From the WNIN Tri-State Public Media Center in downtown Evansville.

I'm David James, and this is Two Main Street.

Well, from the hot lights of a TV studio to the cold ice of a hockey ring.

My guest is a familiar face to try staters now sharing his talents with the Evansville Thunderbolts.

Dan Katz retired after a long career at WFIE TV, waking us up on 14 News Sunrise for more than 25 years.

He's now got a new gig, enjoying this well-deserved break from the daily grind of waking up and going to work hours before the first rooster crows.

Dan Katz, welcome again to two Main Street.

You were a guest when 14 new sunrise celebrated its 25th anniversary.

That was a couple of years ago.

That's right.

Absolutely it was.

It was great.

I can't even remember the year now.

It's been about three years ago or so.

But it is nice to be you know, I feel so much more refreshed I can't understand why I'm getting more sleep these days.

But it's been great.

You look good.

Thank you.

Post the grind and mirrors the thanks.

Now.

OK, let's get right into this.

Tell us about your new role with the Evansville Thunderbolts.

Well, first of all, it has nothing to do with why I retired.

It just I kind of just it came up right when I was getting ready to retire.

And Derek Bratten, who works in production over there, runs the show at the Ford Center.

You know, he he messaged me and said, Dan, hey, we have an emcee opening for the Thunderbolts.

You go round and you just have fun with the crowd and do all kinds of games.

And he said, would you be interested?

I said, well, let me think about it.

So I went over there and talked to the folks, and I was impressed with all the people there.

And it seemed like a lot of fun.

And it was not every day and not a ton of hours.

And I thought, you know, this this would be fun.

So I just said, Yeah, why not?

So exactly what you do during the game?

Well, Bridgette McDonald, who's the kind of the marketing director she has run, has a program of all the things we do for the entire game, which, you know, we it starts, you know, 6:00 crowd comes in and then the clock is running.

And we have, you know, meeting the fans and getting fans to what's called moving on up, some fans up to these great seats in the front row.

And then we have what's in the box where you take a box around and they put their hand there and figure out what food it is.

Sometimes it's kind of gross, but fun games like that.

So like a Jeff Lyons.

Yeah, kind of all festival.

Yeah.

Food pretty much.

Pretty much it.

You know, it is a mystery food in the box and the fans love it.

And the fans, there's very there's some really diehard fans.

The season ticket holders I'm getting to know very well.

They're really into it.

And it's just it's just fun.

I don't even know how else to describe it, but it's just a blast.

So were you a big hockey fan growing up in the Chicago area?

Not the Blackhawks.

No, not necessarily.

I've been to a couple of games.

I know the game I watch it on occasion.

I know how it works.

And, you know, I wasn't too familiar with the Thunderbolts.

Of course, they transitioned from the Iceman and then into the Thunderbolts and didn't even have a season last year because of the pandemic.

So, you know, I've gotten to know the players and there's actually a pretty good team.

But, you know, I know enough to to either fake it till I make it in the Ford Center, I guess you might say.

And you have all these teams coming in from like Birmingham, Birmingham, Quad Cities, is Knoxville.

It's kind of going back to my sports roots a little bit, you know.

That's right.

It's normal for teams, right?

That's weekend sports, right?

Forever Friday Night Football.

Yeah.

Remember that?

Yes.

Covering games.

Yeah, that was that was a grind because I started doing that when I was, you know, still doing the sunrise show.

So that turned into a pretty long day.

But yeah, that was fun.

We had a good time.

And so, you know, I mean, I think I know enough to to get by and I'm still learning, but I'm just enjoying and I really am.

Do you ever get out on the ice?

I do get out on the ice.

Not with the skates we do during the intermissions.

We have games out there where I think we play musical chairs.

The other night, we had sumo wrestling, which is fun.

I get to narrate that we have chuck a puck where people buy pucks and they try to throw them on the ice and win prizes.

And when they hit these sponsor banners and, you know, people really get into it and get involved and I'm getting to, you know, just have a lot of fun and showcase my personality a little bit and kind of keep things moving.

And so far the response has been good.

But the number one question I get David, I got to tell you, is, so how's retirement going?

Everybody asks me, oh, I know.

Or, you know, they say what's really nice.

As I say, I miss you on TV, Dan.

And I'm like, oh, well, that's really nice of you.

I mean, so it's very humbling.

And I'm just blown away by the by the kind of the the affection from people that they they do miss me, but I'm really having a good time doing this.

Well, kind of the best the best of both worlds there.

You're away from that daily grind, but you're still among the public.

Yeah.

And they get a chance to see you and interact with you.

So that has to be very rewarding, I'm sure.

Yeah.

I think that's kind of one of the reasons that they kind of got a hold of me to do this, because they knew that I was known in the community and that maybe I would generate some interest in bringing people into the arena.

I don't know how much I've done on that.

Aspect.

We we had a free ticket free admission night the other night.

We had a good crowd, you know, over three, 3000.

We, of course, like to have more, but generally our crowds are a little bit over a thousand.

You know, we want to pick up the attendance and maybe as we move more into the winter and the team does well, hopefully the crowds will build a little bit.

That's certainly attention.

But I'm trying to make an interesting post on social media.

Get people fired up to come to the arena.

It's it's a it's a good night of family fun.

That's basically what it is.

And, you know, if you if it's something different now recently retire from TV news we talked about that your many years on 14 new sunrise 25 years 2020 well 38 at the station 27 and a half on sunrise oh so yeah now what were those final days like leading up to your last day on the air.

Surreal I guess I you know I really was looking forward to not having to get up in the morning because I wake up was waking up at 1230 in the morning and get getting in at two and sometimes work until noon and it's like you know I'm getting up there, I don't, that's a little too taxing on the body and it was just getting stressful.

Now I love the people I work with.

That sounds almost corny, but I mean I work with some great people.

We have people on the air there now are great.

The production crew is fantastic.

I mean, that's the thing I miss the most.

I do not miss the daily grind of of the news, which now when I watch seems like, Oh yeah, that's another, another one of those.

Another one of those.

And it's like, I know you probably have those kinds of thoughts because you were in it for a long time, but it's I feel like it just I just it's good to be away from that.

