Gleason on Gleason, in his own words

This interview with Bill Gleason originally appeared in the April 6, 2008, editions of the SouthtownStar.
The life of South Side icon the simpsons dvd box set Bill Gleason reads like a Carl Sandburg poem. Bricklayer, railway postman, stockyard meat packer and — with no less of a work ethic — sports writer, Gleason not only graduated from the old school but also laid a cornerstonedisney dvd collection or two of it.
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Bill Gleason: 1922-2010
Returning from World War II decorated with a Silver Star and a wish to stick to sports, Gleason wrote columns in Chicago with accuracy the simpsons dvd and acerbic wit for 40 years — including 15 at the Daily Southtown until 2001.
The die-hardest of Sox fans, a cigar-chomping Gleason wrotedisney dvd up the likes of Luis Aparicio and Nellie Fox, George Halas and Gale Sayers, Mike Ditka and Walter Payton, along with Phil Jackson and Michael Jordan. Gleason also pioneered electronic sports media, starting up the "Sportswriters" family guy dvd box set on WGN Radio nearly two decades before The Score came along, and did the same on TV long before viewers became overrun with sports talking heads. Still feisty at 85, Gleason and his wife South park dvd collectionof seven years, Mary Ellen, live in Oak Brook.
What do you do with your opinions these days?
I don't have a sounding board, other than my wife. I keep my disney dvdopinions to myself, mostly, because nobody asks me what I think.
You often wore hats on the air, but you alwaysall disney dvds had impressive hair — full, wavy and, apparently, your own — were you a redhead backthe simpsons dvd in the day?
Yes, I was. I was known as "Red" Gleason.
What was being a friend of Walter Payton like?
We were work friends; it was professional.South park dvd collection He was so much different in public perception than our basketball star (Jordan). Walter is still No. 1; he was above everybody. He didn't make any (public relations) mistakes after he retired, unlike the man with the Bulls.
What's the biggest story you ever broke?
The signing of the Notre Dame footballfamily guy dvd box set coach out of high school in Ohio — Gerry Faust. Nobody could believe the story. I was on a weekend trip covering football and I got back to the South Side and I really wanted to just rest. But Moose Skowron was having a party so I went there, and Ziggy Czarobski (a former Notre Dame player) told me all disney dvdsabout Faust. I said, 'They're not going to hire a high school guy.' He said, 'Well,disney dvd collection they hired him.' ...South park dvd box set The other one of equal importance was when the Bears fired their generaldisney dvd box set manager, Jerry Vainisi, a year after winning the Super Bowl. I got Vainisi on the phone that night and Vainisi — who had been fired for 10 days at that point — said, "You've got it right but you can't quote me."
Did fans send you and ("Sportswriters" host) Ben Bentley free cigars all the time?
Not always, but people would send in or bring in boxes — and we appreciated their generosity. Not many Cubansthe simpsons dvd box set but once in a while, and the Dominicans were very good as well.
You still smoke?
No, but not for the usual reasons. ISouth park dvd collection had heart surgery in 2006 and I was thriving. Six months later, I felt so good that I decided to run a couple of small errands without a walker or a cane. I went into the garage of my building and I brought up a six-pack of — some people would be surprised to hear this — of pop. I dropped that off at our door and went back out and picked up three small bags and I walked back and got to our side entrance and down I went, down the concrete stairs. I don't even remember falling. I do remember that the cement didn't give. I looked like I had gone 12 rounds with Marciano, and I lost the sight in my right eye. It's been a terribledisney dvd handicap.