1 March 2016 PRESIDENT Chris Roberts [email protected]EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - VICE PRESIDENT Rand Elkins [email protected](805) 390-4733 TREASURER Joe Cala [email protected]BOARD MEMBERS Ray Rosenbaum [email protected]Pete Arbogast [email protected]Lynda Burns [email protected]Jeff Rose Larry Stewart [email protected]Patrick O’Neal [email protected]Tom Hoffarth tomhoff[email protected]Isaac Lowenkron [email protected]NEWSLETTER EDITOR Larry Stewart NEWSLETTER AND WEBSITE DESIGN Marn Leon [email protected]Connued on Page 2 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE/Chris Roberts New Era Off and Running I am thrilled to be the new SCSB president. I am taking over for Joe Cala and it is an honor. Joe led the organization to the top awards luncheon attendance record ever in January. He will remain on the board as treasurer. Led by our executive director and vice president Rand Elkins, we have also added four new board members. We have a great luncheon planned for March 31, 2016. It is the Dodgers/Angels preview and it will feature a solid lineup of speakers, featuring Patrick O’Neal, Liz Habib, David Vassegh and special guest Michael Young, a Dodger executive who was an NFL wide receiver out of UCLA. More on our guest speakers appears elsewhere in this news- letter. With the help of the board, my objective as president is to car- ry on with an organization that has a solid foundation since its beginning in 1958. The Southern California Sports Broadcasters has seen many changes over the years. We are now in the social media age. Long ago, the meetings were once a week. Now in this modern era we try to get together quarterly. We are trying to stay in step with the computer age with Twitter, Facebook and the like. After stepping away after 46 years in broadcasting, I now have the time to put my energy into the SCSB. However, I need your help and I am asking all dues paying members to help spread the word about our wonderful programs. It would be great if all of us can talk to high school and college broadcasters or any oth- er young people who want to be in the business. Our luncheons are a great way to net- work. I invite any new young person to show his student ID card at one of our gatherings and be "our guest." Yes, we pick up their lunch, just RSVP. Then join our group. It is $40 per year. You will then be able to vote at the end of the year for our top awards luncheon in broadcasting. It is not a requirement that our members be broadcasters, just an interest in sports. Everyone is welcome to join. We now have a good cross-section of members, and a board of directions that just got better. PAST PRESIDENTS Tom Harmon 1958-60 Gil Stratton 1961-62 Bill Welsh 1963-64 Fred Hessler 1965-66 Chuck Benedict 1967-68 Allin Slate 1969-70 Stu Nahan 1971-72 Tom Kelly 1973-74 Mike Walden 1975-77 Ed Arnold 1978-79 Joe Buttitta 1980 Steve Bailey 1981-82 Chuck Benedict 1983-84 Steve Roah 1985-86 Steve Bailey 1987-88 Lisa Bowman 1989 Stu Nahan 1990-91 Mike Walden 1992-93 Bill Welsh 1994-96 Stu Nahan 1997-07 Bob Miller 2008-12 Joe Cala 2013-15 Chris Roberts 2016-
I am thrilled to be the new SCSB president. I am taking over for Joe Cala and it is an honor. Joe led the organization to the top awards luncheon attendance record ever in January. He will remain on the board as treasurer. Led by our executive director and vice president Rand Elkins, we have also added four new
board members.
We have a great luncheon planned for March 31, 2016. It is the Dodgers/Angels preview and it will feature a solid lineup of speakers, featuring Patrick O’Neal, Liz Habib, David Vassegh and special guest Michael Young, a Dodger executive who was
an NFL wide receiver out of UCLA.
More on our guest speakers appears elsewhere in this news-
letter.
With the help of the board, my objective as president is to car-ry on with an organization that has a solid foundation since its
beginning in 1958.
The Southern California Sports Broadcasters has seen many changes over the years.
We are now in the social media age. Long ago, the meetings were once a week. Now in this modern era we try to get together quarterly. We are trying to stay in step with the computer age with Twitter, Facebook and the like. After stepping away after 46 years in
broadcasting, I now have the time to put my energy into the SCSB.
However, I need your help and I am asking all dues paying members to help spread the
word about our wonderful programs.
It would be great if all of us can talk to high school and college broadcasters or any oth-er young people who want to be in the business. Our luncheons are a great way to net-
work.
I invite any new young person to show his student ID card at one of our gatherings and be "our guest." Yes, we pick up their lunch, just RSVP. Then join our group. It is $40 per year. You will then be able to vote at the end of the year for our top awards luncheon in
broadcasting.
It is not a requirement that our members be broadcasters, just an interest in sports. Everyone is welcome to join. We now have a good cross-section of members, and a board
Our four new board members are as good as it gets. Two currently are active sportscasters -- Patrick O'Neal of Fox Sports West and Isaac Lowenkron of the Clippers’ radio broadcast team. He works on the AM980 pre- and post-game shows. The two other members have written about sports broadcasting and sports in general for many, many years. They are Tom Hoffarth, whose column continues to appear in the L.A. Daily News and eight other suburban newspapers that make up the L.A. News Group, and Larry Stewart, whose TV-Radio column appeared in the old Her-
ald Examiner and then the L.A. Times for nearly 35 years.
The four new members join a solid cast of Elkins and Cala, Lynda Burns, Pete Arbogast, Ray Rosenblum, Jeff
Rose, and yours truly.
