."
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Detroit
•Horizontals
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Stone Behind The Mike
• Wood Blinds
A WDFN talk-show host is a sports fan who happens to be on the air.
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PHIL JACOBS EDITOR
•Silhouette
ike Stone seems almost nouncing games." He remembers that on-air sports position. It was
embarrassed by the in- his first living-room play-by-play: his goal to work in a major mar-
terview. He just wants the Super Bowl game in 1969 ket.
So he worked as a greeter at a
to eat lunch. And of that saw the New York Jets de-
bar while looking for other op-
feat the Baltimore Colts.
course, he wants to talk sports.
There were probably many portunities. That chance came
At Andrew's Restaurant in
downtown Detroit, the waiter more along the way. Mention when Bernie Smilovitz, the
knows him, bringing him his usu- May 19, 1974, to Stoney and he'll sports anchor at WTrG-Channel
al two Cokes. The owner comes probably repeat in a heartbeat: 5 in Washington, D.C., and a
by for a quick talk about every- "Section 16, row 4, seat 1." That's friend of Stoney's, came to De-
one's favorite sports subject these where he was sitting the day the troit's Channel 4.
"I brought him with me when
days: Detroit Lions Coach Wayne Flyers won the Stanley Cup. To
I came from Washington," said
this
day,
it's
his
favorite
sports
Fontes.
Mr. Smilovitz. "He has a great
He's just Stoney, as his fans moment as a fan.
head for this business. He
PHOTOS BY GLENN TRIEST
call him. And Stoney has
was great selecting video,
plenty of fans that he talks
really great. But the most
to about almost anything
important thing is that he's
in the sports world as an
the kind of guy who is hard
afternoon teammate of
not to like. He'll do any-
Bob Wojnowski on
thing for you in the world,
WDFN-AM's (1310) all-
and I owe a lot to Stoney
sports talk format.
for any success I might
The difference between
have had in Detroit."
Mr. Stone and many of the
Along with his work on
other "experts" in this
Channel
4, Stoney and his
business is that he con-
roommate, Free Press
siders himself a fan among
columnist Mitch Albom,
fans. He happens to have
started a Sunday evening
the microphone. Stoney
show they called the Sun-
doesn't take his following
day Sports Albom on jazz
and his credibility too se-
radio
station WLLZ. The
riously. And in this world
show has since moved to
of egos, that's what is so re-
WJR without Stoney's in-
freshing.
volvement. And, in a recent
"He is the most caring
twist, Mr. Albom's new
individual I've ever met in
WJR drive-time show is on
this business," said former
at the same time as his
Channel 4 sports anchor
roommate's program.
Bernie Smilovitz. "He
"At first I was hurt,"
cares about sports and the
Stoney said of Mr. Albom's
people in this business."
new show. "rd rather he be
Stoney was Bernie's pro-
on at a different time peri-
ducer before New York
od. But, we were good
called Bernie away.
friends before it happened,
On Tuesday in Detroit, You can take the boy out of Philadelphia — but can you
and
we're good friends
Mr. Smilovitz's words make him a Detroit fan?
now."
were amplified. Several
Stoney's TV career
popular WDFN on-air per-
His first sports job came as an changed after Mr. Smilovitz
sonalities were victims of job ter-
moved to New York. He worked
minations. It was a day to place intern with Channel 4 in Wash-
sports on the back burner as ington, D.C., working with Nick for a while with new Channel 4
Stoney helped his callers deal Charles, now of CNN. After Mr. sports anchor Van Earl Wright.
with the changes at the station. Charles departed, Stoney worked But then he heard of an all-sports
Mr. Stone will remain on the air with another national sports radio station that was coming.
He would get a position on that
as part of the Stoney and Wojo name, George Michael. He re-
station and was originally sched-
members
giving
network
feeds
tandem, 2-6 p.m. Monday
to NBC Radio and signing off uled to team up with Ike Griffin,
through Friday.
He told his listeners that the with "I'm Michael Stone of NBC." the "Mega Man." That changed
He became a successful pro- when the station teamed him
people who were fired were good
ducer
for the NBC-owned station. with then-Free Press sports
people. He offered words of en-
couragement to them, and he He also gave one of CNN's first columnist Rob Parker. On July
11, 1994, Stoney and Rob intro-
said that radio can sometimes be on-air sports reports from the
duced
themselves as the "Odd
Kemper Open in Washington,
a "cruel business."
Couple."
D.C.
Stoney has never felt the job
The pair built a strong rela-
"I was in sports heaven," he re-
ax. Yet in his voice on Tuesday,
tionship
even though they vehe-
counted.
"I
was
24
and
I
was
one could hear the sorrow for his
making in the fifties and sixties." mently disagreed with one
colleagues and friends.
But then he and George another over many sports issues.
The business was never cold
when, as a child growing up in Michael parted company. Stoney During one such argument,
the Philadelphia home of his par- did not want to seek opportuni- Stoney used an expletive on the
ents, Lewis and Sandra, he ties in smaller TV markets. He air against Mr. Parker. He re-
would walk around with a tape regrets that decision today, be- members walking out of the stu-
recorder and microphone "an- cause he wanted, but never got, dio, taking a deep breath and
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