The Gospel According to Hansen

Bringing truth into focus dale hansen eight of the 11 jobs he’s held, Hansen has done quite well for himself. He’s received the Radio and Television Digital News Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award, a prize reserved for luminaries like Tom Brokaw and Andy Rooney. He has earned a Peabody Award for Distinguished Journalism, and a Dupont Columbia University Silver Baton, the broadcast equivalent to the Pulitzer Prize. And the Mayborn School of Journalism awarded Hansen a Distinguished Professional Achievement Award in 2018. But these awards pale in comparison to a feat rarely accomplished in the fickle world of television broadcasting: He has held the same job for the last 37 years. Hansen has cemented his acclaim by going beyond sports journalism and into the realm of social and THE GOSPEL ACCORDING political commentary. His Dale interviews Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban highly opinionated Unplugged news segments purposely mesmerized by the fact that director felt he was qualified, him the job. Hansen reminded stoke controversy, offering I knew a person who knew a “because you read,” Hansen him that he had just told him he TO HANSEN an unflinching take on the person that was on TV.” Hansen remembers him saying. He needed a college degree. “’Not topical issues of the day, from has this “entertainer gene” wasn’t sold on the opportunity, to be a sportscaster,’” Hansen racial injustice to sexual abuse in him, he says, that made but it would become the turning recalls him saying. “’You don’t to gun violence. With them, him want to be a comedian, point in his career. need any education at all.” For his 37 years as a Dallas sportscaster, Dale Hansen has he has become something of game show host, some kind of “I just loved everything Hansen credits his hire to that an internet celebrity as his performer. about it.” Hansen says. “It was “angel on his shoulder,” being spoken truth to power — and sometimes that includes sports commentaries have gone viral But first he would serve in just incredible.” in the right place at the right on YouTube and been viewed by the Navy during the Vietnam For his work at the 1000-watt time — at least, until he was millions. Agree with him or not, War, which he considers one of Iowa radio station in a coal fired. “I’ve had run-ins with STORY BY JR. SAUNDERS • PHOTOS COURTESY OF DALE HANSEN love him or not, he has found the defining moment in his life, mining town of 15,000 people, almost every news director I a platform with Unplugged not only because it would orient Hansen received the Iowa have worked for — but those that has elevated his stature he WFAA news studio, located abruptly opens the door for me to enter shaking his head. him toward a more liberal Associated Press Investigative are professional arguments, from a local sportscaster to a on a prominate corner of the building, and with a whoosh, Hansen’s It dawns on me that he doesn’t feel worldview, but also because it Reporter of the Year award professional disagreements.” nationally renowned pundit Victory Park, has panoramic presence and familiar booming voice spill above the rules like so many people of caused him to suffer the loss of in 1974 for his stories about He moved to Dallas in who speaks from the heart. glass walls, allowing the out with the HEPA-filtered air though he prominence – he just cares about people his best friend, who was killed corruption in Newton. That was 1980 and would go to work Tpublic to stand outside and watch live is still across the room. Ambling towards – a fact that enables him to connect with “Of course, I think I’m right. within weeks of being deployed the moment that gave Hansen for KDFW-TV, the Dallas CBS newscasts produced inside. Unbeknownst me, his form fills the space as I feel I am millions of fans — myself included. I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t. to Vietnam. pause “to think maybe I can do affiliate, until he was fired in to me, you’re not supposed to get too shrinking. His great bear of a greeting Hansen is the most popular sports Makes no sense to me to be any Returning to Logan after something here.” 1983. But the same week he was other way.” close to the window. But I stand face reverberates as he towers over me. broadcaster in the Dallas-Fort Worth the service, he did not attend After four years as the terminated, he was hired by pressed against the glass, peering in Then he elbow-dabs me. metroplex with 70,000 followers on Hansen’s confidence may college. Encouraged by his station’s news director, Hansen WFAA, the ABC affiliate where for sportscaster Dale