Bernard "Buddy" Diliberto
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Bernard "Buddy D" Diliberto (born August 18, 1931, died January 7, 2005) was a sports commentator in New Orleans for over 50 years.
Buddy D was either loved or hated. For the inarticulate and the New Orleans Saints fans (the lines between the two groups are blurred), Buddy was a caricature of all their hopes and the team's inadequacies. He hosted a daily sports talk show on WWL radio in New Orleans after years as the sports anchors on two different local news shows. If he thought the comments were ridiculous, he was apt to refer to the caller as a "squirrel."
His ardent fans, such as "Abdul the Tent Maker" and "Dr. Kevorkian" were as colorful as the host. In later years he would also read a halftime editorial during each Saints game. He campaigned for Mike Ditka to get the head coaching job after Jim Mora left. Buddy was the originator of the "Aints" in 1980 (and the paper bag over the head) as the team went 1-15.
Buddy D suffered a massive heart attack and passed away on January 7, 2005. He is remembered by "Abdul the Tent Maker" in numerous Mardi Gras parades with a memoriam on the front of the float carrying his band. Few sportscasters have ever had such an impact or such a following in such a relatively small local market.
After the Saints' incredible season following their return to the city after Hurricane Katrina, many Saints fans attributed the team's success to Buddy D making new friends in Heaven and converting the Almighty into a Saints fan.
