Bill Mercer Passes Away

[SUMG]

Mr. Mercer made it to 99. Brad Sham did a nice tribute to him on X. He included this picture:

 

[SUMG]

 

[FirefightnRick]

Bless his heart.  His knowledge and skill in media sports will be felt for generations.  He was a wonderful man and was absolutely sweet and kind to everyone he met.  He loved North Texas so very much.  Those of us who had him in our lives,  if even for a short time were blessed to have done so.

Prayers for him and his family.

Rick 

Edited March 23 by FirefightnRick

[Tommy Gadberry]

Sad day!

[Talon90]

 

[EagleD]

https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/bill-mercer-voice-world-class-championship-wrestling-broadcast-journalist-dies/287-249da7c3-99b7-45d7-a300-35940ab03177
maybe my favorite class. I took both semesters. Truly a great man. 

[BleedingGreen]

He took me under his wing when I was 18 allowing me into his class as a freshman and putting me on the radio with him when I was  19.  At one point, we had a radio talk show together on KDNT.  Thank you Bill for your mentoring of me and for teaching me skills I use in my career today . 

[TripleGrad]

I worked with Bill back in the late 80s/early 90s on NTTV shows and such.  I doubt he'd remember me, but he was a great guy and a positive role model.  

[C Vo]

Bill was one of the best, he will be missed. He was a friend and mentor to so many in the broadcasting industry.  

[NT80]

17 hours ago, SUMG said:

Mr. Mercer made it to 99. Brad Sham did a nice tribute to him on X. He included this picture:

 

Very sad to hear this.   Elite broadcaster and NT fan.   

I have a book he wrote and autographed to me.

Edited March 24 by NT80

[NT80]

https://meangreensports.com/news/2025/3/23/general-unt-hall-of-famer-and-legendary-broadcaster-bill-mercer-dies-at-99

[Shark84]

20 hours ago, FirefightnRick said:

Bless his heart.  His knowledge and skill in media sports will be felt for generations.  He was a wonderful man and was absolutely sweet and kind to everyone he met.  He loved North Texas so very much.  Those of us who had him in our lives,  if even for a short time were blessed to have done so.

Prayers for him and his family.

Rick 

They need to put up a statue of Bill over at DATCU stadium. He's as much a part of North Texas as Jack Buck was the Cardinals and Harry Carrey the Cubbies.

[MeanGreenTexan]

33 minutes ago, Shark84 said:

They need to put up a statue of Bill over at DATCU stadium. He's as much a part of North Texas as Jack Buck was the Cardinals and Harry Carrey the Cubbies.

Or at least a bust of him up on the press level like the ones in Unity Plaza.

[GrandGreen]

He got the most out of life in terms of longevity and accomplishments.

The greatest  ambassador of NT athletics ever. 

He will be missed not only by all his students, but from many of us that have heard his voice much more than any other broadcaster. 

 

 

 

[rcade]

Bill Mercer doing North Texas football games on TV in the 1970s was my first exposure to the school. Between that and him calling Von Erich wrestling matches broadcast from the Sportatorium he was one of my favorite sports broadcasters. An all-time great.

Edited Wednesday at 01:43 PM by rcade

[rcade]

On 3/23/2025 at 11:32 PM, BleedingGreen said:

At one point, we had a radio talk show together on KDNT.

Was this in the late '80s when KDNT started one of the first shows anywhere devoted to fantasy football?

[LongJim]

Legend.

[Ross Hodgeson]

A great man

[greenminer]

6 hours ago, rcade said:

broadcast from the Sportatorium

Finding out that there was a facility (ours?) that was called the "Sportatorium" is the best thing I have learned this week.

It sounds like a funny mockery of a sports facility, like some sarcastic non-fan going "go sports-ball!"

[BleedingGreen]

7 hours ago, rcade said:

Was this in the late '80s when KDNT started one of the first shows anywhere devoted to fantasy football?

We had a show in 94 called The Old and the Restless after the Coaches Show .

[NT80]

On 3/26/2025 at 3:27 PM, greenminer said:

Finding out that there was a facility (ours?) that was called the "Sportatorium" is the best thing I have learned this week.

It sounds like a funny mockery of a sports facility, like some sarcastic non-fan going "go sports-ball!"

We did host a big wrestling event at our Men's Gym once on the NT campus back in the 70's.  

The Sportatorium however, had weekly wrestling.  It was a barn-like structure located near downtown Dallas, just south of the Dallas Convention Center and slightly east of I-35.  

[Marty]

On 3/26/2025 at 4:24 PM, BleedingGreen said:

We had a show in 94 called The Old and the Restless after the Coaches Show .

I remember that.