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Join Date: Dec 2007
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New England Patriots: A Look Back, A Look Ahead
“How do you think the Patriots will do this year?” one of my colleagues asked. I thought for a moment and then said, "8-8.” In that previous 1980-81 season the Patriots finished 10-6. They had just missed making the playoffs.
I had been, at that time, September, 1981, in our school’s faculty-cafeteria. I had just returned to teaching after a one-year leave-of-absence during which time I had served as WEEI’s, CBS radio in Boston’s Manager of Network Sports Operations. In a nutshell, my job was to oversee just about every aspect of WEEI’s New England Patriots radio-broadcasts.
As I think back, I first contacted WEEI when I had learned that that Boston radio-station had been awarded the rights to broadcast the Patriots’ games. My main interest, at that time, was the hope that I would be part of WEEI's broadcast team, i.e., play-by-play, color, etc. Yet I soon learned that WEEI had already selected the play-by-play guy and color analyst. Play-by-play, that year, was being handled by a long-time WEEI staffer named John Carlson. Jon Morris, a 1964, 2nd Patriots round pick out of Holy Cross, would be the color analyst. Yet the then program director, a man named Mel Miller, brought me in for an interview. As an aside, the man whom would become "my boss," Mel Miller, had previously been a DJ, “Melvin X Melvin,” on a “top-40," Boston rock ’n’ roll station.
At our initial meeting, Mel told me that that had already selected their broadcast team, but that he needed someone to set up, maintain, and manage WEEI's New England Patriots radio-network. At the time Mel told me that WEEI had promised the then Patriots owner, Billy Sullivan, that WEEI would establish a 35-station network.
Unlike the previous station who had the rights to the Patriots broadcasts, WBZ (Gil Santos and Gino Capelletti), WEEI didn’t have a broadcast-signal that would carry all over New England. Thus WEEI needed to establish a “relay-system” that would allow its signal to be carried all over New England. That meant soliciting individual stations throughout the 6-state New England region.
At this point I might mention that WEEI’s signal, the old WHDH signal, was a "coastal-hugger." Our signal could be heard along the coast from Newburyport in the north to Cape Cod to the south, but once you moved 10-to-15 miles inland you could barely pick WEEI's signal. I was told that this was because the previous owner had used his radio-signal to communicate with his Atlantic fishing fleet.
In any event, as soon as I was hired and then entered the WEEI studios that, by the way, were located on the 44th floor of Boston’s Prudential Tower, I was ensconced in a room and given a bunch of radio-books that told you just about everything you might want to know about all the New England radio stations, e.g., demographics, signal-penetration, contacts, etc. As I think back over 40-years, in so many words, I was being asked to “hit the ground running.” The only advice I was given by the then VP and General Manager, a fine gentleman named Gene Lothery, was, “We’re not giving it away,” i.e., the right to carry our Patriots broadcasts.
I remember immediately “setting to the task.” I had the books to guide me and what our station was offering for an affiliate to “come on board.” I guess, in some respects, you might call it: “Fake it till you make it,” at least until I got into “the swing of things.” After those first few days, I had my sales pitch “down pat.” Then, again there was the negotiating of a “right’s fee.” I was, indeed, “flying by the seat of my pants.” I did have a lot of leeway; the only thing I couldn’t do as Gene Lothery had counseled, “You can’t give it away.” I should mention that our affiliates had to “air” in their own markets, our major sponsors, e.g., Chevrolet, Gulf Oil, Nixdorf, Somerville Lumber (I believe it was taken over by Home Depot). It would seem, first and foremost, that we needed to honor a pledge to Billy Sullivan that we would establish a 35-station network (I might mention that I would even call one or two Canadian stations (I didn’t “land" either).
