The Michigan Daily-Wednesday, April 20, 1988- Page 15
Eli sours in Big Apple, returns to Detroit
By MIKE GILL
In an age of wayward sons, this
one has come home.
Detroit's own wayward son,
sportscaster Eli Zaret, has seen the
light and returned to the Motor
City.
Start spreadin' the news.
ZARET did not want to be a
part of it - nor did his boss want
him to - in ol' New York. So
Zaret headed back to those "little
town" blues - and is glad he did.
He was led astray.
Now he is waking up in a city
in which he once was king of the
hill, top of the heap. He hopes to
regain the title of Detroit's No. 1-
rated sportscaster from his replace-
ment, Bernie "We got highlights"
Smilovitz. Working at WJBK for
close to a month now, Zaret pro-
fesses, "I have my own game plan
to recapture the top spot."
Zaret left WDIV in 1985 to be-
come the top sports anchor at
WABC in the Big Apple.
Originally from New York,
Zaret attended the University, be-
ginning in 1968. "I learned a lot at
U of M," said Zaret in a recent in-
terview. "Reading the Daily,
listening to CBN, covering some
games on local cable TV - I've
got some very fond memories of
my years in Ann Arbor.
ZARET continued to live in
Ann Arbor until 1976, b u t
specifically recalls one incident
irom a college class that had a great
impact on him. "I remember taking
Speech 425 with Dr. (Frank)
Beaver and I remember doing a
really bad job on a demonstration. I
got a 'C' in that course. One of the
comments was that I acted in an
unprofessional manner, which was
probably true.
"It was very gratifying that as I
got more serious about radio and
television I had him in some later
classes and did much better. It's re-
ally neat to think he's still there."
Joining the "Go Four It" station
as a weekend sports anchor, Zaret
quickly saw his stock rise. After a
career solely in radio - namely
WABX, WJZZ, and WRIF, Zaret
experienced early problems adjust-
ing to the television aspect of the
communications business. But he
began a "meteoric rise" to the top
of the Detroit marketplace in a very
short time.
Zaret got his big break by co-
hosting the Tiger pre-game show.
Zaret, earlier known for his zingers
on ' radio - tough-hitting
commentary - was now recog-
nized as the person who reported on
the Tiger's good fortune. "My
challenge is now to become No.1
without that kind of vehicle to
ride," said Zaret.
HE SAID covering the 1984
Tigers along with the 1980 Winter
Olympics were his greatest thrills.
He points to one incident, while
hosting the pre-game show live in
Toronto, that was his big moment
in the broadcasting business.
"I was interviewing Rick
Leach," said Zaret. "As the show
was ending, Marty Castillo hit me
in the face with a pie. It seemed to
become a trademark for me. People
saw it and they just thought it was
really neat.
"I think it showed my relation-
ship with the Tigers, that I was
close enough with them that they
could play pranks and treat me as
one of the guys. I think it was both
humorous and it endeared me to
them and helped my public image
too. It never hurts to be the butt of
a joke, to show you can laugh at
yourself."
While in New York City, Zaret
was the butt of a joke he would
rather not be. Working at a station
which consistently finished last in
the ratings, Zaret was canned after
two years on the job. While
WABC refused comment on the
matter, Zaret holds no grudges.
"It was a great experience," he
said. "I certainly learned a lot about
the business. I learned a lot about
why I was successful here. Getting
away from it and seeing the busi-
ness from a different perspective in
the No. 1 market just gave me a
richer understanding of it all."
While in New York, Zaret faced
the likes of Warner Wolf, Mary
Albert, and Len Berman. "It was
very exciting," Zaret said. "Nobody
in my profession can face a more
difficult challenge than that. I
thought there were many nights
where I had more and did a better
job than they did."
COMING TO WJBK and
Detroit with a new multi-year pact
gives Zaret a "safe, secure, and
familiar zone." Christine Sloat,
news director at WJBK, said she
has received many letters from
people who are glad to have Zaret
back in town.
Sloat said there has been no
power struggle between Zaret and
sportscaster Fred McLeod, who has
seen his role at the station diminish
since Zaret's arrival. "They are
working together. Any reports that
there are big feuds are all phony and
I don't know where they are com-
ing from."
Zaret insists that McLeod would
have a reason to be upset. "Any
time you get two guys battling for
left field, two guys for the starting
quarterback job, or two guys bat-
tling to be No. 1 in the market,
you have a chance at conflict.
We're both very competitive, we
both want to be the best. If I'm
cutting into his air time, I expect
him to be a little resentful. So far
there haven't been any incidents."
Now Zaret is singing hello to
Detroit once again. He looks for-
ward to returning to a familiar
market - a little wiser, a little
more mature. "You never want to
think that any farewell is final,"
Zaret said.
This time the wayward son's
farewell wasn't final.
And this wayward son has come
home.
-Associated Press
New Jersey's Roy Hinson slams against Atlanta's Kevin Willis last night.}
Celtics trcahPistonsK
BOSTON (AP) - Kevin McHale
matched his season high of 33
points and Robert Parish scored 25
as the Boston Celtics defeated
Detroit, 121-110, last night and won
the battle with the Pistons for
homecourt advantage throughout the
NBA's Eastern Conference playoffs.
Boston broke a two-game losing
streak, both on the road, a n d
improved its record to 56-23, while
Detroit fell to 52-27. With each
team having three regular-season
games left, the Pistons cannot pass
the Celtics for the conference's best
record.
The two teams met in the East
finals last season and Boston, which
had the homecourt advantage, won in
seven games. Tuesday night's
victory was the Celtics' 22nd in a
row at home against the Pistons. It
was the 17th straight win by the
home team in games involving the
two clubs as Detroit has won its last
eight home games against Boston.
Detroit got the first four poits
on baskets by Isiah Thomas and
Adrian Dantley, but Boston took the
lead for good on a dunk by Parish
that made the score 10-8 with 8:50
left in the first quarter. A 12-2 run
put the Celtics ahead 18-10, and they
led 31-24 after one quarter.
Leading 52-43, Boston got nine
of the next 11 points, all on free
throws, to take a 61-45 advantage.
The lead was 61-47 at intermission
and ranged from 11to 26 points the
rest of the way.
An 8-0 run, in which McHale and
Parish had four points each, gave the
Celtics their biggest lead, 83-5,7,
with 6:09 left in the third quarter.
The closest Detroit got after that was
the final score.
The Pistons, who had their three-
game winning streak snapped, Jtad
eight scorers in double figures, lpd
by Thomas with 21 points and
James Edwards with 16.
| " f we Red Sox beat Tigers, 7-3
th feel that abut each ther. I was DETROIT (AP) - Roger en route to his.first career victor at
'ding back when he was nothing. Clemens struck out 11 in eight Tiger Stadium. Clemens strucl t
ruse Jack and the Tigers were innings as the Boston Red Sox beat at least 10 for the third time in oer
.cessful, it really helped me too. the Detroit Tigers and Jack Morris, starts and leads the American League
7-3, last night. with 44 strikeouts. It was the 24h
Clemens, 3-0, allowed seven hits time he has struck out 10 or more
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Best wishes to the class of '88 from the beers that are in a class
by themselves. HJ and HJ LIGHT
There's no smoother or better way to celebrate your success.
Thesmootherthe better.