Ron Cameron

[Momo]

With the passing of Ron the longest running thread on the buzzboard will soon (sadly) be coming to an end.I believe after the tribute show it would only be fitting if Bobbert and Momo have the last two posts.The thread should then be locked.

Thanks, but, speaking only for myself, the induction to the Ron Cameron Buzzboard HOF was (high) tribute enough. In any event, there'll long be things to keep remembering Ron in this spot. Like when Jake Rogers is inducted into the MLB HOF, where his plaque will be next to Ron's great friend Howie Haak.

[radiofan1974]

Great to hear some of the stories of experiences with Ron.

My two cents, would like to keep thread open. Would be nice to post here and there when a “Ron moment” memory hits. For example when Killian Hayes is a all star

[Majik]

With the passing of Ron the longest running thread on the buzzboard will soon (sadly) be coming to an end.I believe after the tribute show it would only be fitting if Bobbert and Momo have the last two posts.The thread should then be locked.

It will be tough to give this up cold turkey, but nothing lasts forever. Not even the Sequoia of sports talk radio programs.

[Momo]

Time for my story. In a previous version of my life, I worked in the press box at Comerica Park on an occasional basis. And this was when Ron still had a press pass. Mr. Cameron was eating his uncomped meal when Josh Lewin, formerly of FS Detroit and at this point with Mets, happened to walk by. Ron got up, and attached himself to Mr. Lewin like a six year old telling any adult about dinosaurs. If there was a window in the lunch room Mr. Lewin would have jumped out of it. Hilarious and tragic at the same time.

Ha. But Ron would not want to be remembered - like Tom Gores - as a "jock sniffer."

[radiofan1974]

Hope to hear from Mr Positive and Kurt next week

[radiofan1974]

Don’t think I have ever listened to so much wpon. Show on now is interesting

[Dan in Northville]

Nice article on Ron's passing just posted on Freep.com

[Dan in Northville]

And in a strange, ironic twist.............from today's Detroit News:

"Former Detroit sports columnist Rob Parker and three business partners, all former athletes, have reached an agreement to lease WXYT 1270-AM from Audacy and launch the nation's first all-Black lineup of hosts. "Sports Rap Radio" is scheduled to launch in mid-May, and eventually will feature local programming from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., with Parker's nationally syndicated show, "The Odd Couple" with Chris Broussard, airing from 7-10 p.m."

Wouldn't we all have loved to hear Ron's take on that one!

[Momo]

Nice article on Ron's passing just posted on Freep.com

Did not expect that, Dan. A nice-sized article, too, with Martin's tweet (& accompanying references to Martin in the article) & pics of Ron at the mic on WXYZ, at the WXYZ studio with Sugar Ray Leonard & George Blaha, & in front of one of his early restaurants, a pizza parlor.

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/2024 ... 711085007/

One of the longtime voices that helped usher in the popularity of sports talk radio in Detroit left the airwaves for the final time this week.

Ron Cameron, a longtime voice of numerous Detroit radio stations over the past 40 years and a face on TV stations such as WMYD-TV (Ch. 20) and WXYZ-TV (Ch. 7) died Tuesday at 79.

The news was announced on social media by his producer at WPON-AM (1460), Martin Anthony. Cameron hosted a weekly show on Fridays; Anthony said there would be a farewell show for him at 11 a.m. March 1.

Cameron, an Eastside native, developed a reputation as "Detroit's Superfan" for his passion, both positive and negative, for Detroit sports while he was on air.

"He has no discernible life that anyone can determine outside of sports," Eli Zaret, a friend and fellow sports talk-radio pioneer told the Free Press' Neal Rubin in 1990. "I don't know if he has ever read a book about anything else, been to a movie about anything else or had a friend involved in anything else.

"I do love him, in a certain way. But you can't sugarcoat Ron Cameron."

A diehard Detroit fan who frequented Red Wings games at Olympia Stadium and Tigers games at Tiger Stadium, Cameron regularly waited to chat with players outside the Tigers locker room and got into spirited debates with other Tigers fans in the stands, according to a 1979 Free Press story on Cameron's rise to prominence, written by his early friend, Joe Lapointe.

As a young man, he worked as a busboy and night manager for hotels in the area, which gave him connections to the sports world.

