George Michael died he was 70
George Michael[1] died he was 70, Michael was a sportscaster best known nationally for his long-running American sports highlights show called The George Michael Sports Machine. Started as a local show in 1980 called George Michael’s Sports Final[2] and then nationally syndicated in 1984, the nationally broadcast show was distributed for syndication by NBC until it left the air following the March 25, 2007 airing. Michael won a Sports Emmy in 1985 for his work on The George Michael Sports Machine.
(March 24, 1939 – December 24, 2009)
A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Michael anchored the sports desk at WRC-TV (News 4) in Washington DC from 1980 to 2007. Previously he was a WABC-AM disk jockey known as “King” George Michael, and was noted for his energetic style. Several incidents from his radio stint at WABC in New York City have been chronicled in deejay “Cousin Brucie” Morrow’s autobiography.[3] George Michael replaced Morrow at WABC in 1974. Before that he was the popular evening deejay at Philadelphia‘s WFIL Radio (560 kHz) from 1966 until his move to WABC. While in New York, he also served for several seasons as a commentator on New York Islanders telecasts, where he was paired mainly with Tim Ryan.
As a sports broadcaster at WRC, Michael was easily one of the most popular media personalities in the Washington area. Michael got significant latitude in his programming, employing a bevy of segments some might consider old-fashioned, including his “Tuesday Replays” and “Wednesday Wrestling.” He also had devoted extensive coverage to and was considered a significant influence in the popularity of NASCAR, broadcasting interviews with famous drivers such as Dale Earnhardt well before that sport became what it is today. An avid equestrian himself, Michael also broadcast segments on bull riding and rodeo.
Michael’s affable personality had endeared him to the curmudgeonliest of local and national sports personalities and landed rare interviews. For example, Michael’s team at WRC had been the only local sportscasters allowed to broadcast from inside the Washington Redskins‘ FedEx Field during the season.
In November 2005, Michael was seriously injured in a horseback riding accident. He broke several ribs and injured his wrists during the equine mishap at his Comus farm in upper Montgomery County, Maryland. Michael resumed his duties in December 2005.
Michael left his role as WRC’s daily sports anchor on March 1, 2007 following a dispute with WRC-TV (News 4) over layoffs of his staff. The George Michael Sports Machine went off the air on March 25, 2007.[4][5] He continued to host weekend sports panel shows, such as Full Court Press (basketball season) and Redskins Report (football season) as well as interviews at Redskins Park on Mondays with Jim Zorn and Joe Bugel through December 2008. He was completely dropped from WRC due to budget cuts despite the fact Redskins Report was consistently one of WRC’s top shows. He indicated at the time of his layoff, he would like to work on a panel show again but not on a nightly newscast.[6]
Michael died on Dec. 24, 2009, at 70 years old after a two-year battle with cancer.[7][8]
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Lock his ass up!
A So. Fla. Man Asked Cabbie For A Ride To Memphis, Then Refused To Pay
A South Florida cabbie was tricked into making a 20 hour trip from Miami to Western Tennessee over the weekend. And he ended up getting stiffed, not getting a penny for his efforts.
CBS4’S Stephen Stock spoke with the cab driver victim by telephone and his colleagues on the streets about getting shorted on a very long trip.
From 7 at night to 4:30 in the morning, 6 days a week for 29 years Jean Desir has driven a taxi on the streets of Miami.
Despite two robberies, one at gunpoint, and countless riders who’ve stiffed him on fares, this past year has been toughest of all economically.
“This year has been really really hard,” the 54 year-old said, “really hard.”
That’s what makes the story of Desir’s fellow taxi-driver so tough to swallow this holiday season.
Police say Miami resident Luciolo Perez convinced a cabbie from Flamingo Taxis to drive him to Memphis, Tennessee. That’s a 20 hour cab ride to the middle of the country.
Then police say Perez stiffed the driver of $3,000 in cab fare, plus expenses such as gas and meals, which the cabbie paid with his own credit card.
CBS4 News spoke by phone with the cab driver, who drove this taxi half way across the country and back.
His name is Lelis Almeira.
Almeira refused CBS4’s request for an on-camera interview, saying he was tired frustrated and angry and, “I just want to put this incident behind me.”
“(The money came) out of his own pocket,” said Almeira’s colleague at Flamingo Taxi, Joel Lubin.
That’s why Flamingo Taxi dispatcher Lubin is angry too. He said that a scam such as this hurts drivers especially hard, given the tough economic times they’ve suffered through this year.
“He didn’t have to do it,” Lubin said. “He spent all his money for the expenses. He put everything for meals on his credit card expecting to get paid.”
CBS4 reporter Stephen Stock asked: “And this happens?”
“This happens,” Lubin said. “He’s kind of lost faith in humanity. And I don’t blame him.”
“We ain’t going to promise something we don’t have,” said the woman in Memphis whom Perez had traveled to visit, Nellie Rose.
Rose insists she didn’t have the money and made that clear to Perez.
“I don’t know why the cab driver and him came on (to Memphis).That’s between them,” Rose said.
Memphis police arrested Perez and charged him with theft over $1,000.
Now, in addition to trying to find $3,000 in cab fare, Perez must find enough money to bond out of jail.
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