48

"MAN OF THE YEAR"
ADDRESS TO ADVERTISING CLUB OF BALTIMORE

February 4, 1967

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We honor Chuck Thompson tonight, and, in so doing, we remind
ourselves of the tremendous impact one personality can have on a
sport, on a city, on a state, and even on the color of our national ex-
istence. Of course, this year with the pennant winning Orioles has
been rather special, but think of all the years when we weren't cham-
pions and just wonder what they would have been like without
Chuck's enthusiasm and spirit carrying us forward. Chuck, you've
got a power to communicate that is almost uncanny and if you would
consent to selling the Maryland Legislature on tax reform for me,
I'll push the beer for you!

You know, our town has been blessed with great sports announcers,
who were not only great talents but great people as well: Lee Davis,
Bill Dyer, Bailey Goss, just to mention a few, are names that will be
remembered long after the exploits of most athletes go forever and
forgotten into the record books. And I know Chuck that nothing could
be more meaningful to you tonight than to feel that the honor being
awarded you as an individual star performer is a tribute to your pro-
fession as well... and to all the people who helped to get you started
in broadcasting, who taught you the secrets of the trade, who worked
along with you when you were on the way up. You're our kind of man,
Chuck, you've arrived and you're never going to get away.

Undoubtedly, among the many kudos to be showered upon Chuck
tonight will be a poem by my old debating partner, Hymie Pressman,
and if he wouldn't mind I'd like to submit one of my own. It's called
CHUCK HELPS ME TO FORGET.

Chuck helps me to forget

The world I leave each day;

He turns my thoughts from state affairs

When he does play by play.

I sometimes get the feeling

When Chuck works up some steam

That even Burch and Goldstein

Are on the Agnew team.

Chuck helps me to forget

What Hymie never would