Tom Mees

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American sportscaster

title: "Tom Mees" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["nfl-announcers", "1949-births", "1996-deaths", "american-television-sports-anchors", "american-television-sports-commentators", "arena-football-announcers", "college-basketball-announcers-in-the-united-states", "college-football-announcers", "deaths-by-drowning-in-connecticut", "delaware-fightin'-blue-hens-men's-basketball", "major-league-baseball-broadcasters", "national-hockey-league-broadcasters", "people-from-southington,-connecticut", "people-from-wilmington,-delaware", "tampa-bay-buccaneers-announcers", "united-states-football-league-announcers", "university-of-delaware-alumni", "nba-broadcasters", "college-hockey-announcers-in-the-united-states", "people-from-springfield-township,-delaware-county,-pennsylvania", "20th-century-american-people"] description: "American sportscaster" topic_path: "law" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Mees" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American sportscaster ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox person"]

FieldValue
imageTom Mees.jpg
nameTom Mees
captionTom Mees on the SportsCenter set.
birth_date
birth_placeSpringfield, Pennsylvania, U.S.
death_date
death_placeSouthington, Connecticut, U.S.
resting_placeHoly Cross Burial Park and Mausoleum
East Brunswick, New Jersey
alma_materUniversity of Delaware, 1972
occupationSportscaster
spouseMichelle Mees
children2 daughters
::

| image = Tom Mees.jpg | name = Tom Mees | caption = Tom Mees on the SportsCenter set. | birth_date =
| birth_place = Springfield, Pennsylvania, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = Southington, Connecticut, U.S. | resting_place = Holy Cross Burial Park and Mausoleum 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.

Early life and career

Mees began his career as a student at the University of Delaware in Newark. After graduation in 1972, he became the sports director at WILM-AM radio in Wilmington. Mees returned to Delaware in 1992 when he announced the Blue Hens' America East Championship for ESPN from the field house.

After six years in Wilmington and one year at 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.

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 SportsChannel America, and he returned full-time to SportsCenter. When the NHL returned to ESPN in 1992–93, he worked NHL games as a play-by-play man during the season with Darren Pang, Brian Engblom, and John Davidson as his analysts, 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 Frozen Four (NCAA Hockey's championship tournament), and contributed to the increased visibility of that tournament.

Other sports Mees called for ESPN included college basketball, college football, and Major League Baseball. He also anchored the 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.

Death

On August 14, 1996, Mees, who did not know how to swim, drowned in a neighbor's swimming pool in Southington, Connecticut. 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.

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.

References

References

  1. Raissman, Bob. (August 16, 1996). "Mees' fingerprints on ESPN from network's dubious start". Toledo blade.
  2. Kern, Mike. (December 3, 1988). "ESPN show set standard". Spokesman-Review.
  3. (August 15, 1996). "ESPN sportscaster Mees drowns in pool accident". Ludington Daily News.
  4. "Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame in Wilmington, Delaware - 2005".
  5. Sarni, Jim. (October 10, 1985). "ESPN Breaks the Ice for Sports Fans With Caps-Rangers Game Thursday". [[Sun-Sentinel]].
  6. Archives, L. A. Times. (September 20, 1985). "Stockton, Walker Get a Break as Big Call Goes Their Way".
  7. Frager, Ray. (1993-05-28). "ESPN gives hockey its moment on center ice".
  8. By. (1993-04-16). "REECE SAYS TAYLOR'S STRATEGY IS TO PLAY TO HIS STRENGTH".
  9. Nidetz, Steve. (1993-04-19). "ABC DROPS PUCK IN HAWKS PLAYOFF BROADCAST".
  10. Pergament, Alan. (1993-04-20). "PRESIDENT DAZZLES KB'S BOYD; ESPN SWITCHES JIM SCHOENFELD".
  11. Nidetz, Steve. (1994-04-18). "LITTLE WONDER PANG A TOP HOCKEY ANALYST".
  12. Nidetz, Steve. (1993-10-01). "ESPN2 TAKES AIM AT YOUNG, RESTLESS".
  13. Nidetz, Steve. (1995-09-25). "MADDEN HAS GAME PLAN FOR NEXT TYSON FIGHT".
  14. "27 years ago today: Morrison buries the rebound in OT... {{!}} mgoblog".
  15. (September 2, 1994). "ESPN celebrates 15 years". Beaver County Times.
  16. (August 15, 1996). "ESPN announcer dead after swimming accident". Eugene Register-Guard.
  17. (1996-08-15). "Tom Mees, 46, ESPN Broadcaster, Drowns". The New York Times.
  18. Archives, L. A. Times. (1996-08-15). "ESPN Sportscaster Mees Drowns in Pool Accident".
  19. (August 15, 1996). "Sportscaster, 46, Downs In Pool In Front Of Kids". [[Pharos-Tribune]].
  20. Hooper, Ernest. "Mees' death stuns industry".
  21. Archives, L. A. Times. (1996-08-15). "ESPN Sportscaster Mees Drowns in Pool Accident".
  22. Everson, Darren. (August 14, 1996). "ESPN'S TOM MEES DROWNS". Washington Post.
  23. Stewart, Larry. (1996-08-16). "Berman's Loss This Week Far Outweighs His Gain".
  24. (August 16, 1996). "Drowning listed as cause of Mees' death". Eugene Register-Guard.
  25. By. (1997-08-10). "MICHELLE MEES FINDS A WAY TO MOVE ON, WITH GRACE".

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nfl-announcers1949-births1996-deathsamerican-television-sports-anchorsamerican-television-sports-commentatorsarena-football-announcerscollege-basketball-announcers-in-the-united-statescollege-football-announcersdeaths-by-drowning-in-connecticutdelaware-fightin'-blue-hens-men's-basketballmajor-league-baseball-broadcastersnational-hockey-league-broadcasterspeople-from-southington,-connecticutpeople-from-wilmington,-delawaretampa-bay-buccaneers-announcersunited-states-football-league-announcersuniversity-of-delaware-alumninba-broadcasterscollege-hockey-announcers-in-the-united-statespeople-from-springfield-township,-delaware-county,-pennsylvania20th-century-american-people