Eddie Andelman (born 1937[1]) is an American sports radio talk-show host. He has worked over 40 years in sports talk radio inBoston and has appeared on more than 100 sports stations throughout the country.
Andelman was born in the Boston neighborhood ofDorchester and raised inBrookline.[2] and graduated fromBrookline High School[3][4] in 1954. Andelman graduated fromBoston University and earned an MBA fromNortheastern University. Before starting his career in radio withWBZ in 1969, he ran his family's real estate development business.[5]
Andelman's career in sports talk radio began in June 1969 on suburban station WUNR.[6] His showSports Huddle then moved to Boston'sWBZ later that year. Airing on Sundays from 7–10 p.m., the show also featured Jim McCarthy and Mark Witkin. Andelman remained at WBZ until mid-1971, when he and the show moved toWEEI. He began a television program for WNAC (nowWHDH) Channel 7 in November 1972, which lasted until early 1976. He has also appeared as a host onWCVB Channel 5.
Andelman'sSports Huddle show moved toWTKK and lasted for many years until December 26, 2010.[7]
Andelman's son David created thePhantom Gourmet restaurant-review television show. His other sons, includingDan Andelman, host the show.
Andelman and his wife Judith (whom he often called "the fabulous Judy" on hisSports Huddle talk show) live inWest Palm Beach, Florida.[1] They were made honorary goodwill ambassadors by theAruba Tourism Authority after having visited the island 53 times over 35 years.[8]
Andelman is involved with many charitable organizations, but is best known in theNew England area for hisHot Dog Safari, which he has hosted since 1990, that raises money for the Joey Fund andCystic Fibrosis Foundation.[9] The idea for the event was conceived during one of hisSports Huddle shows when he named thehot dog the ultimate sports food. He and his callers then debated about the best hot dogs in the area. Andelman organized a bus trip for 200 people to various hot-dog stands. The proceeds from ticket sales were directed to the Joey Fund. Since then, the event has grown and now includes local celebrities, members of the media and professional athletes. It has raised more than a million dollars for the Joey Fund and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
Andelman's other efforts for charity have included:
Andelman worked at WEEI for ten years until his abrupt departure in December 2001. Reports described him as unhappy with the direction that the station had taken toward more confrontational shows such asTheDennis andCallahan Show andThe Big Show. He was also said to be unhappy when the station paired him with cohostDale Arnold for theA-Team show. Although Arnold denied any personal problems with Andelman, some reports indicated that the men disliked each other.[10][11] WEEI replaced Andelman with former television sportscasterBob Neumeier.
Regarding the current state of sports radio, including WEEI, Andelman observed:
Andelman pledged to start a movement called Fans Against Idiot Radio (FAIR) as an antidote to "venomous" WEEI.[13]
In early 2002, Andelman joined WWZN, a direct competitor to WEEI in Boston[13] that also featured formerRed Sox play-by-play announcerSean McDonough andRyen Russillo. The station also acquired the rights to broadcastBoston Celtics games for five years. WWZN eventually sold its Celtics rights toWRKO and replaced all local broadcasts in October 2005 with a nationally syndicated lineup.[14]