As for “perks,” call them inducements, we offered those stations that joined our WEEI network two Super Bowl tickets that was being held, that year, at the New Orleans Super Dome. The affiliate station could use those ducats anyway they pleased, i.e., station owner’s chance to take in Super Bowl, or as part of a contest, etc. In addition we offered the stations a number local “avails” that they could run and would be heard only on their station. We also had a media day at the then Patriots training camp at Bryant College in Smithfield, RI. I was called upon to order the busses and decide on the various locations where our affiliates could meet the busses that would take radio-station personnel to the Pats’ training camp, i.e., Portsmouth Circle, Portsmouth, NH. I might add that this visit afforded the media outlets, besides the chance to meet the players, e.g. John Hannah, Steve Grogan, etc. but it gave them an opportunity “to get sound." For example they might walk up to the Patriots’ Tim Fox with a scripted promo that he would read into a tape recorder: “This Tim Fox of the New England Patriots. Listen to all the Patriots action on WTIC, Hartford, Connecticut.”
As it would turn out, we would reach that 35-station network number that the station had promised Billy Sullivan. Yet I must admit, barely. I do remember one station in Bridgeport/New Haven wanted our Patriots broadcasts for free, “No can do.” Yet we could say that our broadcasts did carry from Madawaska, ME (Aroostook County) to Long Island Sound and west to the Berkshires, i.e. Pittsfield, MA.
After our WEEI network was established, my main job was to maintain our network I would serve as liaison between WEEI and our affiliates. I would be in constant contact with them as to any changes. In addition, when any of our 16 Patriots games aired, I would be "in studio," call it “clerk of the works.” My job was to make sure everything ran smoothly. Flawlessly.
In ending this trip “down memory lane," I was also responsible for putting together our hour-and-one-half pre-game show that would begin at 11:30 a.m. for our 1 p.m. games. As I recall, I was involved with many aspects of our pre-game programming, although my voice was never heard. There were interviews with then then Patriots' coach, Ron Erhardt. Everyone called him, “Fargo.” as in Fargo, North Dakota. There was also an "opposing coach" segment where I remember talking to various coaches. The one that stood out was my opportunity to speak with Miami Dolphins' coach, Don Shula. I recall we talked about his training approaches, particularly what he called “gassers." Then there was a segment “Around The NFL” where we talked with newspaper “beat writers” and/or radio reporters about their upcoming games. Finally some of this required working on what is called a Scully editing machine complete with razor-blades and splicing-tape at the ready. “Don’t put your fingers on the “audio-side,” the oils in your fingers can distort the sound." Finally, as in the movies, some of our collected sound ended up "on the cutting-room floor."
As I return to our high school faculty-cafeteria on that early-September, 1981 day, my prediction for the Patriots for the 1981 season turned out to be "way off the mark." The Patriots finished that season with an abysmal 2-14 record. In the 1982 season Ron Earhart was replaced by Ron Meyer. In that year's abbreviated season, the Patriots made the playoffs with a 5-4 record. They would end up losing in their 1st round game to the Dolphins.
Yes, I still have wonderful members of my leave-of-absence year working at WEEI on the Patriots radio-broadcasts. The exclamation point for that year was that all WEEI management personnel, that included myself (I would take my wife) were invited to fly down to New Orleans, the site of the 1981 Super Bowl between Oakland and Philadelphia. It was nearly all-expenses paid. We were given two tickets to the Super Dome for the game, plus lodging while we were New Orleans. The only thing we had to pay for were meals (so were “comped”) and souvenirs.
As I switch gears and return to the present, the last I saw as for tomorrow's game against the Raiders at Allegiant, is that the Patriots are: +3; the O/U is 41. I like the Raiders, laying the points, and "the over”
Finally, yes, the Patriots in 1992, under then coach, Dick McPherson equalled the 1982 2-14 mark. One has to wonder, in 2023, will the Patriots again make it just two wins. Only this time, it’ll have to be either 2-15, or possibly 3-14. Out of the question, you may say, I don’t think so.
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Walt (Teach)
"Walt, make a 'mental bet' and lose your mind." R.N.S.
"The important thing is what I think of myself."
"David and Lisa" (1962)
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