I don't know how else to explain it.

David, I know you did your best to try to lighten the mood.

Yeah.

On the morning show, and I know what was appropriate on the right.

Usually there are some serious stories you don't like.

You don't do any shtick during.

Oh, of course not.

But when you have an opportunity, when not much is going on to light things up, you and Byron, you get into it.

Yeah, that's.

That's what I really love the most.

And that's the response they got from the public the most.

Byron and I, they didn't really complimented us on.

Well, we had three, you know, car wrecks in a row.

And you did a good job reading those.

It's.

No, they don't.

I mean, the boss would say, you know, hey, nice.

But that's a whole nother thing.

But the public would go, I love how you and Byron and Byron.

The meteorologists.

Yeah, the meteorologists we work with over 25 years together, how you'd cut up and have fun and talk sports and just, you know, give each other a hard time and, you know, and then we did like you say, we there's so few like times and moments that you can put in finding a newscast with all the horrible things going on in the world that you just tried to find anything, any moment that you could just have fun and just lighten things up and just send people out the door with at least positive you know, attitude or a smile or something.

Well, you know, when I all my years at Channel 14, I would always look for a kicker, you know, a story that would just kind of lighten the mood at the end of a terrible newscast with all those death and destruction fires and all the other scandals and all that stuff.

Yeah, just minor, you know, water skiing, squirrel, anything.

Anything.

Yeah, angry, you know, just wanting to do something to smile at the end of the show.

Yeah, it's important.

I mean, it is because you can, you know, watching a newscast these days, you can get pretty depressed.

I mean, it, you know, it's like, gosh, what's going on in the world?

But you do need to find those things and you find the people that are doing good things and doing things for their community and to helping and giving back.

And those are the kind of stories I wish we did more of those.

We I'm saying like I'm still doing it, but you know what I mean?

I think I think it's important to show people that are helping, helping their fellow man or their community or their neighbor.

And we need to do more of those because otherwise you just like, you know, I don't want to sound like I'm just in a major depression or something, but you know what?

I'm talking oh, it weighs on you.

It does.

After a while now.

Big sendoff at the station I know your wife, Beth, and your sons, Noah and Jonah were there for the for the sendoff.

I had to be cool.

I'll tell you, I I've never been so most of my life because my boys came in.

One lives in Florida, one lives in L.A.

They came all the way and helped set this whole thing up, did interviews and and and just said the most kind, unbelievable things, you know, and made me feel so proud.

I mean, I get emotional thinking about it now.

No, I think said, you know, Dad, you did it for a long time.

Yeah.

I can't remember when you started because I was young.

And what I appreciate the most is your fairness and the way you helped the community.

I mean, when you hear that from your son and Jonah the same way, just this was very appreciative.

And my wife was was great.

She you know, now you have time to just kind of hang out and lay by the pool in the summertime.

And, you know, everybody's been so supportive because, you know, my schedule is so weird for all those years that, you know, sometimes I just didn't see me.

But and Byron and Charlie and everybody said the most unbelievably kind, humbling things.

And so and it just I had no idea and I tell people this, you don't realize the impact you have on people until you tell them you're not going to be there anymore.

I mean, the audience, my coworkers and I just I've never, like, cried and been so emotional so much in that last couple of weeks.

And even when I think back on it, it's pretty emotional.

But everybody's been great.

And I've been just I feel so blessed and just so humble that I was able to do it for so long.

And people seem to really enjoy it.

And I know you know, Beth, your wife, she's also retired now retired educator.

Right.

Was a teacher and public school system at ABC.

She worked, right.

For a few years in Central she just retired from in May, but she's also doing some substitution substitute teaching.

Oh, they need soaps.

They do.

They do.

Just I wish they'd pay them a little bit more, but you know, that's something that I need to work on because it's important, you know, getting quality teachers.

It's it's tough.

I know that ABC has implemented kind of a pay raise, which is good.

I think also she's going to be teaching in the spring at USC.

I don't speech for a couple of nights a week, I think.

So that's in her blood.

That's something she can do with her.

Her eyes closed.

And I to this day, I hear when I see people out, I'm your wife taught me speech.

I mean, she she's taught in three different places.

She taught at high school, for one thing, and also at USI at Henderson Community College and Ivy Tech.

So she has taught a lot of people how to do public speaking.

Well, she was former broadcast.

That's right.

She she actually worked in this building here for a while when it was a different station.

And that's right.

And so she and we and the Channel seven, we actually co-anchored a couple of weekends together.

And we actually still we're still married.

So, you know, I don't know you guys going.

Well, it was yeah, I think I was she was filling in or I was feeling I can't remember 100 years ago, a long time ago.

But yeah, so yeah, we she had just we met at the radio TV department at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale back in 1980.

So we're talking what 41 years ago.

Is that right.

So yeah, we do have that.

And she's still on the running circuit I understand.

Yes, that is her passion.

I, she is so gung ho to run.

She just ran the Wendall Foster half marathon last Saturday and Owensboro and finished second in her age group.

I'm not going to tell anybody what her age group was but second in her age group and she just really loves it.

And she, she basically runs almost every day at least with, you know, few miles to keep up.

And so she's I think it was her 14th or 15th half marathon.

Good for her.

And she's she's loved that.

So now we talked about where you and Beth met on in Carbondale at SIU.

Right.

You were both students there?

Yeah, we were students in the radio, TV department.

They had a was a public station, TV radio, similar to I guess this isn't related to the university, but and they did live newscasts every every night and live, you know, the public radio.

And I did some deejay, I guess, and and the radio station there.

So that's kind of where I got my start.

It was back in 77, I guess.

And I started a little late after high school.

But that's, you know, that's where I kind of learned learn the ropes, so to speak, and now you grew up in the Chicago area.

Well, no champagne or champagne.

My mother was a professor at the University of Illinois, an early childhood education.

She's still hanging in there.

She has dementia, but she's in a memory unit in Urbana, Illinois, right now.

And well, you know, we were from San Francisco.

That's where I was born.

And the family moved.

And where's Beth Ann from?

She's from well, she was born in Milwaukee and she was raised in Rockford, Illinois.

