COMMAERNTTARY
THINKING BACK
By Dick Crippen
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018 | TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE 139
Maybe it’s my age, or
maybe I am changing
the way I think,
but I am finding it
worthwhile to look back on my life. I suspect that no matter
where you are in life, it is a good idea to review where you have
been and how you got to where you are.
In my case, it comes together like a giant jigsaw puzzle, or
maybe even a kaleidoscope, so that no matter which way I look
at my life, it all seems to fit together now. While living it, it was
only on rare occasions that my wife and I felt that things were
falling into place. Most of the time, life just happened, and we
moved on to the next part without much thought about where
we were going or where we had been.
I had a great career in broadcasting, but the truth is, I never
really planned for it. I studied business and psychology in college
with my ambition directed toward the advertising industry. On
a break from college, I did end up working at the world’s largest
advertising agency at that time (in the mailroom) and took a
promotion to run a commercial review room. I decided to move
on to another job when circumstances changed. A friend worked
at NBC as a page and encouraged me to seek employment there.
I did, and before I knew it, I was reporting every morning to
30 Rockefeller Center in New York
City, where I would be assigned to
some of the most historic TV shows
ever produced.
After I decided to continue my education at the University
of Tampa, I headed south to help run their radio station while
I studied for my degree. Not long after that, I ended up doing
a “garbage” shift at WDAE Radio (good music at that time).
From there, I was hired as a booth announcer at WFLA-TV and
learned about weather broadcasting. That earned me a spot as
the first weatherman on then WLCY-TV (Channel 10) when it
went on the air in 1965. However, my career as I know it today
started when I was named sports director a year after joining
the station, and the rest is history.
So take the time to look back on your own life, and I think you
will be surprised at how your life puzzle came together, just as I
was. It turned into a long and happy life for me. 9
EDITOR’S NOTE: Dick Crippen, a staple in Tampa Bay broadcasting
for more than 40 years, is a senior adviser for the Tampa Bay Rays,
and works extensively with the military. He is active in the world of
charity fundraising and sits on 11 boards for nonprofit organizations.
Dick Crippen