Merrill Reese
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| Merrill Reese | |
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| Born | September 2, 1942 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| Occupation | Radio Announcer |
| Spouse | Cynthia |
| Children | Nolan, Ida |
Merrill Alan Reese (born September 2, 1942 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a Philadelphia sports radio announcer best known for his role as the play-by-play radio announcer for the Philadelphia Eagles on 94.1 WYSP-FM.
Reese has been the voice of the Eagles since 1977.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Early years
Reese is a graduate of Temple University earning a Bachelor's degree in Communications. While in college, he learned his craft by doing play-by-play over the college's radio station, WRTI FM. At WRTI, Reese also had a music show every Wednesday afternoon where he spun 45-rpm records from his own personal collection.
After college and a stint in the United States Navy, Reese set out to obtain his first paid broadcasting gig auditioning at WCOJ in Coatesville, Pennsylvania and WPAZ in Pottstown, Pennsylvania.
[edit] Radio career
Reese eventually landed a job in Philadelphia as a newscaster and sportscaster at WHAT and its FM companion WWDB. After a few years he moved on to WIP as a backup for that station's Sports Director, Charlie Swift, who did drive-time sportscasts and Philadelphia Eagles play-by-play. While Swift was vacationing, Reese began doing the pre-game and post-game shows for the Eagles on WIP and later was assigned to do color commentary during the games. He became the voice of the Eagles in the middle of the 1977 season after Swift committed suicide. Herb Adderly took over the color commentary for the remainder of the season.
Reese's current broadcast partner is former Eagles wide receiver Mike Quick, who joined Reese in the booth in 1998. Aside from Swift and Adderly, Reese has previously been joined in the booth by Jim Barniak (1978-82), Bill Bergey (1982-83, also filled in when Quick had knee surgery during the 2004 preseason), and Stan Walters (1984-97).
Reese is well respected by the Eagles' passionate fans, many of whom mute the sound during televised games and tune to Reese's radio commentary instead while watching the game. Reese's play-by-play coverage of the Eagles is routinely featured nationally in sports radio and television coverage of the Eagles, and Reese is a widely respected expert on the NFL and especially on the Eagles.
In addition to his play-by-play radio coverage of the Eagles, Reese hosts an interview show on WYSP the day following Eagles games with current Eagles coach Andy Reid, Eagles players and other guests.
[edit] Personal
Reese is co-owner of 1490 WBCB (AM) in Levittown, Pennsylvania, a Bucks County suburb north of Philadelphia.
Reese's autobiography, It's Gooooood!, was published in 1998. The title is a reference is to his distinctive and well recognized "field goal" call.
His wife Cynthia is a sixth grade science teacher at Keith Valley Middle School in Horsham, Pennsylvania, a Philadelphia suburb.
