View source for Tom Mees

{{Short description|American sportscaster}}
{{for|the cricketer|Tom Mees (cricketer)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| image = Tom Mees.jpg
| name = Tom Mees
| caption = Tom Mees on the ''[[SportsCenter]]'' set.
| birth_date =  {{birth date|mf=yes|1949|10|13}}
| birth_place = [[Springfield Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania|Springfield, Pennsylvania]], U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|mf=yes|1996|08|14|1949|10|13}}
| death_place = [[Southington, Connecticut]], U.S.
| resting_place = Holy Cross Burial Park and Mausoleum<br>[[East Brunswick, New Jersey]]
| alma_mater  = [[University of Delaware]], 1972
| occupation = [[Sportscaster]]
| website =
| footnotes = 
|spouse= Michelle Mees
|children= 2 daughters 
}}

'''Thomas E. Mees''' (October 13, 1949  – August 14, 1996) was an American sportscaster best known for his role in hosting and in the play-by-play role of professional and collegiate [[ice hockey]] and for being a prominent personality on [[ESPN]] during that network's early years.<ref name=earlyfp>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=YVxPAAAAIBAJ&pg=3092%2C5394654 |newspaper=Toledo blade |location=Ohio |agency=(New York Daily News) |last=Raissman |first=Bob |title=Mees' fingerprints on ESPN from network's dubious start |date=August 16, 1996 |page=32 }}</ref><ref name=setstd>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=21tWAAAAIBAJ&pg=4906%2C1571459 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington |agency=Knight-Ridder Newspapers |last=Kern |first=Mike |title=ESPN show set standard |date=December 3, 1988 |page=B3 }}</ref>

==Early life and career==
Mees began his career as a student at the [[University of Delaware]] in [[Newark, Delaware|Newark]]. After graduation in 1972, he became the sports director at [[WILM-AM]] radio in [[Wilmington, Delaware|Wilmington]].<ref name=ldnapob>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CA9QAAAAIBAJ&pg=7209%2C4285840 |newspaper=Ludington Daily News |location=Michigan |agency=Associated Press |title=ESPN sportscaster Mees drowns in pool accident |date=August 15, 1996 |page=12 }}</ref> Mees returned to Delaware in 1992 when he announced the [[Blue Hen Chicken|Blue Hens]]' [[America East Conference|America East]] Championship for ESPN from the [[Delaware Field House|field house]].

After six years in Wilmington and one year at [[WTXL-TV|WECA-TV]] in [[Tallahassee, Florida]], Mees was hired by ESPN as one of their first on-air personalities for the network's launch in 1979 on September 7.<ref name=setstd/><ref name=ldnapob/> In 2005, he was inducted into the [[Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame|Delaware Sports Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.desports.org/inductees/2005/|title=Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame in Wilmington, Delaware - 2005|website=www.desports.org}}</ref>

==ESPN==
Mees was a lead anchor on ''[[SportsCenter]]'' from 1979 to 1985 when he took on hosting and occasional play-by-play duties for [[NHL on ESPN]]. ESPN later lost the NHL contract to [[NHL on SportsChannel America|SportsChannel America]], and he returned full-time to ''SportsCenter''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Sarni |first=Jim |date=October 10, 1985 |title=ESPN Breaks the Ice for Sports Fans With Caps-Rangers Game Thursday |url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1985-10-05-8502130393-story.html |accessdate=February 9, 2016 |work=[[Sun-Sentinel]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Archives |first=L. A. Times |date=September 20, 1985 |title=Stockton, Walker Get a Break as Big Call Goes Their Way |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-09-20-sp-6574-story.html |access-date=2023-10-10 |website=Los Angeles Times |page=3 |language=en-US}}</ref> When the NHL returned to ESPN in [[1992–93 NHL season|1992–93]], he worked NHL games as a play-by-play man during the season with [[Darren Pang]], [[Brian Engblom]], and [[John Davidson (ice hockey)|John Davidson]] as his analysts,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Frager |first=Ray |date=1993-05-28 |title=ESPN gives hockey its moment on center ice |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1993/05/28/espn-gives-hockey-its-moment-on-center-ice/ |access-date=2024-02-11 |website=Baltimore Sun |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=By |date=1993-04-16 |title=REECE SAYS TAYLOR'S STRATEGY IS TO PLAY TO HIS STRENGTH |url=https://www.courant.com/1993/04/16/reece-says-taylors-strategy-is-to-play-to-his-strength/ |access-date=2024-02-24 |website=Hartford Courant |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Nidetz |first=Steve |date=1993-04-19 |title=ABC DROPS PUCK IN HAWKS PLAYOFF BROADCAST |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1993/04/19/abc-drops-puck-in-hawks-playoff-broadcast/ |access-date=2024-02-24 |website=Chicago Tribune |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Pergament |first=Alan |date=1993-04-20 |title=PRESIDENT DAZZLES KB'S BOYD; ESPN SWITCHES JIM SCHOENFELD |url=https://buffalonews.com/news/president-dazzles-kbs-boyd-espn-switches-jim-schoenfeld/article_9702d53c-f9de-512c-a76b-f01f5739d6c2.html |access-date=2024-02-24 |website=Buffalo News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Nidetz |first=Steve |date=1994-04-18 |title=LITTLE WONDER PANG A TOP HOCKEY ANALYST |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1994/04/18/little-wonder-pang-a-top-hockey-analyst/ |access-date=2024-02-11 |website=Chicago Tribune |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Nidetz |first=Steve |date=1993-10-01 |title=ESPN2 TAKES AIM AT YOUNG, RESTLESS |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1993/10/01/espn2-takes-aim-at-young-restless/ |access-date=2024-03-27 |website=Chicago Tribune |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Nidetz |first=Steve |date=1995-09-25 |title=MADDEN HAS GAME PLAN FOR NEXT TYSON FIGHT |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1995/09/25/madden-has-game-plan-for-next-tyson-fight/ |access-date=2024-03-27 |website=Chicago Tribune |language=en-US}}</ref> and he hosted ''SportsCenter'' in the off-season. Mees was an early advocate of NCAA Ice Hockey on ESPN, worked play-by-play for the men's [[NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament|Frozen Four]] (NCAA Hockey's championship tournament), and contributed to the increased visibility of that tournament.<ref>{{Cite web |title=27 years ago today: Morrison buries the rebound in OT... {{!}} mgoblog |url=https://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/27-years-ago-today-morrison-buries-rebound-ot |access-date=2024-02-11 |website=mgoblog.com}}</ref>

