- Tom Mees
Thomas E. Mees (born
October 13 ,1949 -August 14 ,1996 ) atSouthington, Connecticut , was an American sports broadcaster specializing inice hockey .Biography
Early life and career
He began his career as a student at the
University of Delaware . He then took a job as sports director atWILM-AM inWilmington, Delaware . Mees returned to Delaware in 1992 when he announced the Blue Hens' America East Championship for ESPN from the field house at Delaware.After six years in Wilmington and one year in
Tallahassee, Florida , Mees was hired byESPN as one of their first on-air personalities for the network's launch onSeptember 7 ,1979 .Career at ESPN
Mees was a lead anchor on "
SportsCenter " from 1979 to 1987 when he took on play-by-play duties for NHL games on ESPN. ESPN later lost the NHL contract toSportsChannel America and Mees returned full time to "SportsCenter". When the NHL returned to ESPN, Mees worked NHL games during the season and hosted "SportsCenter" in the off-season. Mees was also the powerful guiding voice of NCAA Ice Hockey on ESPN, and was a forceful advocate to help the growth of theFrozen Four (NCAA Hockey's championship tounrnament) into its national status today.By the 15th anniversary of ESPN, Mees was one of three, along with
Chris Berman andBob Ley , original "SportsCenter" anchors still with the network.Death
On
August 14 ,1996 , Mees drowned in a neighbor's swimming pool. [http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=BG&p_theme=bg&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EADDC60DE3A454D&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM] His wife told police he couldn't swim. At first, police said Mees jumped into the pool to save his daughter, Gabrielle, but later said that account could not be confirmed. He left behind two daughters: Lauren, who was eight years old, and Gabrielle, who was four. He also left behind Michele, his wife of almost ten years. [http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-793068.html]
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