Dave Diles

Dave Diles was born October 14, 1931, in Middleport, Ohio. At the age of 13 he started delivering the local newspaper, The Daily Sentinel, in Pomeroy, Ohio.

Diles moved to Athens, Ohio, and attended Ohio University. He then worked for a local newspaper, the Athens Messenger, and later the Associated Press in Columbus and Detroit until 1961.[1]

In 1961, he became sports director of ABC's Detroit station WXYZ-TV until 1972 and then again from 1979 to 1982.

He hosted many other sports broadcasting programs, including College Football Scoreboard, Wide World of Sports, the Indianapolis 500, Olympic Games, NASCAR auto racing, professional golf, bowling, track and field, and college football play by play.[1] He is also known for hosting “Race for No. 1” and “The Big Ten Today”.

During the 1960s, '70s, and '80s, Diles was the host of a local Detroit sports radio broadcasting show called “Dial Dave Diles”. This was the city’s first radio sports talk show.

Diles is known for his work for commentating play by play for the LA Clippers, Detroit Lions, and Pistons and the Ohio State basketball team. He also covered the Olympics.

He also wrote eight books about network television sports and the experiences of coaches and players in the professional and college sport business. This included co-authoring 1979's Terry Bradshaw, Man of Steel, a Christian-themed autobiography of the Pittsburgh Steeler quarterback.[2]

Diles was also the president of both the Football Writers of America, Michigan Chapter, and the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association.

Outside of sports, Diles was a substitute host for Lou Gordon on occasion.

Diles received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Ohio University.[1] He established a scholarship at the University for students from his hometown in Meigs County. He was also a trustee for another local college, The University of Rio Grande.[1]

Dave Diles died on December 29, 2009 after a long battle with cancer which caused him to have a stroke. He was 78 years old.[1][3][4]

Diles’ hometown named a park after him. The Dave Diles Park is named in his honor located in his hometown of Middleport Ohio, along the banks of the Ohio River. Meigs County is unrecognized by the sponsors at Ohio History Central to some degree. In published accounts of Israel Putnam of the Ohio Company and Revolutionary War officer, his land holdings (Rutledge and Bedford Townships), in Ohio are ignored. Not as famous as his family member Rufus Putnam certainly, but worth a footnote at least in the post Revolutionary War period through the Civil War.