Ron Cameron

[Bobbert]

Great song parody Bobbert.You are the best

Thanks. When I turned on my radio Friday morning to start my Christmas music listening, the first song, of course, was It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.

[radiofan1974]

Michigan took care of OSU today, Ron must be beside himself, I have a feeling nurses and doctors heard a story about a college coach that owes Ron lunches

[Bobbert]

Michigan took care of OSU today, Ron must be beside himself, I have a feeling nurses and doctors heard a story about a college coach that owes Ron lunches

It's too bad we don't know where Ron is staying. We could all send him cupcakes with the initials "JH" on top.

[Momo]

Michigan took care of OSU today, Ron must be beside himself, I have a feeling nurses and doctors heard a story about a college coach that owes Ron lunches

It's too bad we don't know where Ron is staying. We could all send him cupcakes with the initials "JH" on top.

I understand Ron suffered a relapse yesterday.

[MWmetalhead]

I'm not sure what that means.

For whatever reason, his Twitter acct is now private.

[Bobbert]

The late, great Willie Hernandez earned many rewards for his outstanding season in 1984, including:

• MVP award

• Cy Young award

• World Series championship

...and...

• An appearance on Sports View Today with Ron Cameron and Bob Page

Detroit Free Press (November 2, 1984)

Here is the article that accompanied this picture. It's a good snapshot of that memorable era when Cameron and Page worked together. It was written by Ron's most sympathetic acquaintance at the Detroit Free Press, Joe Lapointe.

Cable sport: Not all smooth (or all bland)

If you want mainstream sports, you can tune in the World Series or the Super Bowl on TV and watch the II o'clock news on the major, network-affiliated stations. But if you want something off the beaten path, you can check out cable.

Burly Ron Cameron entered the studio, for the taping of "Sports View Today," wearing a slightly tight BanIon pullover shirt with multi-colored horizontal stripes. On camera, he would look something like a rotund TV test pattern and unlike any paid performer you'll ever see on local or national TV.

But the crew on the set was complimenting him on his appearance. "Geez, Ron, you shaved today and got a haircut," someone shouted.

"Ron wears muscle shirts to show off his bod," said Bob Page, Cameron's co-host.

Page, slender with a clean-cut look, wore a double-breasted gray suit with necktie and looked downright conservative next to Cameron.

Their appearances and their opinions are often in contrast. That's part of the appeal for an award-winning show hosted by two survivors in Detroit's sportscasting industry.

During the show, Cameron and Page argue sports with each other the way Siskel and Ebert might talk about movies, off the air, after drinks.

"The fans are dumb enough to accept it," Cameron says, referring to the low quality of today's sports.

"No they aren't," says Page.

"Yes they are," says Cameron.

"No they aren't..."

LATER, THEIR guest Michigan basketball coach Bill Frieder would point his finger at Page and attack him for reporting false scoops. Frieder would also tease Cameron about his basketball ignorance before telling him he "talks too much."

However, in reply to questions, Frieder also would make several stinging comments about Eric Turner, who left Michigan to turn pro after last season and is now between jobs.

"Eric's biggest problem was that he played on his reputation and sometimes he wouldn't get up for all the games," Frieder said. "I really feel sorry for him ... He just had pro on his mind all year ... A lot of (college players) are listening to agents and outsiders and a lot of 'em take bad advice."

Perhaps the looseness and bluntness of the show's hosts loosens and blunts the tongues of the guests. Last summer, Michigan State football coach George Perles said on "Sports View Today" that Illinois coach Mike White should be fired for recruiting violations. Other TV and newspaper reporters picked up on the story.

THE SHOW APPEARS three times a week on Channel 62 and several times a week on various local cable systems. In addition, Page does sports reports for WJZZ-FM and Cameron has a show on WCAR-AM.

The TV show, Page admits, pays "peanuts." They're using it to try to hoist themselves back into the mainstream.

A few years ago, Page was a sports anchor and reporter for Channel 7. "People said I'd be on the network by age 30," Page, 32, recalls.

"It didn't work out that way." Page had and still has a sharp tongue and great self-confidence.

Cameron did a nightly talk show on WXYZ radio, one of Detroit's more prestigious stations. Howard Cosell announced TV commercials for Cameron's program. But Cameron and the station parted ways after hot words and money disputes. "The system stinks," Cameron says. "I've been blackballed in this town."

"I've taken my lumps, sure, but it's better than selling shoes," Page says. "Yes, this is a back-stabbing, ruthless business. But it's a wonderful way to make a living. Some people would give their right arm to do what I do."