Come on out to Lakeside Golf Club on March 31 for our "Indoor Picnic" hamburgers and hot dogs and all the fix-ings to kick off this baseball season. The cost is $27 for SCSB members and $32 for non-members. If you are a high school or college student or just an aspiring broadcaster, then the lunch is on us. Just show us your school ID card
and please RSVP so we can get our count accurate.
Checks made out to SCSB can be sent to Rand Elkins at 44103 Village #44, Camarillo, CA 93012. Cash, checks,
credit cards are good at the door and remember NO DENIM at Lakeside Golf Club.
Continued from page 1
Bob Miller on the Mend Following Heart Surgery
Former SCSB president Bob Miller, who underwent quadruple heart bypass
surgery on Feb. 2 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, said his cardiologist recently
told him that he is very pleased with how things are progressing.
“I appreciate everyone’s thoughts and concerns,” Miller said. “I’ve received
calls and emails from around the country – and Canada too.”
Miller said his recovery has been slow, but that was expected. “Although I tire
easily I am able to walk around the neighborhood,” he added.
He will start cardio rehab on March 17, and that will involve three sessions a
week for 12 weeks.
He’s not sure when he’ll be back announcing games for the Kings.
“The Kings have told me not to rush back, to wait until I’m 100%,” Miller said.
“If that means waiting until next season, then that’s what I’ll do.”
Patrick O’Neal Larry Stewart Isaac Lowenkron Tom Hoffarth
3
EDITOR’S CORNER / Larry Stewart
Covering All the Bases With an Outstanding Lineup of Speakers
As Chris Roberts mentioned in his President’s Message, the next SCSB luncheon at Lakeside on March 31 features an outstanding lineup of speakers to preview the Dodgers and Angels as they enter the
2016 major league season. We have all the bases covered.
Previewing the Angels will be pre- and post-game host Patrick O’Neal of Fox Sports West. Previewing the Dodgers will be TV sports anchor Liz Habib of Channel 11 and radio host David Vassegh (pronounced
Vas-say).
As an extra-added attraction, Michael Young, the Dodgers’ senior vice president in charge of corporate
partnerships, will be on hand to offer insights into the team’s inner-workings.
Don’t be confused, this Michael Young is not the former baseball player who spent 13 seasons with the
Texas Rangers before splitting time with the Philadelphia Phillies and Dodgers in 2013 before retiring.
This Michael Young also had a lengthy career as a professional athlete, but his was in the NFL.
He was Mike Young when he starred as a wide receiver at UCLA. (That is why he is shown in the ac-
companying photo as pregame guest of UCLA radio analyst Matt Stevens a few years ago.)
Young also starred in baseball at UCLA, and in 1983 he was drafted by the New York Mets. But he chose to fin-
ish college and pursue a career in the NFL.
He was drafted in the sixth round by the Los Angeles Rams and spent 10 seasons in the NFL -- four with the Rams, four with the Denver Broncos, one with the Philadel-
phia Eagles and part of one with the Kansas City Chiefs.
With the Broncos, he was one of John Elway’s favorite targets. In 1991, he led all Bronco receivers in pass recep-
tions and receiving yardage.
During his playing days, Young was preparing for a ca-reer in the business side of sports. That came to fruition in
1995 when Bronco owner Pat Bowlen hired him to develop a corporate marketing program. It soon be-
came recognized as one of the most innovative and successful corporate partnerships in the NFL.
In 2003, as the Broncos’ senior director of special projects, Young, with backing from Bowlen, Elway and Denver sports mogul and Rams owner Stan Kroenke, launched the Colorado Crush, a successful
Arena Football League team.
Young is now in his eighth year with the Dodgers and has generated more than $250 million in revenue
for the team through corporate sponsorships.
Young grew up in Visalia, CA, where he starred with former NFL players Lupe Sanchez and Don
Mosebar on a Mt. Whitney High School team that won a San Joaquin Valley championship in 1979.
Young excelled on the playing field and has continued to excel on the business side of sports. Hear-
ing him tell his story should be fascinating -- something you don't want to miss.
Michael Young with Matt Stevens
4
Martin Leon
1329 East Bennett Avenue
Glendora, CA 91741
The Other Guest Speakers for March 31 Luncheon
Liz Habib – The two-time Emmy Award-winning broadcaster has been at Channel 11 since 2005 and has been the station’s main sports anchor since 2011. Her many du-ties include hosting the station’s “Overtime” NFL show and the “Extra Inning” baseball show. She appears regularly on “Good Day L.A.,” “Studio 11,” and the 10 o’clock
news. Liz has six brothers, so sports came to her naturally.
Patrick O’Neal – Another two-time Emmy Award winner, O’Neal started out in sports broadcasting in 2000 doing sports updates on for the Fox Sports Radio network. In 2002, he broke into television on the Fox cable network, hosting a number of shows before being hired by Fox Sports West in 2005. These days, the highly respected broadcaster’s duties for Fox Sports West include hosting pre- and post-game shows
for the Angels and L.A. Kings.
David Vassegh – A broadcaster who worked his way up through the ranks, Vassegh started out as a “go-for” on sports talk radio for Joe McDonnell and Doug Krikorian. The Cal State Northridge graduate is now reporter for Dodger flagship station AM 570 KLAC as well as co-host of “Dodger Talk.” The other co-host this season will be former Dodger Tony Gwynn Jr. Vassegh is also a reporter for MLB Network and a
