Sports Director
Tom Clyde began working in the WZZM13 sports department in April, 2003 and was promoted to Sports Director in January, 2006
He came to West Michigan from Medford, Oregon, where he served as Sports Director of KDRV-TV.
Tom previously worked at Flagstaff, Arizona's KNAZ-TV after graduating from Northern Arizona University in 1994.
In 2001, the Oregon Association of Broadcasters honored Tom with its "Television Sports Announcer of the Year" award.
He says covering sports is just about the best job in the world because it's fun and because he gets to meet all kinds of wonderful people.
Whether it's Friday night high school football or covering the professionals in Detroit, Tom's thrilled to be a part of the West Michigan sports scene!
P.S. His big passion is Kansas Jayhawk basketball, but he'll try to keep that to himself.
Tom lives in Zeeland with his wife Nancy and daughter Chloe ands son Jason..
Tom Clyde answers questions about himself, sports and West Michigan
On the fact that Grand Rapids offers a lot of variety for sports fans…
There’s something for everyone here. Basketball, hockey, football, first-class high school and college football. Incredible golf, and summertime recreation on West Michigan’s lakes and rivers. I enjoy it all and enjoy sharing it with our viewers (and I promise not to take sides in the Michigan-Michigan State rivalry).
We have many area schools with excellent sports programs. How important are high-school sports?
High school sports are sometimes the most fun sports to cover. Winning means so much to so many people. But I believe participation from young people is something to celebrate win-or-lose. The environment surrounding scholastic sports is special and unique and “13 On Your Sidelines” is our way of showcasing school spirit and pride.
What sports have you competed in?
Frankly, I’ve always been a better sports “fan” than actual athlete myself. I played on my high school tennis team. I love golf but am a total hack at it. For the most part, my athletic resume is limited. But my passion is extreme (ask my wife how worked up I get watching games on tv).
Tell us about a little about yourself…
My family lived in Wichita, Kansas in the late 70’s. My parents are both Kansas University graduates and they would drag me and my sister to Lawrence for football games on Saturdays in the fall. I fell in love with the atmosphere that surrounds college sports. The way the crowd gets so worked up, the color and pageantry that the bands and cheer squads create. The competition itself. Even today, I still get chills hearing the KU fight song. I always try to remember that when we cover a game, we have viewers that might get chills about the final result. So it’s our job to make it energetic and fun.
What is your earliest sports memory?
Sports are my passion…have been since I was a kid. I began reading the sports page every morning over breakfast while in the second grade and then running off to school to engage in heated discussion with other kids who the best baseball players of the day were (my personal favorite was always George Brett).
What do you consider to be the top three moments in sports history?
Top 3 moments. Whew. That’s a tough one. I think every American who is old enough to remember it will never forget where they were or what they were doing when the U.S. hockey team beat the Soviets in the 1980 Winter Olympics. I certainly wasn’t born yet (neither were my parents) but when Jesse Owens dominated the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, the sports world was changed forever. And I remember watching Michigan State and Indiana State in the 1979 NCAA basketball championship. That game did more for the sport than anything else that ever happened before or since.
How about your heroes? Are there any that you have met already? Is there anyone that you hope to meet?
We’re all products of our generation. I grew up in the 70’s and 80’s so my favorite athletes include George Brett, John Elway, and my personal favorite, Danny Manning. I’ve had a chance to meet and interview some true legends, among them Arnold Palmer, Ozzie Smith, Ryne Sandberg, and Harmon Killebrew. Getting a one-on-one interview with Larry Brown after the Pistons won the 2004 NBA title was a moment I will never forget.
Describe the “traditional” versus the “non-traditional” sports fan. Also, are there any “fringe” sports that you’d like to bring some attention to?
Traditional fans aren’t satisfied with scores and highlights. They want some “scoop.” Extra nuggets of information that make them more “sports savvy.” In this day and age of the internet, information is all over the place. We want to use our own website to give people the content on West Michigan sports that they can’t get everywhere else.
Non-Traditional fans strike me as being more interested in the “human side” of sports. Perhaps they enjoy features on people in sports who have a story to tell, whether that person is a superstar or they never get off the bench. At WZZM 13, I’ve done stories about a national anthem singer, identical twin amateur bowlers, and a golf club owner who combined his love of golf with his love of music and created a cd of “Great Golf Hits.”
Who has made a difference in your life?
My parents have always been my best friends and biggest fans. They gave me every chance to pursue my own dreams and always encouraged me to follow my heart.
Looking to the future, how do you see sports coverage changing?
There’s so much coverage out there now. Every pro game can be seen somewhere on tv. There’s instant access to scores and stats on the internet and even via your cell phone. And more and more, we’re seeing national broadcasts of high school sports. We’ve become a sports-crazy culture. And I don’t think that will reverse itself. But I hope that we continue to remember what is good about sports, particularly at the amateur level. Winning is wonderful. But participating is priceless!
You can email Tom at tomclyde@wzzm13.com