His unwavering love of sports led Cameron to pursue a job in that world. First, he tried to make it as an umpire, attending umpire school three times, and worked for a year and a half in a semi-pro league before striking out on that path. He returned to working in Detroit hotels in 1970 while beginning a career in sports radio with a short feature called "Ask The Ump" on WWJ-AM (950), which then became gigs with WEXL-AM (1340) from 1975-77 and WMZK-AM (1480) from 1977-78.

In 1978, he moved into a full-time role with WXYT-AM (1270) as it transititioned to a full-time talk-radio format. On the rebranded station, he began running a popular nightly talk show simply called "Sports Talk," co-hosted with George Blaha. He stayed with WXYT until September 1981, when his show was canceled by the station.

He was known for his brash on-air personality, where he developed a reputation as "Detroit's Superfan."

"In his sometimes bellicose discussions with fans and athletes," Lapointe wrote for the Free Press in 1979, "Cameron's sincerity and his affection for Detroit sports comes through."

He was profiled in 1990 by Rubin, who chronicled his journey through the sports media world: "The city's most opinionated sportscaster remains loud, irreverent, bombastic and either entertaining or obnoxious, depending on whether he is speaking to you or about you."

After his time at WXYT ended, Cameron continued working in the sports world. He landed briefly at WQBH-AM (1440) in 1982, then moved to WCAR-AM (1090) in 1983, where he revived his sports show — a move that was greeted with equal parts anticipation and dread. As the Free Press' George Puscas wrote then, "Congratulations Ron Cameron. Now shut up once in a while and let Reed Larson, Charlie Gehringer, Jimmy Devellano, Jack McCloskey, etc., do the talking next week when 'Sports Talk' comes back on the air."

He continued to work in the radio business for the rest of his life at various radio stations, often getting airtime as an independent radio broadcaster using the time brokerage model, according to Free Press archives.

He also made a career for himself on TV. In 1984, Cameron started a show called "Sports View Today" on local cable television before being picked up as a regular broadcast by WGPR-TV (Ch. 62) later that year. He co-hosted the show with Bob Page for most of the 1980s, developing the show into an award-winner, before Page moved on to work in New York. Cameron continued the show, hosting with Mark Unger, Denny McLain and Russ Small before the show ended in 1992.

The show ended in 1992 because Cameron moved to Florida to start a radio station down, before returning to Michigan airwaves for the rest of his career. He returned to televisions sets twice, once in 1996-97 to host "Sports View" with Detroit News reporter Jim Spadafore on WADL (then Ch. 20), and in 2012 with McLain on WADL's "Speaking Sports."

Cameron's sidelines weren't limited to broadcasting; from 1986-90, he self-published a sports magazine — "Sports Fans' Journal" — that, according to Rubin's profile, was "virtually devoid of reporting, it is a written extension of Cameron — a series of opinions, penned by sports notables like (Eli) Zaret, ex-Tiger McLain and former hockey coach Don Cherry for $100 a column."

Cameron also was a restaurant owner, running a series of restaurants of different cuisines throughout metro Detroit during the 1980s.

[radiofan1974]

Nice article on Ron's passing just posted on Freep.com

Thanks for the info, nice article on his history

[radiofan1974]

Not sure this is possible but would be great to hear from a person Ron has interviewed in the past. Ray Scott was always a good guest

[Bobbert]

With the passing of Ron the longest running thread on the buzzboard will soon (sadly) be coming to an end.I believe after the tribute show it would only be fitting if Bobbert and Momo have the last two posts.The thread should then be locked.

Thanks for the gesture. A lot of people seem to be coming out of the woodwork to pay tribute to Ron so this could go on for awhile.

I think the very last post should be Ron's Superfan picture.

[Bobbert]

Nice article on Ron's passing just posted on Freep.com

I think the word "icon" is overused, but the headline's description of Ron as an icon was perfectly appropriate.

[radiofan1974]

Not sure how many pairs today alone, may look later but I am thinking quite a few today

[Bobbert]

Nice article on Ron's passing just posted on Freep.com

Did not expect that, Dan. A nice-sized article, too, with Martin's tweet (& accompanying references to Martin in the article) & pics of Ron at the mic on WXYZ, at the WXYZ studio with Sugar Ray Leonard & George Blaha, & in front of one of his early restaurants, a pizza parlor.

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/2024 ... 711085007/

One of the longtime voices that helped usher in the popularity of sports talk radio in Detroit left the airwaves for the final time this week.

Ron Cameron, a longtime voice of numerous Detroit radio stations over the past 40 years and a face on TV stations such as WMYD-TV (Ch. 20) and WXYZ-TV (Ch. 7) died Tuesday at 79.