OK, so.

All right.

All right.

Now, your family, when I had you on the show when celebrating the 14th, I mean the 25th anniversary of 14 to sunrise.

Yeah, we talked about your parents and I said Oh, this is like a novel.

This is really a novel because your father was born in Moscow.

That's right.

During the Stalin.

Yes, yes.

And your mother was born in London.

Right.

And she was in London during the Blitz.

Yes.

In World War Two.

And how these two met is quite a saga.

You want to give us the kind of the the short version on the little rusty on all the details.

But okay.

My dad was born in Moscow.

1923 was an only child and and then when he was seven they had, they escaped, they had to escape a Stalin.

They took a train through Siberia and ended up in China.

And my dad went to a Jewish school in Shanghai, China.

And I guess from what I, the history of my my dad's, my grandfather, my dad's side, he had a family that was wiped out in the punk ram.

So he, he, this is a second family and he had two children and a wife and now he and he, he remarried and, and my dad was, was the child.

And so he grew up in Shanghai and then and when he was 17, he applied to either go to Israel or the University of California, and he end up going to California.

He got accepted into the structural civil engineering program at UC Berkeley and got his degree in civil engineering in California.

My mother was, you know, she was young in the war World War Two.

They escaped to out in the countryside with her twin sister, Anita.

They put all children.

Yes.

Trains that took them out into the countryside because London was being bombed.

So while she's out in the countryside, her mother and father are you know, amidst the bombing in London, but survived.

When that war when the war was over, they moved.

They wanted to move to the United States.

So they came to ended up in Los Angeles area.

And I guess my mother went on a trip when she was young, 20 or so, and met my father at a dance at a synagogue or something in San Francisco back in 19.

I want to say 50.

Yeah, 1950.

And then they got married very shortly after that.

And you know, the rest is history as they say.

So, but you know, my dad was nine years old and my mom and, and my dad was the best.

He died in 2005.

But yeah, so they have an amazing history.

My dad ended up being a structural engineer and then my mother got it, got a job at Stanford in early childhood and she's a world renowned professor.

I know this isn't a very short story here, David.

I like it, but she, she spoken and spoke spoken.

46 countries, all 50 states has written numerous books on early childhood is, is, you know, of course she's my mom, so but she is beloved by thousands of people around the world.

I hear this all the time.

And now she's, you know, she's, you know, kind of on the decline.

Unfortunately, she has dementia and she's hanging in there, you know, doing well.

But she had a just a remarkable career.

You know, she spoke she went to the White House a few times, was on The Today Show and the Good Morning America I mean, she's was one of the big honchos in her field.

So so, you know, I was she's heroes, obviously.

So what a you know, a remarkable, remarkable woman.

What a life.

Definitely.

Now, did you always want to be a broadcaster?

No, not really.

I always thought first of all, I want to be a baseball player, you know?

But you know, you know, that is well, I'm good enough, but I always love sports.

And I remember when I was like fifth grade in California and we toured a radio station in San Francisco, SFO.

They broadcast the Giants games.

I was a big Giants fan.

And I just I was I remember telling my classmates, look at this.

This is when they do this.

And then this is the two guys that do the games.

And I was like, lead this.

And, you know, I don't know if that subliminally got me interested, but I always had that because I you know, I kind of was kind of just floundering around.

I didn't know I wasn't really a super good student.

I didn't like I was terrible at math and science and, you know, and you had these brilliant parents.

Well, I think it skipped a generation because my kids are pretty brilliant.

But you know, so but I figure I guess I started working in like a little underground radio station in a dorm at the University of Illinois.

And I kind of got it.

And then I went to community college and got in the radio TV program, went to see you in a kind of the rest was history.

And, you know, I just wasn't that smart.

But I think I could use my, you know, whatever talent or personality.

I think I use my personality to get where I was, not necessarily my brain power.

And I don't know if that makes sense, but that's kind of something you love to do.

Yeah.

Yeah.

It wasn't work.

Yeah, it wasn't work.

And that's the key.

When you want to do something in life, you do something that it's not work.

Sure.

And people and, you know, I feel blessed that I was able to do that because not everybody I was blessed to do, you know?

I know.

And, you know, granted, it's not like it's not work.

I mean, you have, you know.

Oh, sure.

OK, you have you have deadlines, deadlines and pressures and requirements and all that.

But, you know, if you can kind of compartmentalize all that and deal with the stress and the deadlines, which, you know, it's oh yeah, it's a big party.

Well, and I think in secret, too, it's just be yourself, right?

Try not to be somebody else.

Sometimes consultants try to make you into something else and then it never works.

It never works.

People can spot a phony.

I know.

Exactly.

And I've worked with I mean, I'm not gonna meantion any names, but ya know, I worked with plenty of phonies in my day.

And now they're probably in PR out of the business.

I mean, you just you first of all, you have to you have to be flexible.

You can't be a perfectionist, you know, because, you know, deadlines, the pressure, the show is going to start whether you're ready or not.

So you bet it's live and things are going to happen.

So just go with the flow and just, you know, be yourself and just, you know, if something doesn't work out, just, hey, you know, and I think people are on your side, too, and they they know things go wrong.

And and if you just kind of go with the flow and kind of enjoy the moment, all OK. Well, that didn't work.

So let's move on.

Yeah.

So they want to see somebody who's real.

Sure.

Real and even as flawed, they don't they'll accept you.

Sure they will.

Know any broadcasting heroes, a play by play favorites that you listen to and maybe emulate.

Nobody is nobody is going to remember this guy.

But I mean, he was a Giants radio guy's name was Russ Hodges.

He was the greatest play by play guy, actually, in the Bobby Thompson home run and he 51 he was a guy that OK so I'm dating sure nobody realized that home run yes yes and the call right I mean you know I appreciate good broadcasters.

I you know I don't have any particular you know all time favorites.

I mean Harry Carey wasn't really broadcast he was kind of a showman.

Sure.

But you know, he loved the game and people loved him you know, people are going to either love or hate no matter what.

But, you know, I appreciate guys that are there and consistent and do their homework and love the game and and are passionate about it, enthusiastic about it.

