Dan O. Coates born in Fort Worth, Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

, was best known as television commentator for that city's professional wrestling

Professional wrestling

Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...

 shows on KTVT

KTVT

KTVT, virtual channel 11, is a CBS owned-and-operated television station licensed to Fort Worth, Texas, and serving the Dallas-Fort Worth designated market area. The station is co-owned with independent station KTXA , and the two stations share facilities in Dallas and Fort Worth...

's Main Event Wrestling (which became known as Saturday Night Wrestling in the 1970s, and Championship Sports in the '80s) from the mid-1960s until 1976, when he was replaced by longtime sports broadcaster Bill Mercer

Bill Mercer

Bill Mercer is an American sportscaster, educator and author, originally from Muskogee, Oklahoma, who now lives in Richardson, Texas. In 2002, he was inducted into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame.-Personal:...

.

In addition to wrestling, Coates was also the official announcer for the annual Golden Gloves

Golden Gloves

The Golden Gloves is the name given to annual competitions for amateur boxing in the United States. The Golden Gloves is often the term used to refer to the National Golden Gloves competition, but it also can represent several other amateur tournaments, including regional golden gloves...

 boxing tournament in Fort Worth and the Kowbell Indoor Rodeo in Mansfield, Texas

Mansfield, Texas

Mansfield is a city in Ellis, Johnson, and Tarrant counties in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 56,368.In 2009, CNN/Money Magazine rated Mansfield as one of the "Best Places to Live" in the United States, ranking 24th out of the top 100 places.-History:The first...

. He served as announcer for numerous other rodeos throughout the U.S. as well.

Perhaps the best-remembered pro wrestling incident involving Coates occurred during late 1970, when veteran heel

Heel (professional wrestling)

In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...

 wrestler Wladek "Killer" Kowalski tore off Coates' toupee on-camera during a heated interview. His catchphrases included, "This has been one whale of a match!" and his traditional sign-off: "Until next week, this is your ringside announcer Dan Coates wishing you a very pleasant good night...God bless you all."

Coates died at his ranch in Weatherford, Texas

Weatherford, Texas

Weatherford is a city in Parker County, Texas, United States, and a western suburb of Fort Worth. The population was 19,000 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Parker County and is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.-Geography:...

 from complications of Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...

. His son, Dan Walton Coates, a prominent Western artist and sculptor, died in his saddle during a West Texas trail ride in April 2005.