Dale Hansen
Dale Eugene Hansen (born August 2, 1948) is an American
Personal life
Hansen was born in Logan, Iowa.[1] After high school, Hansen served in the United States Navy.[2] He now lives in Waxahachie, Texas.[3] He is married and has two children.
Military service
According to The New York Times, Hansen served in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War.[4] Dale's best friend, Carrol Meyer, served with him in the Navy, and was killed at the age of 18 just after six weeks of being deployed to Vietnam.[5] On Memorial Day in 2018, the WFAA Channel 8 team surprised Hansen with a portrait of Meyer by a local artist. The gift brought tears to Hansen eyes as he stated, "Meyer had died 50 years ago today but Meyer will be 18 years old forever."[5]
Television career
Hansen began his career in
Hansen made his reputation in 1986 when he and his producer, John Sparks, broke a story about a
Hansen became nationally and even internationally famous in recent years when his commentaries on matters such as racism and domestic violence were circulated widely on YouTube. A 2015 profile of Hansen at the now-defunct Grantland website noted that many viewers assumed Hansen was a former conservative, when in fact he has been politically liberal his entire adult life and his views have often clashed with the mostly-conservative Dallas fan base of the Cowboys and Mavericks.[7]
On May 18, 2021, Hansen announced his retirement, effective September 2, 2021.[8]
Thank God for Kids
Since 1983, Hansen has had a segment during "Sports Special" on the Sunday of the week before Christmas. He always shares a story of a child's death in the past year and talks about it before playing a video of clips from the 1980s of kids in Dallas. At the end is young Hansen with his own children. The video is played to "Thank God for Kids" by The Oak Ridge Boys.[9] Hansen used the segment in 2011 to admit he was a victim of sexual abuse as a child, in hopes that it would convince others to come forward.[10]
Scholar-Athlete of the Week
Each week since 1988, Hansen introduces his scholar-athlete of the week, a high school senior or recent high school graduate who excels in sports as well as in the classroom. McDonald's then donates $250 (formerly $100) to the school in honor of the student.
Gay players in the NFL
In a February 2014 broadcast, Hansen delivered a commentary supporting
In Hansen's commentary he described as what he saw a double standard within the
The video, posted to YouTube, garnered a large amount of interest on
and others.As a result, Hansen appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Feb 14, 2014.[17][18]
#TakeAKnee Protests
In September 2017, former President
The video went viral, receiving millions of views on social media. It gained so much widespread attention, prompting The New York Times to profile Hansen.[4] The Times described Hansen as a progressive voice, "talking — in remarkably personal terms" — about sexual abuse, violence against women, racism in sports and gun violence.[4]
Radio career
Hansen started in sports radio at
Hansen joined KTCK 1310 AM ("The Ticket") in 1999 as a regular on its Dallas Cowboys post-game report after the games were broadcast on KLUV 98.7 FM. He also hosted a show from noon to 1 pm year-round, every Monday and another one-hour show on Fridays during the NFL season.