The news was announced on social media by his producer at WPON-AM (1460), Martin Anthony. Cameron hosted a weekly show on Fridays; Anthony said there would be a farewell show for him at 11 a.m. March 1.

Cameron, an Eastside native, developed a reputation as "Detroit's Superfan" for his passion, both positive and negative, for Detroit sports while he was on air.

"He has no discernible life that anyone can determine outside of sports," Eli Zaret, a friend and fellow sports talk-radio pioneer told the Free Press' Neal Rubin in 1990. "I don't know if he has ever read a book about anything else, been to a movie about anything else or had a friend involved in anything else.

"I do love him, in a certain way. But you can't sugarcoat Ron Cameron."

A diehard Detroit fan who frequented Red Wings games at Olympia Stadium and Tigers games at Tiger Stadium, Cameron regularly waited to chat with players outside the Tigers locker room and got into spirited debates with other Tigers fans in the stands, according to a 1979 Free Press story on Cameron's rise to prominence, written by his early friend, Joe Lapointe.

As a young man, he worked as a busboy and night manager for hotels in the area, which gave him connections to the sports world.

His unwavering love of sports led Cameron to pursue a job in that world. First, he tried to make it as an umpire, attending umpire school three times, and worked for a year and a half in a semi-pro league before striking out on that path. He returned to working in Detroit hotels in 1970 while beginning a career in sports radio with a short feature called "Ask The Ump" on WWJ-AM (950), which then became gigs with WEXL-AM (1340) from 1975-77 and WMZK-AM (1480) from 1977-78.

In 1978, he moved into a full-time role with WXYT-AM (1270) as it transititioned to a full-time talk-radio format. On the rebranded station, he began running a popular nightly talk show simply called "Sports Talk," co-hosted with George Blaha. He stayed with WXYT until September 1981, when his show was canceled by the station.

He was known for his brash on-air personality, where he developed a reputation as "Detroit's Superfan."

"In his sometimes bellicose discussions with fans and athletes," Lapointe wrote for the Free Press in 1979, "Cameron's sincerity and his affection for Detroit sports comes through."

He was profiled in 1990 by Rubin, who chronicled his journey through the sports media world: "The city's most opinionated sportscaster remains loud, irreverent, bombastic and either entertaining or obnoxious, depending on whether he is speaking to you or about you."

After his time at WXYT ended, Cameron continued working in the sports world. He landed briefly at WQBH-AM (1440) in 1982, then moved to WCAR-AM (1090) in 1983, where he revived his sports show — a move that was greeted with equal parts anticipation and dread. As the Free Press' George Puscas wrote then, "Congratulations Ron Cameron. Now shut up once in a while and let Reed Larson, Charlie Gehringer, Jimmy Devellano, Jack McCloskey, etc., do the talking next week when 'Sports Talk' comes back on the air."

He continued to work in the radio business for the rest of his life at various radio stations, often getting airtime as an independent radio broadcaster using the time brokerage model, according to Free Press archives.

He also made a career for himself on TV. In 1984, Cameron started a show called "Sports View Today" on local cable television before being picked up as a regular broadcast by WGPR-TV (Ch. 62) later that year. He co-hosted the show with Bob Page for most of the 1980s, developing the show into an award-winner, before Page moved on to work in New York. Cameron continued the show, hosting with Mark Unger, Denny McLain and Russ Small before the show ended in 1992.

The show ended in 1992 because Cameron moved to Florida to start a radio station down, before returning to Michigan airwaves for the rest of his career. He returned to televisions sets twice, once in 1996-97 to host "Sports View" with Detroit News reporter Jim Spadafore on WADL (then Ch. 20), and in 2012 with McLain on WADL's "Speaking Sports."

Cameron's sidelines weren't limited to broadcasting; from 1986-90, he self-published a sports magazine — "Sports Fans' Journal" — that, according to Rubin's profile, was "virtually devoid of reporting, it is a written extension of Cameron — a series of opinions, penned by sports notables like (Eli) Zaret, ex-Tiger McLain and former hockey coach Don Cherry for $100 a column."

Cameron also was a restaurant owner, running a series of restaurants of different cuisines throughout metro Detroit during the 1980s.

A lot of this looks vaguely familiar from a certain Wikipedia page. But I'll take that as a compliment to our efforts to create the page and provide an information source, especially at a time like this.

This article also has some stuff that could be added to the page. When I finally drag myself into retirement, I'll add it.