Published in The Chronicle “At Home” January 24, 1991

A: Wayne Norman.

A: 42.

A: I am the morning personality, program and sports director of WILI-AM and color analyst for UConn football and basketball for the Connecticut Radio Network. I also do play-by-play for some Eastern Connecticut State University baseball games.

A: Los Angeles.

A: My father was promoted by Westinghouse to Bridgeport (CT) in 1965.  My parents said I could stay behind, finish (Glendale) high school and go to a California college, or I could come with them and go to UConn.  I joined them, graduated Trumbull (Ct) High School and would up at UConn from 1966-1970.

A: At UConn, I started at (campus radio station) WHUS, where I had my own show after only a month in 1966.  While at UConn I was very active in the college radio station.  I also worked from 1968-1970 at WADS in Ansonia (Ct).  In the summer of 1970, they called me here (WILI).  A lot of people who worked at WILI were WHUS grads; they knew of me and needed somebody, and I’ve been here ever since.  I started doing afternoons, but after 13 months I switched to mornings.  For radio, that’s the most important part of the day.

A: I’m doing what I like and getting paid for it.

A: The alarm at 4:45 AM.

A: Sometimes after games I’m up until 1 AM.  I have a hard time coming home and falling asleep.  Like with the players, there’s an adrenaline rush.  I have to get psyched for a game or I wouldn’t enjoy doing it.  I’m stressed after a morning of work here–you have to be on your toes all the time.  I try to power nap before most games so I’m fresh at night.  But that’s difficult for road games.

A:  I always liked “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” and “The Sting.”  “When Harry Met Sally” gets it for recent movies.  As far as TV goes, David Letterman makes me laugh. I’ve seen the show in person five times; I had tickets for the Tuesday after Tate’s shot (George’s shot to beat Clemson in the 1990 NCAA Sweet 16 games) and had UConn gone to Denver (Final Four), someone else would have used the tickets.  But (Duke’s) Christian Laettner was my ticket to Letterman.

A: I’m a big Beatles fan.  I like a lot of different pop stuff, and some Broadway.  I’m a huge “Phantom of the Opera” fan.  I’ve seen it three times and listened to the original cast album about 500 times.  “Rubber Soul” (Beatles) is probably my favorite album.  I don’t play a lot of records at home; I don’t even own a CD.

A: That’s a tough one.  In sports (baseball announcer) Vin Scully because I grew up listening to him in L.A.  I remember listening to him call a Sandy Koufax no-hitter when I was in Scout camp in the mountains.  Some of the phrases I use are taken from Vinny.  I also like Jon Miller (former Red Sox, now Baltimore announcer).  He’s the best person possible to have during a rain delay.

A:  I grew up a Milwaukee Braves fan. At that time there were no Los Angeles (baseball) teams.  I was a big Henry Aaron fan.  Since I moved here, I’ve gravitated to the local teams.  Now I’m a big Red Sox fan.  Also Celtics.  And of course UConn and ECSU.

A:  That’s easy, its baseball, but as far as intensity, UConn basketball is a passion with me as it is with many Husky fans.

A:  There are times when you get done broadcasting a game, and you know you’ve done a good job.  Some games you think you could have done a better job..when you think “I could have said this…”  I’m a better analyst now than I was six years ago;  I’m picking up things now that I didn’t then.

A: Raccoons robbing my bird feeder and people who call it the Gam-Pel Pavilion!

A:  I hear that a lot.  I like it here.  I grew up in the city.  Los Angeles is a nice place to visit but I would never want to live there.  Here I’m close to enough cities where I can do things like concerts, sports events, and Broadway plays, but I like living in the country.  In terms of my job, the UConn thing kind of dovetails nicely with what I’m doing at WILI.  It would be a regular part of my beat anyhow, especially with the way Husky fever is now.  That’s a dream for many people.

A:  The most nervous I’ve been was emcee-ing the opening ceremonies for the Nutmeg Games because I was on display before 6,000 people, with some pretty high profile types in attendance.  I nailed it.  Yet for a UConn basketball game you might be talking to 50 times that many people.  It’s one thing to talk into a radio mic; it’s very personal between you and the listener.  You don’t think about the thousands of people out there.  Sure there’s a little bit of ham in it too.  I was born in L.A. and lived in Hollywood till I was 11, a mile away from Hollywood and Vine.  In a social setting, I don’t think of myself as a real outgoing guy; I like to hang out with people I know, but I don’t think I’m the kind of guy who wants to be in the limelight in private life.  I’m not a big party animal.

A:  That’s not that hard.  I’d be satisfied being here, doing the same thing, only doing a better job than what I’m doing now–still broadcasting UConn games.  That doesn’t mean if I got an offer from a major market I’d turn it down, but I’d really miss broadcasting UConn basketball and Eastern baseball.

A:  Until last year, it was Eastern winning the 1982 national (Division III) championship.  It was their first ever and that was really a great experience.  Then last year in a span of two months you had Tate’s shot (probably my greatest moment), and then a couple of months later, Eastern baseball does it again.  When I think about Tate’s shot, the thing that stands out most in my mind is the desperation you feel as you realize the odds are real slim that it’s going to work.  As the ball went through the hoop, (play by play man) Bob Heussler started jumping up and down like a little kid.  It was about as excited as I’ve ever been watching a UConn basketball game, and I’ve seen lots of highs and lows.