In May 2006, Hansen moved to KESN 103.3 FM (ESPN Radio's Dallas affiliate) from The Ticket, just as KTCK was named the new Dallas Cowboys flagship radio station. At KESN, he hosted "The Hour of Hansen" weeknights from 6–7 pm and also contributed to other programming, including the station's Cowboys pre and post-game shows.[22]
Social media career
Hansen has made a number of commentaries on social media. In 2014 he defended Michael Sam in a video. Courtney Collins and Rick Holter of KERA wrote that it "was seen by millions on YouTube".[23]
Charity
Since 1989, Hansen has been in charge of the Dale Hansen Golf Classic.[24] In 1990, Hansen joined with the Dallas Can! schools. However, he and The Hansen Foundation split from the 16-year partnership, as a result of lawsuits against each side totaling almost $700,000.[25] Starting in 2007–2008, The Hansen Foundation sponsors $100,000 of scholarships for University of North Texas students, with the money coming from the annual Dale Hansen Golf Classic.[26]
Awards and honors
Hansen has won many awards in his career, including:
- Two-time Sportscaster of the Year by the Associated Press
- Four-time Texas Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association
- Best Sportscaster by the United Press International and Dallas Press Club
- TV Personality of the Year by American Women in Radio and Television
- Best Investigative Reporter by the Iowa Associated Press.[6]
- Communicator of the Year, the National Speech and Debate Association (2019).[27]
In March 2019, Hansen was honored with the Radio Television Digital News Association's Lifetime Achievement Award, joining the likes of past winners Tom Brokaw, Robin Roberts, Bob Simon, Charlie Rose, and Andy Rooney. Hansen stated upon receiving the award, "What we do matters, What we do is too important to give up now."[28]
References
- ^ Hoffman, Teresa (August 30, 2017). "Love for Logan runs deep". www.loganwoodbine.com. The Twiner-Herald. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
- ^ Goodwin, Wade (May 1, 2018). "Local Dallas Sportscaster Goes Viral For His 'Unplugged' Commentary". www.npr.org. NPR. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
- ^ McIntosh, Sandra (July 2007). "What Happens at the Lake Stays at the Lake" (PDF). Waxahachie Now. pp. 12–18. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
- ^ a b c d Macur, Juliet (October 4, 2017). "The Progressive Voice Bursting From Texas and Spreading Everywhere". The New York Times. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
- ^ a b Jeff K (May 25, 2018). "What Made Dale Hansen Cry On Live TV?". Lone Star 92.5. Dallas, Texas.
- ^ a b c "Dale Hansen". WFAA. August 26, 2014. Archived from the original on November 13, 2015. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
- ^ Curtis, Bryan (April 9, 2015). "You Stay Classy, Dallas: How a Texas Sports Anchor Became an Internet Sensation". Grantland. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
- ^ "WFAA's Dale Hansen announces he will retire Sept. 2". Dallas, Texas: WFAA. May 18, 2021. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
- ^ White, Neal (December 16, 2006). "Must see TV". Waxahachie Daily Light.
- ^ Hansen, Dale (December 18, 2011). "Dale Hansen: 'Thank God for Kids' 2011". Dallas, Texas: WFAA. Archived from the original on March 3, 2014. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
- ^ Dale Hansen (February 12, 2014). Hansen Unplugged: Celebrating our differences. WFAA. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
- ^ Huffington Post.
- ^ Caulfield, Philip (February 13, 2014). "SEE IT: Texas sportscaster Dale Hansen blasts Michael Sam critics". New York Daily News.
- ^ "Watch sportscaster's powerful speech in defence of gay NFL prospect". CTV News. February 13, 2014.
- ^ Walters, John (April 22, 2014) [February 13, 2014]. "Dale Hansen Makes a Perfect Case for Leaving Gay Football Player Michael Sam Alone". Newsweek.
- ^ Bender, Kelli (February 13, 2014). "Watch: Texas Sports Anchor Shows Support for Michael Sam with Powerful On-Air Speech". People magazine.
- Huffington Post.
- ^ Dale Hansen, Ellen DeGeneres (February 14, 2014). Hero Reporter Dale Hansen. TheEllenShow. Retrieved May 16, 2014.[dead YouTube link]
- ^ Graham, Bryan Armen (September 23, 2017). "Donald Trump blasts NFL anthem protesters: 'Get that son of a bitch off the field'". The Guardian. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
- ^ Curtis, Charles (September 26, 2017). "Dallas sportscaster delivers fiery speech about NFL protests: 'Maybe we all need to read the constitution again'". USA Today. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
- Dallas Morning News.
- Dallas Morning News.
- ^ Collins, Courtney; Holter, Rick (March 27, 2015). "How Sportscaster Dale Hansen Morphed Into A Viral Sensation". KERA. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
- ^ "Dale Hansen Golf Classic". The 17th Annual Dale Hansen Golf Classic. Archived from the original on April 4, 2006. Retrieved October 17, 2006.
- Dallas Morning News.
- ^ "Hansen Foundation to give UNT scholarships". Dallas Business Journal. July 5, 2006.
- ^ Speechanddebate.com
- ^ "'What we do matters': Dale Hansen honored with RTDNF Lifetime Achievement Award". Dallas, Texas: WFAA. March 13, 2019. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
External links
- "Hansen Unplugged: Celebrating our differences (Dale Hansen - WFAA)". WFAA. March 27, 2015.