In Their Words is a weekly feature appearing Sundays in The Blade's sports section. Blade sports writer Ryan Autullo talked with Dan Cummins, the sports director for WTOL News 11.
Taking on more responsibilities for the same salary hasn't been a drain on Dan Cummins. In fact, when WTOL and Buckeye Cable Sports Network formed an alliance a couple of years back, the increased workload stimulated Cummins' passion for the business. It's a good thing it did too as Cummins stays plenty busy these days. In addition to his appearances on the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. news, Cummins hosts sports shows TSports Report and Press Pass, and is the TV voice for the University of Toledo men's basketball.
A native of Peoria, Ill., Cummins worked for a station in his hometown before accepting a position at WTOL in 1980. He replaced Orris Tabner as sports director in February, 1996. Throughout 29 years in the market, Cummins has covered national championships, Heisman trophy presentations, transcendent area high school athletes like Jim Jackson and Chuck Webb, and was involved in a squabble with an area coach that Cummins still doesn't fully understand.
Cummins, 55, and his wife, Barb, have seven children between them.
"I'M WORKING more than I was before for the same salary, but the benefit of that - and I'm glad to take the benefit - is there's a lot more job security and I'm doing a lot more sports-oriented things. A lot of stations are looking whether it's worth it to pay their 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. sports guy this much money to do just two shows a day. I think I was fortunate that the management from both Buckeye and WTOL had a vision to go in a new direction that had never been done before. We combined the two media outlets into one high school and college athletics voice. It's been a blast."
"I'M A BETTER sports caster now than I was two years ago. Big Board Friday, as much of a challenge as that was, now I'm doing 90 minutes on a Friday. And it's not just being on TV. I produce most stuff, do the assignments, do a lot of the writing and some of the editing, and just coordinate everything. It's a monumental task, but we have a great team that loves doing it and will do whatever they have to do to get the show on the air."
"WHEN I CAME HERE I figured it would be a short stop because typically everybody dreams of going to the big city. But I really love being in a Triple-A town with pro hockey, pro baseball, Ohio State and Michigan, and Browns and Lions close by. I just enjoyed being in that environment. It's a lot better than Peoria was, that's for sure. This has become my home and I love this town."
"I LOVE DOING Rocket basketball. I know that they'll turn the corner. Gosh, I've been here for almost 30 years, and Toledo and Bowling Green have never been to the NCAA tournament. It's shocking. I'm holding out hope that some day down the road Toledo will have a team that's good enough. Gene Cross, I think, is going to be a really great hire in the long run. He's building from the ground up and is going through some growing pains, but I believe in what he's doing."
"IT'S DISAPPOINTING because I admired [former BG men's coach Dan Dakich]. I liked him. I had no beef with him whatsoever. Then one day I get a phone call from my [photographer] and he says, 'Dude, Dakich just went off on you with a series of F-Bombs.' I had no idea it was coming or why. I did some informal checking and somehow he thought I had been dogging him on the air. If I did, I don't recall. Jerry Anderson, who works alongside me, he was a buddy of Dakich's, so I think if I said something he would have told me. I think it was Denny Schaffer, and [Dakich] didn't know his media people that well and just thought it was some guy whose name began with a D. That's the best I can figure. From that point, I kept my distance and he kept his, and that's about it. I never understood it."
"MY ALL-TIME favorite trip was when Charles Woodson won his Heisman Trophy. [NBC 24's Eric Haubert] and I flew to New York early Saturday morning. We went straight to the Downtown Athletic Club and spent the day there getting interviews and some prep stuff. We did a live shot at 6 p.m. and then covered the show. When it ended they brought [Woodson] down and [UM sports information director Bruce Madej] let me interview him first because I was the local media, which was a real thrill and honor. Then we took the video by taxi in Manhattan to the CBS office where we edited the story. At 11 p.m. I was doing a live shot from the top of the CBS building in downtown Manhattan with the skyline behind me. It was just breathtaking. It was my first trip to New York and it was just awesome."
"I THINK AS LONG as I still love doing it - and I definitely love doing it - and as long as I'm healthy enough - and I keep myself in good shape - I don't see any reason I can't do it at least 10 more years, unless it's [management's] call. I joke I'll do this until my application as a Walmart greeter is accepted because I think I'd look pretty good in a red vest."
Contact Ryan Autullo at:
rautullo@theblade.com
or 419-724-6160
First Published December 27, 2009, 12:29 p.m.