Hansen, who I am And just like that, I relax. We become Facebook alone. This is 15 times the strike some as arrogance, former teacher to become a made two moves, each to a he still works today. “I was a there to interview this March afternoon. familiar, and even flout the current followers of any other sports broadcaster but it’s an arrogance born disc jockey, he would listen to small market radio station, bit of a cheerleader in the early This is the beginning of America’s mass strict social distancing guidelines. Just in the area. His trademark confidence out of a passion for sports, the radio all the time, not so before landing at a station in days,” he says. “I was kind of COVID-19 shelter-in-place mandate, which the guys. With that, I follow Hansen into and willingness to speak his mind a heightened sense of much for the music, as for the Omaha, Nebraska. But after building up a following.” explains why Joyce the security guard, a the foyer where we settle into our yellow stems, in part, from his success, but injustice, and a willingness DJs whose styles he would learn he was fired, he turned his Hansen tried to cover what slim middle-aged woman, trots out and, velvet chairs to begin the interview. also from something he says he learned to challenge authority. He from and critique. He got his attention to getting a job in he thought the audience wanted eyes glued on me suspiciously, tells me to But after only 10 minutes, security years ago: that in the full spectrum of credits his prolonged success first big break at a small radio television, even though he him to cover. “It’s not my job leave – immediately. Although I do notice guard Joyce pops out of the studio again life, sports don’t really matter. People to a combination of hard work, station in Newton, Iowa in 1972. had no experience in front of necessarily to tell people what that in her dedication to duty, security to inform Hansen that we can’t even be in will experience suffering, illness, death skill, talent and luck – being But reality set in quickly as he the camera. He interviewed they should be interested in, as guard Joyce herself is not observing the the foyer. — that’s important. But sports? That’s in the right place at the right realized that being a DJ was with KMTV, an NBC affiliate much as it is my job to report time. “I’m not a religious man,” new social distancing guidelines. After “Oh, really?” he says, more sarcastic entertainment. not his dream job. “It was just in Omaha in 1977. But shortly on what they are interested he says. “But I’ve always had an I explain why I am there and show her than surprised. Frustrated, Hansen’s He finds comfort in being good at a the worst job imaginable,” he after the station manager told in.” And in sports-saturated angel on my shoulder.” an email from Hansen, Joyce unstiffens, response is not aimed at the dutiful Joyce job where, unlike the rest of the news recalls. him that they wouldn’t hire North Texas market, he quickly the firmness melting from her voice. but at the draconian rules she has to broadcast, he doesn’t report on mass Even the station manager him in the news department figured out that people were Apparently convinced of my legitimacy, enforce. Abruptly, he jumps up and moves shootings or economic collapse or knew Hansen was miserable, without a college degree, the interested in him covering the GROWING UP IN LOGAN, she makes a phone call to get him. our comfy chairs into the hallway, like pandemic death tolls. “I’m just talking and told him that a news phone rang. It was the weekend Dallas Cowboys. “What we’re IOWA, across the street from As we stand waiting, Joyce keeps only a beloved celebrity can do. sports or commentaries,” he says. “My director position had opened sportscaster, says Hansen, really trying to accomplish here the grandparents of talk show watch for Hansen, and I start feeling the “Basically, what they’re saying is confidence comes from the fact that I up. Although Hanson had no and he was quitting. After the is reaching the most people pressure of interviewing a local television know, nobody dies.” legend Johnny Carson, had an training in journalism and station manager hung up, he most of the time. And that they don’t want you to have any human effect on Hansen. “I was just legend and my childhood hero. She contact for the next year,” Hansen growls, For a guy who’s been fired from no college degree, the news turned to Hansen and offered usually means talk Cowboys 12 1 2020 MAYBORN MAGAZINE themayborn.com 2 Bringing truth into focus dale hansen months out of the year.” New York Times he was gay.

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