So, you know, I do appreciate really good broadcasters.

And there there's a whole bunch of them.

I mean, there are some really talented, talented people.

Oh, sure.

Now, your love for baseball and then the movie A League of their Own came to Evansville.

That had to be a thrill.

It was.

I mean, you think about, you know, some of these big Hollywood stars here, Tom Hanks, Madonna, you know, Rose Davis, Rosie O'Donnell.

I mean, when that happened, it was it was it was great for the city.

It really was.

You know, and boss, you feel, was the perfect venue for that.

And I just I love covering it.

And, of course, I was an extra.

And I even showed up in a couple of scenes, most of them on the cutting room floor.

But I you know, you can see me behind Tom Hanks.

And one of the little things in front of the dugout, I mean, nobody nobody would notice.

I mean, of course I did because it was me.

But it was fun.

It was just a blast.

It was really cool.

Really and the movie turned out I thought the movie was really, really good.

I mean, it was a classic one of the better baseball movies there is really it's there was a recent article about Tom Hanks recalling his time in Evansville.

He really enjoyed he got a chance to shag, you know, fly balls and everything and has his family here.

He said it was the best movie experience he ever had because right like you say it, his family or he went to Burger King and Dairy Queen and, you know, hung out and lived in the middle of a cornfield.

And just all summer long, I played baseball.

I mean, and that one is one of his better movies, I think, you know.

And so that's a compliment to the area that Tom Hanks, you know, one of his better movie experiences was right here in this in this town.

We talked about how you got this gig.

It was kind of out of the blue and you jumped on it after you got a chance to go to the arena and meet the folks.

Yeah, I did.

It just it had all the kind of the things that you'd want if you were doing something.

Just want to do something fun in your reti And so I thought it would be be fun.

And plus, I'm working with people that I know that I have worked with over at Channel 14 that are in production over at the Ford Center.

They're great crew, and it's a state of the art arena.

It really is.

And also the management team there, the marketing people, the salespeople, the team officials are all great.

They I mean, you know, I sound like I'm doing a little PR.

Well, you are deal here, but but I was impressed.

That impressed me right from the start.

They didn't even want me to audition.

They said, Dan, if you want this, you can have it.

I guess they were going on on all the goofy stuff I did in my career or whatever.

But I guess, you know, I was flattered by that.

I met with them.

They were great.

And so I'm trying to be as enthusiastic about as I can.

And the crowd is, you know, gets me fired up.

And, you know, it's just a lot of fun.

Now, you brought some some items here, some thunderbolt items, and I know I will have to explain it to our radio audience, but got the great logo on there.

It's right on the Bulls logo.

I mostly tell you it's 47.

Thunderbolt Bay in Evansville during World War Two is the yellow part of the logo.

Thus, the cheerleading squad called the aviators.

Yeah, makes sense.

And and we've got all kinds of things.

We got a tie and we got, you know, license plate hats and pennants and banners and and all kinds of good stuff that you can when you go to the game, you can you can buy this up at the merchandise stand.

I mean, and there's all kinds of shirts and, you know, wearable items, hoodies, I think are going to be selling and t shirts and things like that.

Well, tell me about the fan base.

OK, well, the fan base, they have season ticket holders which they have a special they have a special night for meet and greet for the season ticket holders.

And I got to meet a lot of them and they to say that they're enthusiastic is an understatement.

They are.

They're great people.

I mean, they all have seem to have really crazy personalities.

They love being at the games.

They bring their families.

They wear all the garb, they cheer them on.

And they just it's a family atmosphere.

They really get into it.

And I've really enjoyed meeting them.

I haven't met all of them, obviously, but the ones I met are very kind to me and are they are as complimentary and say Dan, we're glad you took this gig and I hope you're enjoying it.

And the fans, though, they're really into it and it's amazing.

They really I mean, they cheer, they cheer and they when when they kind of have a little fisticuffs there on the ice, man, that crowd gets so revved up, man.

I mean, I don't I don't, you know, want people to fight all time but I mean, that's part of hockey.

And when they do, that's it's controlled and people get into it.

The banging on the glass, it's it's quite an atmosphere, really.

Well, you know, win or lose, it's entertainment, right?

I mean, everybody's into it, I guess, the whole time.

And you keep it going.

Well, yeah, I try.

And, you know, I'm not going to I don't hog the mic.

I have special times when I supposed to talk and read little announcements and promote the next game and, you know, and things you can do and things you can buy and clubs you can join and et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

And now that I've done a few games, I've kind of gotten it down to a science where I can just kind of go off the cuff a little bit, have a little fun, especially with the games we have on the ice and just kind of caught up with the fans and have just just a lot of fun.

Do you sense sometimes when you need to jump in there?

Yeah, I do.

I again, you know, I can't, like, open mic and start talk because we've got Tommy Mason, who is the announcer, and we've got, you know, video announcements playing and I can't just go rogue, although sometimes I really want to know.

So I try to, you know, stay under control.

But when I have an opportunity to, to have fun or yuk it up with people, let me do like finish the lyric.

It's when you find a fan, they play a song and then they have to finish the lyric.

I can, you know, make fun of them or I can have, you know, have some fun with them and stuff like that.

And yeah, I mean, I'm finding my opportunity.

I just don't want to kind of hog the mic, you know, I'm just I'm still kind of a newbie out there, you know?

Well, tell me about some of the interactions with the fans.

Any surprises, any no.

I mean, the other night we had musical chairs, which was kind of they do it on floats.

You can't put chairs on the ice, you the holes in them.

So they had these like plastic floaties that you put in a pool and the a family of four and another kid out there.

And they, you know, they play music and they go round and they sit down in their chairs, slip on the ice, and they fall down and they get covered with ice and everybody laughs.

I mean, it's it's just fun.

I mean, it's, it's very unpredictable.

And so I'm the play by play guy for that.

So I'll, you know, I'll say something like, oh, because I think the two kids ended up in the, in the final chair, so it looks like it's a tie.

We're going to talk to the Rules Committee or something.

And but, you know, we just, just go with it and have fun.

And, you know, this during halftime is during well, there's no rule have to have three periods and you have to intermission so like you have the first intermission, the second or main.

