Messenger - Vol. 1, No. 2, Page 21 Winter 1992 Alumni Profile; Life behind the mike Tom Mees calls sports "the toy shop of life." For the past 11 years, this University of Delaware graduate has kept his nose pressed up against the windows of the toy shop, and he's enjoyed every minute. Three times a day, Mees anchors SportsCenter, a clearinghouse of sports information that serves a nationwide audience on cable TV's ESPN. He has been with ESPN since its beginning in 1979, and during that time has also reported from the World Series, hosted This Week in the NHL, covered playoffs in hockey, basketball and football and established friendships with some of the leading figures in sports. His interest in sports began early. He had always wanted to play competitive sports, growing up in Springfield, Pa., and later, when his family moved to Wilmington and he attended Brandywine High School. "But I was always too small or too slow. So, I knew by ninth grade that I wanted to be a radio sports announcer." His career began at the University's campus radio station, then called WHEN to honor the Blue Hen mascot. In fact, the school had no station when Tom Mees arrived in early 1968. The low-power AM station, which would soon reach the dorms and Greek houses, didn't go on the air until that fall. "It was all very democratic," Mees says. "For instance, I was there first, so I named myself sports director. "We had a faculty adviser to help us spend our money properly, but beyond that no one taught us how to run that radio station, how to be a DJ or sports announcer. We did things our way, and it was great experience." ESPN's studios in Connecticut may seem a long way from the closed-circuit campus radio station broadcasting from the basement of East Hall, but Mees says his basic job hasn't changed. "My role is, first, to inform the public accurately, and second, to entertain through the use of humor and well-thought-out opinion. That hasn't changed." Mees clearly enjoys his work. His is a forceful, dynamic way of speaking, without hesitation or apology for the strength of his feelings. "I try not to be plastic. I'm an avid, opinionated sports fan, and it shows through on camera. I believe fans appreciate that," he says. Listen to Tom Mees talk about the NFL's Jim Kelly: "There is a wild guy. He says, 'Judge me by what I do between those lines on Sunday, not what goes on outside them'. A man after my own heart." Or, on Brent Musberger: "He defined the role of the sports anchor in the studio, coordinating a lot of information quickly and concisely. To my surprise, I also discovered that he's not aloof or standoffish, like a lot of people in this business." But ask Mees to name his favorite interview, and the first name is Doctor J. "I admire Julius Erving's class and his ability. And I grew up watching Philadelphia sports teams. That interview was special to me," he says. Mees learned a lot at WHEN in Newark, and he put the experience to good use right out of college. He served for six years as sports director at WILM and provided color to the late Bob Kelley's play-by-play of Blue Hen football and basketball. In 1978, he moved to television and Tallahassee, where he worked as sports director of WECA-TV. Within a year, ESPN beckoned. For those who would follow in his footsteps, Tom Mees offers some advice: "Wise up! If you're in college, get that experience. You don't have to be a communication major, but do get hands-on experience. And don't be afraid to start small. You can't walk into an ESPN, or a Channel 6 or 10, and get your first job. "My experience at WHEN, in what we called that little 'coal bin' in the basement of East Hall, got me this career." -Paul J. McLane, Delaware '82