|
Post by Commissioner on May 26, 2020 19:48:43 GMT -5
Does anybody recall Detroit sportscaster (and Pistons GM) Don Wattrick? The Titans used to give out an annual award called the "Don Wattrick Efficiency Award." What was Wattrick's connection? Was he an alum? Did he broadcast Titan games?
|
|
|
Post by kevinudm on May 26, 2020 23:09:34 GMT -5
Commish, I'm sure that your googling skills are as good or better than mine. But I found that Wattrick was instrumental in Dave DeBusscherre becoming player coach of the Pistons: It’s November 1964. The Pistons brain trust has invited young, 24-year-old David DeBusschere to a local watering hole, on the city’s east side. It’s appropriate. DeBusschere was a star for Austin High, also on the east side, before taking his talents to the University of Detroit. The new GM, just hired, is Don Wattrick. And what are Wattrick’s qualifications? He was the team’s radio broadcaster. That’s right.
Over beers, Wattrick and owner Fred Zollner ask DeBusschere, in his third season as a player, to take over as coach for the fired and despised Charley Wolf. The notion of player-coach wasn’t new in the NBA, but the dual roles were reserved for experienced players who were long in the tooth. Not a 24-year-old kid still trying to figure things out .
DeBusschere goes 29-40, then 22-58 and 28-45 as young player-coach, before the experiment is deemed a failure and he’s returned to just playing status.
Pistons’ sordid history
Wattrick only lasted one year as GM compared to DeBusschere's three as coach. But perhaps their one year together as GM/coach led to a direct connection between Wattrick and UD...? Meanwhile the UD archives contain a reference to Wattrick; he played center for the football team of Central State Teachers College (eventually it became Central Michigan University) when UD hosted them on Sept 28, 1934. Piston GM Don Wattrick was from Lansing (at least he's in the Greater Lansing Hall of Fame), as is the Don Wattrick listed in the football program. So they're the same guy and he attended proto-CMU, not UD. libraries.udmercy.edu/archives/special-collections/index.php?collectionCode=football_ftb&record_id=59&page=2 (Image 34 lists Wattrick) Given Wattrick's background it's certainly plausible that he could have broadcasted Titan games after being fired as Piston GM, but I found no info on that.
|
|