And so it's usually you play a game.

And during the first intermission is when we had like the musical chairs and then we chuck upon in the second intermission and that's kind of a standard thing where people can win some pretty cool prizes.

And it's sometimes they help nonprofits too, because they get involved with that.

But yeah, so you know, it's usually during those two intermissions where we really where I get to get out there and showcase, you know, my personality or whatever and just have a little fun with the fans.

Now at these games, you get to watch the action.

Oh yeah.

And the speed of these players and the skill of these players, it has to be amazing.

Yeah.

You know, this is the Southern professional hockey league, so it's it's one of the lower leagues, but it doesn't, you know, they still have there's some very talented players out there.

I mean, it's not the NHL, but these players they're good.

They, they, they skate quickly and the team is very competitive and they play good defense and the goalie is good.

And they fly and they bang up against those boards.

And I swear to God, they they have banged up against and scared the, you know, jeebies out of me a time or two.

But but that's what the fans love.

They love it.

And these players come from all over.

Yeah.

LA most of them that I've seen are from from Canada.

Saskatchewan, Ontario, places like that.

And because they park in that back lot there at the Ford Center, I can see their license plates.

You're Canadian, so yeah, a lot of them.

Of course, that's where that's where it's that's where the sport basically the hotbed of hockey and you know, they have that Canadian accents.

It's kind of cool to hear.

But some of you know, that are just, you know, from the United States as well of course.

And it's just seems like a really a team that's bonded and they play together very well and hopefully they continue because I think if we can build on the team success and we will help build the the crowd and that's you know, obviously we want more the merrier in the Ford Center now.

So these players, they eventually probably want to get to the National Hockey League.

I mean, this is the pipeline.

It is to the big time like the minors, you know, and, you know, it's hard to tell who would who would move up.

But, you know, it's where the the big boys you know, look for new talent.

And some of these guys I mean, I don't know much about how the scout talent, but, you know, there's some pretty good.

Are there scouts I haven't seen any nobody's introduced me to any.

I suppose there could be.

You know, I'm sure teams are always looking for new talent, but I suppose it's possible now having this pro team in this area has to be great for the all of the youth leagues around here.

Do you have a lot of young hockey players there?

There are some younger fans there.

I know that before they played in the Ford Center, they played at Swander the these the leagues and stuff.

So that's you know, that's where some of the young hockey talented plays now.

And they'll you know, I've seen a bunch of younger kids out there and some actually a few of us said, Dan, I really want to play hockey.

I want to play hockey.

And so, yeah, you see that and you know, actually after the game the other night, we had a skate where the fans could skate on the ice with the team for like 30 minutes.

And there were some, some younger kids out there.

And they love that because the players were all out there and they were, they were really getting into that.

That's a that's a good way to kind of help build, you know, the community team relationship thing and hopefully bring more people back out to the games.

Your lease up any skates out there a long time ago.

Not not hit not yet here but I suppose I should just give it a shot.

I think you should take some shots on goal.

Yeah.

You know, I don't know.

I think I'd probably end up on my rear end doing most maybe some good shtick, though.

That would be some shtick.

Yeah.

The fans would like that.

See, you fall on the ice.

Love to see me fall right on my rear end, I'm sure.

No doubt about it.

So now OK, you're you're kind of the, I don't know, kind of the game show host.

Yeah, the hockey pretty much hockey arena, basically kind of keeping the keeping the action going.

Any other things on your bucket list?

Any other plans or projects?

And.

Well, I would love to start traveling and my wife and I you know, of course, as I mentioned, I have one kid lives in South Florida.

The other one lives in L.A.

So they're a good visiting spot.

So what are they doing?

Well, Noah works for infinity comcast.

He's in a manager, and he he runs basically the district or the the the region there in south Florida.

And, yeah, he's he's kind of he's management now and doing really well.

I mean, he never even calls home for money anymore, not as retirees.

You don't have much to give him.

But but anyway.

And Jonah adjusts.

He's he's actually got a new gig with another company that does marketing with with apps and stuff.

I don't even know what what it is.

All I know if he's got a new gig out there and they're both doing really well we're really proud of them because they go to castle they went to Castle that's OK. Yeah.

Where they like in sports.

They you know, they were they were in the show choir.

John was a marching band.

And so you were a band, dad?

Yeah, I was a band dad in mind after the band mom.

And that's a lot of work.

That is.

But that was great.

I mean, it's almost ten years ago now.

I can't even believe it.

But yeah, they did that.

And yeah.

And then, of course, the Noah was in The Singing Hoosiers at when he went to IU and Jonah was in in that kind of stuff when he was at Ball State.

So they went to two different schools.

So where would you like to travel you know, I my wife and I are talking about going to visit every Major League Baseball parks one summer or something.

And I'm like, honey, you know that know you have to figure that one out.

What would be the first one?

You are probably Wrigley Field.

OK, you know, were you a legendary Cubs fan?

I mean, we've followed your ups and downs with the Cubs, mostly say down with the Cubs.

Oh, on 14 News sunrise.

I know, Byron give you all kinds of grief with the Cubs and everything.

And but you got some revenge.

Yes he is actually happy back in 2016 when the Cubs finally, finally won after 100 and 108 years I guess.

Yeah.

And you know, of course that was a night where I had to stay up one in the morning, had to work the next day and got no sleep, you know, a story of my life, but it was worth it.

Oh I bet it was worth it.

Finally they finally did it and I don't know if that's going to happen again in my lifetime, but you know, at least it happened once.

And yet, I mean, you know, all the fans were just so happy about I mean, you know, hundred and eight years.

I mean, my God, some people never even saw em' win a championship in their lives.

So, yeah, that that was big.

I don't know.

I just became a diehard Cubs fan.

Well, you know, the Cubs fans, like you said, they had to endure all kinds of grief and curses at the field and cursed.

I'm not a big curse.

Believe or kind of guy, although you could, you know, the black cat and the billy goat and Bartman.

I mean, you can you could you could probably run down the list.

But I'm not a curse kind of guy.

You know, I'm just, like, bad luck.

I mean.