Both say they feel they've been shunted aside because they aren't "house men" in a business which sometimes requires sportscasters to, figuratively, kiss the wallet pockets of people in power.

"We're proving we can make it in the business without doing that," Page said. "I don't know why people in this town are so afraid of opinions. What we do is part opinion, part low-brow comedy. I really think we're entertaining people, even if they think we're full of s-."

Both point with pride to an ACE (Award for Cable Excellence) they got last September. A tape of the presentation is shown at the beginning of their show. The presentation, by Sugar Ray Leonard, came at a banquet in Washington. Their showed tied for an award with a Boston program..

[Momo]

I'm not sure what that means.

For whatever reason, his Twitter acct is now private.

It was a reference to the “bad” news from the Big House.

[MWmetalhead]

Ah, got it.

[uncleb67]

Kinda strange having a long holiday weekend go by without the dulcet tones of SportsTalk with Ron Cameron. It is basically comfort food for so many of us here, albeit in the left-overs/reheated form!

[Bobbert]

In the 11/2/84 Free Press article I posted above, one comment by Bob Page really jumped out:

What we do is part opinion, part low-brow comedy.

It's fair to say that also applies to Ron's solo shows.

And yet, this thread has been criticized for understanding that fact better than anyone else.

[Momo]

For whatever reason, his Twitter acct is now private.

So M***** is up to his old tricks again. With Ron’s health - & return - in question, no less.

[Kidcat]

For whatever reason, his Twitter acct is now private.

So M***** is up to his old tricks again. With Ron’s health - & return - in question, no less.

Having control,of Ron's twitter account is about the only "power" that Marin has.At WPON he is a gofer who is assigned the worst tasks at the station.That is why he is Ron's producer.Lets not begrudge this little man the only sense of self worth that he has.

[Bobbert]

Happy thanksgiving to all the minions with this being a holiday it’s a bummer we won’t get the special holiday edition shows we so look forward to

Get well Ron!

Yes, Happy Thanksgiving to all of us bereft at the, hopefully, temporary absence of Ron in our lives. And maybe we'll still get Ron's annual Christmas spectacular with the King Family, the Osmonds, Bing & his young kids from his second marriage (never the abandoned boys from the first), Claudine Longet &, of course, the entire Cameron family to brighten the holiday season.

It's too bad Bing Crosby's four oldest boys won't be part of Ron's Christmas spectacular. They did a nice job on this family gathering in 1950:

[Momo]

Happy thanksgiving to all the minions with this being a holiday it’s a bummer we won’t get the special holiday edition shows we so look forward to

Get well Ron!

Yes, Happy Thanksgiving to all of us bereft at the, hopefully, temporary absence of Ron in our lives. And maybe we'll still get Ron's annual Christmas spectacular with the King Family, the Osmonds, Bing & his young kids from his second marriage (never the abandoned boys from the first), Claudine Longet &, of course, the entire Cameron family to brighten the holiday season.

It's too bad Bing Crosby's four oldest boys won't be part of Ron's Christmas spectacular. They did a nice job on this family gathering in 1950:

It's not unknown for the subsequent wife to shunt aside the children of her husband's prior marriage(s), especially if the new union produces children, so I wonder if Kathryn, the second Mrs. Bing Crosby, had some role was responsible for the eldest sons' absence from the mid-'60s & beyond Christmas specials. Or maybe they just grew out of their cuteness.

[Bobbert]

Happy thanksgiving to all the minions with this being a holiday it’s a bummer we won’t get the special holiday edition shows we so look forward to

Get well Ron!

Yes, Happy Thanksgiving to all of us bereft at the, hopefully, temporary absence of Ron in our lives. And maybe we'll still get Ron's annual Christmas spectacular with the King Family, the Osmonds, Bing & his young kids from his second marriage (never the abandoned boys from the first), Claudine Longet &, of course, the entire Cameron family to brighten the holiday season.

It's too bad Bing Crosby's four oldest boys won't be part of Ron's Christmas spectacular. They did a nice job on this family gathering in 1950:

It's not unknown for the subsequent wife to shunt aside the children of her husband's prior marriage(s), especially if the new union produces children, so I wonder if Kathryn, the second Mrs. Bing Crosby, had some role was responsible for the eldest sons' absence from the mid-'60s & beyond Christmas specials. Or maybe they just grew out of their cuteness.

That sounds right. The four oldest probably knew that they couldn't compete with the youngest.

I'm the second of eight children, with the first four growing up in Indiana and the second four growing up in Michigan. There's always been a two-family feeling.