Other sports Mees called for ESPN included [[College Basketball on ESPN|college basketball]], [[ESPN College Football|college football]], and [[ESPN Major League Baseball|Major League Baseball]]. He also anchored the [[USFL on ESPN|network's coverage]] of the [[United States Football League]] in the 1980s.

By the 15th anniversary of ESPN, Mees (along with [[Chris Berman]] and [[Bob Ley]]) was one of three original ''SportsCenter'' anchors still with the network.<ref name=cel15yr>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bLsiAAAAIBAJ&pg=6504%2C257304 |newspaper=Beaver County Times |location=Pennsylvania |agency=wire services |title=ESPN celebrates 15 years |date=September 2, 1994 |page=B2 }}</ref>

==Death==
On August 14, 1996, Mees, who did not know how to swim, drowned in a neighbor's swimming pool in [[Southington, Connecticut]].<ref name=erbswmac>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OABRAAAAIBAJ&pg=6794%2C3881016|newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard |location=Oregon |agency=wire services |title=ESPN announcer dead after swimming accident |date=August 15, 1996 |page=3D |via=[[Google News]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=1996-08-15 |title=Tom Mees, 46, ESPN Broadcaster, Drowns |language=en-US |page=D22 |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/08/15/sports/tom-mees-46-espn-broadcaster-drowns.html |access-date=2023-09-10 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Archives |first=L. A. Times |date=1996-08-15 |title=ESPN Sportscaster Mees Drowns in Pool Accident |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-08-15-sp-34385-story.html |access-date=2023-09-10 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref> Police initially said that Mees had jumped into the pool to save his younger daughter but later said they did not know how he ended up in the water and classified his death as an [[accident]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33287554/sportscaster_46_downs_in_pool_in/ |title=Sportscaster, 46, Downs In Pool In Front Of Kids |agency=[[Associated Press|AP]] |newspaper=[[Pharos-Tribune]] |location=[[Logansport, Indiana]] |page=B1 |date=August 15, 1996 |access-date=June 26, 2019 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hooper |first=Ernest |title=Mees' death stuns industry |url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1996/08/16/mees-death-stuns-industry/ |access-date=2023-09-10 |website=[[Tampa Bay Times]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Archives |first=L. A. Times |date=1996-08-15 |title=ESPN Sportscaster Mees Drowns in Pool Accident |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-08-15-sp-34385-story.html |access-date=2024-03-16 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Everson |first=Darren |date=August 14, 1996 |title=ESPN'S TOM MEES DROWNS |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1996/08/15/espns-tom-mees-drowns/db29061e-033a-404d-8c36-6a3fdfbda4c6/ |access-date=2024-03-16 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Stewart |first=Larry |date=1996-08-16 |title=Berman's Loss This Week Far Outweighs His Gain |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-08-16-sp-34741-story.html |access-date=2024-03-16 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref>

He and Michelle, his wife of almost 10 years, had two daughters: Lauren who was 8 years old and Gabrielle who was 4 at the time of his death.<ref name=ergdlacod>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OQBRAAAAIBAJ&pg=3171%2C4013784 |newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard |location=Oregon |agency=Associated Press |title=Drowning listed as cause of Mees' death |date=August 16, 1996 |page=4C |via=[[Google News]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=By |date=1997-08-10 |title=MICHELLE MEES FINDS A WAY TO MOVE ON, WITH GRACE |url=https://www.courant.com/1997/08/10/michelle-mees-finds-a-way-to-move-on-with-grace/ |access-date=2023-09-10 |website=Hartford Courant |language=en-US}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rakYKmIkL0M 1984 USFL - ESPN: Tom Mees interviews Commissioner Chet Simmons] via [[YouTube]]
* {{Find a Grave|38208866}}

{{ESPN}}
{{ESPN National Hockey Night}}
{{NHL on ABC}}
{{ESPN Major League Baseball}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mees, Tom}}
[[Category:NFL announcers]]
[[Category:1949 births]]
[[Category:1996 deaths]]
[[Category:American television sports anchors]]
[[Category:American television sports commentators]]
[[Category:Arena football announcers]]
[[Category:College basketball announcers in the United States]]
[[Category:College football announcers]]
[[Category:Deaths by drowning in Connecticut]]
[[Category:Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens basketball]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball broadcasters]]
[[Category:National Hockey League broadcasters]]
[[Category:People from Southington, Connecticut]]
[[Category:People from Wilmington, Delaware]]
[[Category:Tampa Bay Buccaneers announcers]]
[[Category:United States Football League announcers]]
[[Category:University of Delaware alumni]]
[[Category:NBA broadcasters]]
[[Category:College hockey announcers in the United States]]
[[Category:People from Springfield Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:20th-century American people]]