Oh, so but yeah, I guess if you want to use curse, it probably apply.

But I just finally they got it together and won.

But who knows when it'll happen again?

Least that happened once.

And Dan, of course, you're bringing all that morning news energy now to the ice.

Yeah, I am trying.

Anyway, I have a lot more energy.

You know, it's amazing what's, you know, 8 hours of sleep all due to David not getting up at midnight every day.

But, yeah, I do feel more energized, but, yeah, I'm trying to try and fire up that crowd.

And you also you feed off the energy of the crowd, too.

Yeah.

Yeah, for sure.

When they're going wild.

Yeah, and you're going wild, too.

Yeah, they do go wild.

And, I mean, it's amazing.

We have not the largest crowds that we'd love to have larger crowds, but despite, you know, maybe a little over a thousand per game, they they can get kind of loud.

So we'd love to have, you know, 5000 there.

We're working on it.

But time will tell.

Now, when you announce your retirement, you mentioned you were leaving your TV family, and that definitely is a film.

Of course, The Sunrise people are definitely a unique group of people there because when I would go to work at Channel 14 cause I'd go in the afternoon, you guys were long gone, so I'd never see the sunrise folks.

But so that was an interesting group of people you know, I always said that, you know, it's a family and you really that bond that you have with those coworkers, as corny as it sounds, it does set the tone for the show.

And if you're all on the same page and you're all working for the same with the same goals in mind, you have each other's back, the show's going to be better.

And I've always tried to be that not I guess, the cheerleader, but just trying to be the positive force because people come in, they have their own problems.

Everybody everybody has, you know, things going on in their lives or family or whatever.

They're they're down or they're just not feeling.

And I just I really just try to just, hey, come on, you know, we can do this and, you know, and hopefully you know, I help people get through it and I try to be, you know, the leader, even though, you know, I had smarter people than me working around me and I couldn't have done it without them.

The producers I've worked with, the co-anchors I've worked with, I could not have done it without them.

I just tried to be a positive force along the way.

Kirk Duncan.

Yeah.

One of your.

He was there for the beginning of them.

Yeah, he was there pretty much since the beginning.

We we've worked you know, I worked almost my entire career with Kirk.

And, you know, I miss him.

He's really good at what he does.

We're old school.

He's still there.

And he does does a great job.

And he was there, obviously, when you were there.

You know, he's he's he's a big sports fan.

And he was one of the one of the good ones.

I mean, he he still does a great job.

I see him posting on social media all the time.

He takes great pictures.

Well, he is.

He's a big a Kentucky Wesleyan Panther fan, also.

Hydroplane.

Yes.

Yeah.

He still goes on the circuit with with the Phillies.

You know, he does.

He loves it.

You know, it's too bad that we don't have that thunder on the Ohio thing.

And we're I guess the kind of the sports kind of evolved into something a little different now.

But that was always great.

And he used to love doing that.

And he still they still when they have different events and places he goes and he works on one of the teams, I'm not exactly sure which one, but yeah, he's got that in his blood big time.

Yes.

And of course, Byron Douglas, you work with Byron forever.

Yeah.

Byron, you know, he's a piece of work.

He he's you know, we we love sports.

We we kind of when we first started, kind of like oil and water a little bit, you know, we, we but I, I always personally thought he was he's a great forecaster.

He knows his weather.

He, he's one of the hate to even say this.

He's one of the smartest guys I know.

He knows something about almost everything he he's got so much stuff in his head.

He he knows every county in the country.

He knows every state capital.

He knows the latitude and longitude of cities.

You wouldn't know.

He really just loves geography, you know?

And, you know, I guess when you're when you're meteorologist, that's kind of part of it, I guess.

And he's traveled all 50 states with his son, Evan.

I know he just got wrapped up with that.

So he loves to travel and and you know, we we we got along.

I appreciated him more than, you know, we've been in I said we've been in the trenches we were in the trenches for over 25 years together.

And I have a great appreciation for what what he does.

And I think he, he had the same feeling about, you know, what I did and some of the big stories you covered, you were with the Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996.

The Centennial Olympic Games station sent me down there I was thinking I was down there for over three weeks and it was great.

We didn't get to go to any of the actual events, but we covered, you know, we were in the park and we, you know, had a big media center which was just as computers were starting out.

So it was kind of like, you know, you know, we're on the, on the verge of that.

But the thing that was which kind of ruined it.

But, you know, it's, it's part of what happens is the Centennial Park bombing.

Sure.

I was outside the park.

I heard it go the bomb go off.

And, you know, of course, for the next few days, that's what we cover.

We didn't cover the Olympics.

We cover the bombing which, you know, whatever.

That's that's what you do.

But so but that was a great experience.

You know, I met people from all over the world and different people, news people were there.

I met tons of news people.

And it's so long ago now, it's like, what, 96 I was 25 years ago, the Olympic torch.

I carried that in Southern and in Scottsburg, Indiana, I think it was in May because it was the torch run.

And they run all through the United States.

And I think I just caught up with it in in southern Indiana.

That was cool.

That was pretty cool.

So I got to do that and that was an honor.

And then I guess Muhammad Ali was the one who eventually lit the flame down there during the opening ceremony.

So yeah, very, very cool.

Other big sporting events.

I got to cover the Super Bowl in Indianapolis in 2012.

You remember which number?

Super Bowl?

It was me as a 45.

I don't remember.

Anyway, so it was the Giants and Patriots.

I think that game I didn't get to go to, they game so it's you know, some of the glamor is just rubbed off because they're not covered.

So we were in like a trailer outside the obscure stadium.

I know but you know I'm not, you know, and that doesn't diminish the honor it was to cover the big event and I got was up there for about a week or so doing all the pregame stuff and and that was fun.

That was great.

Yeah.

And of course, like we were talking about just the when you were doing the sports, I mean, high school football and high school basketball in the tri state.

I mean, just it's madness.

There are so many teams.

Yeah.

In three different states.

Yeah, that was fun.

I mean, I had to do it after work in a sunrise shift and I don't want to complain like I'm Sally going, oh, go for a long time.

But but I mean, I would, you know, get my assignment.

