013, Bob Socci took over his role.
Gil Santos worked for 36 years as an NFL announcer. This made him one of the longest-serving announcers in the league. He was also the last announcer who had been working since the early days of the American Football Conference.
Memorable Broadcasts
On September 26, 2010, Gil Santos called his 700th Patriots game. This included preseason, regular season, playoff, and Super Bowl games. His 750th broadcast was on November 11, 2012, another Patriots win.
He called 15 of the Patriots' 19 playoff appearances. He also announced six Super Bowl games for the team.
On December 30, 2012, Gil Santos's old partner, Gino Cappelletti, joined him for part of his final regular season broadcast. Before that game, the Patriots honored Gil Santos and Gino Cappelletti. The team's owner, Robert Kraft, announced that Gil Santos would be added to the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2013.
Gil Santos's very last game was in January 2013. It was a playoff game where the Patriots lost to the Ravens. This was his 759th broadcast. He was officially added to the Patriots Hall of Fame on July 22, 2013.
Personal Life
Gil Santos served in the Massachusetts National Guard. He reached the rank of staff sergeant. He married his wife, Roberta, in 1961. They had two children and lived in Raynham, Massachusetts.
Gil Santos passed away on April 19, 2018. This was also his 80th birthday and his 57th wedding anniversary. A public viewing was held for him on April 24. His funeral was held on April 25 in Raynham, where he was buried with military honors.
See also
- List of New England Patriots broadcasters
