Joe Biddle, a former Nashville Banner and Tennessean sports columnist whose second act made him a beloved sports activities speak radio character, died Wednesday at Alive Hospice. He was 78 and had suffered from dementia.
Biddle, who was born on June 13, 1944 and grew up in Johnson Metropolis, was an East Tennessee State graduate and Air Pressure veteran of the Vietnam conflict and among the many most adorned and in style sports activities writers to ever work in Nashville.
He was a four-time Tennessee Sports activities Author of the 12 months by the Nationwide Sportscasters and Sports activities Writers Affiliation. He was inducted into the Tennessee Sports activities Writers Affiliation Corridor of Fame in 2013, the Tennessee Sports activities Corridor of Fame in 2016 and the Alumni Corridor of Fame by ETSU’s Communication Division in 2005.
Biddle spent a few years as a voter on the Related Press school soccer and basketball polls, was an unique voter for the Harris Ballot, which decided the 2 groups that will play within the BCS nationwide championship, and served because the state director for Heisman Trophy voters by means of 2016.
Biddle started his journalism profession on the Johnson Metropolis Press Chronicle in 1971 and moved to the Daytona Seaside Information-Journal after one 12 months, overlaying school soccer and basketball together with the NFL enlargement Tampa Bay Buccaneers till 1979.
In November 1979, Biddle grew to become the sports activities editor and columnist of the Nashville Banner afternoon newspaper till it closed in 1998.
One of many newspaper’s hottest contests was “I Beat Biddle,” the place readers would attempt to decide extra school soccer winners every week. In the event that they have been profitable, the prize was an “I Beat Biddle” bumper sticker, and for a few years the crimson, white and blue stickers remained on vehicles round Nashville.
After the Nashville Banner closed in 1998, Biddle moved to The Tennessean as a sports activities columnist and remained there till 2011. Biddle ended his profession writing for the Williamson Herald and WKRN-2.
Throughout his sports activities writing profession, Biddle coated 31 Tremendous Bowls, 31 NCAA Ultimate Fours, 30 Masters tournaments, 12 World Collection, a Ryder Cup, two Summer time Olympic Video games, a number of school soccer nationwide championships and a number of other extra bowl video games.
Through the 1989 World Collection, Biddle grew to become trapped within the press field at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park when an earthquake postponed Recreation 3 between the Giants and Oakland A’s.
Biddle had a knack delivering sports activities information first due to the shut and trusting relationships he developed with newsmakers in the neighborhood.
A lot of his closest private associates have been people he had coated, together with legendary Belmont basketball coach Rick Byrd; nation music star Vince Gill; former school and NFL coach Steve Spurrier, who was a highschool classmate; PGA Tour participant Brandt Snedeker; longtime school basketball coach Ron Bargatze; Vanderbilt basketball nice Charles Davis and others.
As profitable and well-known as Biddle grew to become as a sports activities author, he additionally was a preferred determine on sports activities speak radio, beginning out on Gerry Home’s top-rated Home Basis and later shifting to WWTN-FM’s afternoon drive SportsNight, the place he served as co-host with George Plaster.
SportsNight was the top-rated sports activities present in Nashville for a few years.
It was throughout his time on the radio when Biddle’s impersonation of former Tennessee Vols soccer coach Johnny Majors grew to become a success. Majors as soon as advised Biddle lots of people stated he sounded just like the coach, however Majors, with a sly grin, stated he did not suppose so.
Biddle is survived by his spouse Sharon. They have been married 47 years.
Attain Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on Twitter @MikeOrganWriter.
Source link