Dan, you're going to, you're going to go to Red Hill, you're going to go to Olney, and you're going to swing by Princeton on your way home, you know, and this we've got from seven to ten, you know, and I'm like, OK, let me see how I can do that.

So I remember that one night I went to first of all, I think I got a speeding ticket on in Illinois somewhere.

Don't get me started.

And then I ended up in Olney right as halftime started and the marching band was on the field.

So I got shot.

I didn't have time to stick around.

I didn't fight.

So I got the marching band and left and went out.

I don't know if I made Princeton or not, but I got back.

I'm like, Well, I go, and then you have to edit.

Then I did it.

And, you know, it's not like calculus now where you drag and drop.

This is like, you know, pre roll and B roll and cover and my game and, you know, and voice tracking and it's like, you know, it's, yeah, you know, it was what it was, but so but I ended up we got it done and we did it and had fun and it was crazy.

And, you know, and, and literally you would be people were running to the studio or to the the tape room.

Yes.

With the tape.

I mean, literally running down the hall yes.

I wore a path from the editing rooms to the tape and chaos.

But it happened.

It did.

And I got on the air and it was amazing.

We we had a great crew and Dean Webster and Ryan Lemon, we we kind of had a good little niche of fun little we we focused more on like the fun of the night than the games.

It's changed now is now it's just about the games.

You don't do the fun anymore.

We were they they whatever.

So, you know, but it was fun.

We had a great time.

Ryan Lemon now on Kentucky Sports Radio time.

Yeah, I hear him in the morning.

It does it does a great job there.

Yeah.

He's really yeah really sports fan, too.

Getting big time doing that.

Did you ride the chopper chopper 14 it maybe once I you know I just basically prefer a car ride yeah well we had a we had chopper Bob or Bob I would like to buzz low objects and like you know whatever land under power line and go on the field that was a fan.

That was wild.

Yeah.

Now I think we talked about this earlier if you missed if you miss it all any part of the news routine I know you miss the people.

You know I miss the people.

I tell you and I you you were a really good writer and I prided myself on the way I wrote and I think we personally I think some newsrooms, they've lost their way when it comes to writing.

Sure.

And you know, I know we're trying to where assembly lining it now we have more content.

We have more time to fill.

So it's hard.

But I think we and when we teach journalism now we've we've kind of lost the the way of of of the written word and how and a good lead.

And you know, I know I'm sound like a real old fuddy duddy, but, you know, and I like my coworkers who tell me I would scream out when I come in and why did they write it this way?

I can't.

But, you know, because, you know, I'm not the world's best writer, but I you know, I think I kind of have a sense of how things you know, what you should say first about a story and what, you know, no need to say and how you know.

So that to me is my big you know, there's anything I would would love to improve or redo.

I mean, that that would be it.

I don't miss the daily, you know, churning of the of the stories and the and the horrible crimes and things we do.

But if there's one thing I would love to have done more is help with the writing, that's all.

And of course, being in the business as long as you have you've seen the technology change over the years.

I know when I first started in television, we were still shooting film, which was a look, I'm looking back on those days, I would have to edit the film and the film would break on the air, which is just maddening.

Then we went to, course, the videotape in those big cameras.

You've lugged some some equipment around, haven't you, Dan?

Yeah, I was a t.k 76.

It was.

Oh yes, very heavy.

It must have a problem.

I'm must weigh £30.

Oh at least.

Sure.

And then not only that, you have a tape deck which also weighs about £30.

I mean and yet battery bills, battery belts for lights.

So you know, I don't know if it was, it was a good workout or whatever, you know, injure yourself but it was a kind of a combination.

So you know, it was what it was that, well you know, we're just starting out and that's what the equipment they had and things have improved thankfully with with the equipment and the editing and everything.

And again, we had a six and ten, you know, so now we have a four or five, six, nine, ten.

I mean, noon, 11, you know, it's like you couldn't do what you're doing today back in the day with with the equipment and the editing and all those.

And you have to feed social media, right?

Social media.

Social media.

Yeah.

So, you know, we've just evolved because we can and we have the technology that's more simplified if that makes sense.

Now, any embarrassing moments that you'd like to share on on that to happen on that?

Oh, OK.

I mean, I you know, I haven't like put this put in anything and really tippling a little bucket.

But there was one time when I was doing a live shot on the riverfront and I you know, we used to have these radios where we'd have program our TV station in the radio and you can push up to your ear.

Yes.

But you could also have the other stations in the market in your ear.

Too.

So one time I was on the river front getting ready.

I don't know what it was some event the 4th of July or something.

I had the other one of the competing stations in my ear, and I was waiting for them to throw it to me.

And I'm like, wait a minute.

And apparently they're throwing it to me.

And I was like looking around going, you know, why and so that was that turned out to be an embarrassing moment.

I didn't realize it's embarrassing at the time.

So stuff like that, you know, I've I mean, I've said dumb things on the air, which I'm embarrassed about.

Did you guys ever have any critters on and on Sunday we had well, we used to have a run in with Mesker Park Zoo on this is many years ago.

And we he had a one of his animals on it was a was that of some kind of ostrich thing with a beak, an eagle or something or something like that.

And so he was sitting off on the side and we were Hamilton Northcutt and I were doing the like a two shot thing, teasing another story about some deadly fire or something.

And the emu would look around and and so we kind of lost it right in the middle of this.

Oh, I know.

And I'm like, sorry, I don't mean to be insensitive kind of.

And yeah.

What do you do and that was one of those blue I think it made it on bloopers and practical jokes.

Remember that show that.

Oh, yes, I think yeah.

I don't know where that video is now, but.

Oh, yeah, we had I remember Kevin D Yeah.

Oh, yeah.

It was one of our, our colleagues.

Yeah.

We had a he brought a something with the fair or something.

It was starting for h fair or something.

They brought this huge cow out on the set and of course this cow on this the concrete with its hooves, it didn't have any traction.

And you could see the eyes of that cow getting bigger and bigger.

I got it's going to bolt.

And this thing, you know, weight a ton.

Yeah, great idea.

And I thought it's going to tear all the equipment up and attack us.

But that's Kevin, that man of course, it relieved itself.

Oh, you know, and yours, however that part.

Oh, the cow dung was all over the place.

So and I know when I was first starting out, we had Marlin Perkins from Wild King.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Was visiting the zoo and he was checking out the zoo, were getting accreditation or something.

I don't know.

He had him here.

So he brought this.

He had a monkey with him.

And so and I was getting ready to go on the air and I go in the restroom.

And here's Marlin Perkins with a monkey on his shoulder urinating.

And it was.

Oh, it was a seal moment.

Darn.

It was a surreal moment.

Imagine I you know, I always have that image in my mind of Mark Perkins with the monkey on his shoulder.

I standing in front of the urinal.

I don't have many monkey urinating stories, David.

I'm glad I don't I'm sure you've got that ingrained in your head.

That's a good one.

That was a good one.

And OK, we move on your puns.

Are legendary.

Do you plan these puns?

Did you plan them or they just happen?

I think I think they just happen.

I you know, because if you said, Dan, do a pun.

Oh, yeah, you could.

It's just you.

Just you.

I don't know you.

I don't even know how to explain it.

David.

It's like you.

It's a subject or a word or a topic and you and it just it just melds into a pun.

I don't know.

It's just my dad was the pun master.

Really?

He was the best.

He he put mine to shame, but I think that's probably in my DNA, and that's why.

Sure, I did them in.

You no other way to keep things light and just to not be so serious all the time.

And.

And you enjoyed your puns.

I can tell you would laugh at your own puns, which I thought was great because I probably was the only one.

Well, you they would groan and you would laugh.

Yeah.

And, you know, I'm sure they were groan worthy.

Most of them, that's for sure.

So anyway, you retired, now you like to travel, you got this hockey gig, and you're open to other things that come along, which I thought was kind of interesting.

When I retired, too.

Things just happen.

Yeah, they just come, come about.

I didn't go out and seek anything.

People would come to me and have different ideas of what you might want to do, and you can say yes or no, what say?

Which is great.

Yes.

You didn't have to go with the first thing that was offered to you.

And maybe it just says, Hey, your reputation is still decent.

Sure.

And we could use you because other people, I guess, could say, Well, I wouldn't want them because they're right.

But no, I mean, it's it's flattering and you know that I there's a lot of opportunities, but I again, you don't want to pile too many things on your plate because you're, you know, the point of retiring is to kind of just kick back.

Sure.

But like, this whole Thunderbolt gig worked out perfectly and then other things come along and then we'll see.

But, you know, I'm sure you hear you're sitting in front of a microphone as well as an opportunity that came along after your new well in this gives me an opportunity to talk to people that I want to talk to.

Right.

You get to pick.

That's right.

You get to pick don't have to talk to politicians.

Yeah well I most I want to I am flattered that you picked me and I really well, this is you're a two timer.

Yeah, that's right.

Oh, wow.

And I've had Jeff Lyons on twice now.

Too, so you're and if you aren't, you're usually exclusive to company.

So, so frequently asked questions in your retirement I can tell you that you've retired.

You have probably gotten the same question.

So how is your retirement going?

So how do you like retirement?

I get that literally every day, especially the hockey.

It was a lot.

And I say it's great.

I just oh, my arms.

I go, well, you're looking at I mean, there's this I mean, look, at me, still kick me, OK?

And another one, which really just is very flattering and humbling, is we miss you on the air.

We you know, it doesn't really get any better than that.

I mean, they say they miss and it doesn't get old.

It doesn't.

And I say I miss drinking my coffee with you.

I miss getting up in the morning watching you guys.

I miss you and Byron cuttin up and you you on the air and your ponds even if they mean that one.

But and so those kind of things are very nice.

So and again, it's only been a couple of months.

So I you know, it's all new to me.

But so far the community reaction's been just very kind and humbling and amazing.

In your career, you shared the fact that you had cancer early on.

That's right I had testicular cancer back in 1987 May of 87.

And you know obviously it's the standard line I use.

It's why I'm half nuts and it, you know, but you know, it's I guess that's I don't know how to say, but I guess that's, that's why God gives you two so, you know, but everything's fine.

And I caught it early and I would obviously want men to do self-exams.

And if you feel something that's not right to check with your urologist and make sure I know you were very public after this.

Yeah.

And encouraging men to get checked, that is a way that in my public role, I think anybody would want to do that.

I think it's important.

I, I've, I had people contact me about it and I have questions and I would obviously just tell them, you know, if you have a concern, go go see it, go see a doctor or something.

I mean, it's a private thing, but it's nothing to be ashamed.

And you recovered fine.

I recovered.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Now this the heart attack, did that give you the reason to retire?

Not necessarily.

I think, you know, it was time out.

67 I mean, I.

Are you planning on retiring?

I'm.

I was pretty much planning on because I was thinking about doing it the year before, but we had the pandemic, and I'm like, what am I going to do?

I can't even leave the House with an election.

So I stuck it out another year.

And and then I just, you know, I think the the heart attack maybe help the seal the deal.

Maybe my kids were the dad that you need to retire.

And you don't regret that at all?

No, I have no regrets about retiring.

I really don't.

I feel free in a way, and I'm not having to get up, David.

It's just, you know, it's just getting up and going in and help deadlines and being on the air for 30 and putting makeup on and trying to look alive and awake.

I don't miss not having to do that.

I it's you know, but I appreciate everybody else that does it.

I really do.

It's it's not an easy gig.

It really isn't.

Well, Dan Katz, this has been a great conversation.

You look great.

And I'm glad you're you're healthy and you look at two days.

Well, thanks.

We're hanging in there.

Well well the daily grind.

That's why we're like yeah and we I feel healthy too.

I really do.

So good luck Dan, with the thunderbolt and your future plans and say hi to Beth and the boys for us.

Good health and happiness in your retirement.

Dan Katz, thanks for you, my guest.

David, thank you so much for having me.

I really appreciate it.

Good to see you.

And thanks, everybody for all the kindness you've shown me all these years.

I'm David James, and this is two Main Street presented by Jeffrey Berger, a Berger Wealth Services at Baird Private Wealth Management.

Thanks, Dan.