Tim Weigel
Encyclopedia
John Timothy Weigel known professionally as Tim Weigel, was a Chicago broadcaster who spent most of his career as a television sports anchor and reporter.
, north of Chicago. His father was John Weigel, a broadcast announcer who did voiceovers for national commercials and who founded Weigel Broadcasting
. His mother, Virginia Ahn, had been a big-band singer with Tommy Dorsey
.
Weigel later moved with his family to Lake Forest, Illinois
, where he graduated from Lake Forest High School
. He finished third in his class and then attended Yale University
, where he played football and was the roommate of future movie critic Gene Siskel
. He graduated from Yale with a bachelor's degree in history, and after two years of working, returned home to the Chicago area to earn a master's degree in film from Northwestern University
in 1970.
. After completing his graduate degree at Northwestern, Weigel returned to New Haven to work as a waiter. While waiting tables, however, he ran into Yale's president, Kingman Brewster, Jr.
, who knew Weigel and then helped him to get a job as a reporter at the New Haven Register.
In 1971, Weigel returned to Chicago as a college football writer for the Chicago Daily News
. In 1975, Weigel began filing reports for WMAQ-AM
and several months later became a sports anchor for WMAQ-TV
. In 1977, Weigel joined WLS-TV
in Chicago. During his long tenure at the ABC affiliate, Weigel became known for his packaged bloopers which he dubbed "Weigel Wieners" and also for his colorful attire. For a brief time at WLS-TV (1981-1983), Weigel was a news anchor, but he largely was the station's lead sports anchor during his tenure at the station, which lasted from 1977 until December 1994, when he was fired to make way for Mark Giangreco
.
In February 1995, Weigel joined WBBM-TV
as its lead sports anchor/sports director. He also began writing a sports column for the Chicago Sun-Times
.
In 1999, Tim Weigel was inducted into the American Football Association's Semi Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Weigel died exactly one year to the day after his operation, at his home in Evanston, Illinois
.
, who became an actor, sportswriter and sports anchor, and Jenniffer Weigel
, who became a Chicago television reporter. Weigel and Worthington divorced in 1975. He later married Carol Phifer, and that marriage also ended in divorce.
In 1992, Weigel married morning radio personality Vicki Truax. They had one daughter, Teddi, in 1994.
Early life and education
Weigel grew up in Gurnee, IllinoisGurnee, Illinois
Gurnee is a village in Lake County, Illinois, United States. The population was 28,834 at the 2000 census, and estimated to be 30,772 in 2005. The village borders the city of Waukegan and is considered a part of the Chicago metropolitan area. Gurnee is perhaps best known for being the location of...
, north of Chicago. His father was John Weigel, a broadcast announcer who did voiceovers for national commercials and who founded Weigel Broadcasting
Weigel Broadcasting
Weigel Broadcasting is an American locally based television broadcasting company. The company is based in downtown Chicago, Illinois, alongside its flagship station WCIU-TV , at the apt address of 26 North Halsted Street in the Greektown neighborhood.- History :The company was founded by Chicago...
. His mother, Virginia Ahn, had been a big-band singer with Tommy Dorsey
Tommy Dorsey
Thomas Francis "Tommy" Dorsey, Jr. was an American jazz trombonist, trumpeter, composer, and bandleader of the Big Band era. He was known as "The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing", due to his smooth-toned trombone playing. He was the younger brother of bandleader Jimmy Dorsey...
.
Weigel later moved with his family to Lake Forest, Illinois
Lake Forest, Illinois
Lake Forest is an affluent city located in Lake County, Illinois, United States. The city is south of Waukegan along the shore of Lake Michigan, and is a part of the Chicago metropolitan area and the North Shore. Lake Forest was founded around Lake Forest College and was laid out as a town in...
, where he graduated from Lake Forest High School
Lake Forest High School (Illinois)
Lake Forest High School, or LFHS, is a public four-year high school located in Lake Forest, Illinois, a North Shore suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is the only school of Lake Forest Community High School District 115, which serves the communities of Lake Forest, Lake Bluff,...
. He finished third in his class and then attended Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, where he played football and was the roommate of future movie critic Gene Siskel
Gene Siskel
Eugene Kal "Gene" Siskel was an American film critic and journalist for the Chicago Tribune. Along with colleague Roger Ebert, he hosted the popular review show Siskel & Ebert At the Movies from 1975 until his death....
. He graduated from Yale with a bachelor's degree in history, and after two years of working, returned home to the Chicago area to earn a master's degree in film from Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
in 1970.
Professional career
Weigel spent the first two years out of Yale working as an inner-city schoolteacher in New Haven, ConnecticutNew Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
. After completing his graduate degree at Northwestern, Weigel returned to New Haven to work as a waiter. While waiting tables, however, he ran into Yale's president, Kingman Brewster, Jr.
Kingman Brewster, Jr.
Kingman Brewster, Jr., was an educator, president of Yale University, and American diplomat.-Early life:...
, who knew Weigel and then helped him to get a job as a reporter at the New Haven Register.
In 1971, Weigel returned to Chicago as a college football writer for the Chicago Daily News
Chicago Daily News
The Chicago Daily News was an afternoon daily newspaper published between 1876 and 1978 in Chicago, Illinois.-History:The Daily News was founded by Melville E. Stone, Percy Meggy, and William Dougherty in 1875 and began publishing early the next year...
. In 1975, Weigel began filing reports for WMAQ-AM
WMAQ-AM
WMAQ was an AM radio station in located in Chicago, Illinois, USA, and broadcast at 670 kHz with 50,000 watts. The station was in existence from 1922 to 2000, and was the oldest surviving broadcast outlet in Chicago. It was a class A clear channel station, and could be heard, particularly at night,...
and several months later became a sports anchor for WMAQ-TV
WMAQ-TV
WMAQ-TV, channel 5, is an owned-and-operated television station of the NBC Television Network, located in Chicago, Illinois. WMAQ-TV's main studios and offices are located within the NBC Tower in the Streeterville neighborhood, with an auxiliary street-level studio on the Magnificent Mile at 401...
. In 1977, Weigel joined WLS-TV
WLS-TV
WLS-TV, virtual channel 7, is an owned-and-operated television station of the Walt Disney Company-owned American Broadcasting Company, located in Chicago, Illinois, USA. The station operates their full power digital operations on UHF channel 44, with their digital fill-in translator on VHF channel...
in Chicago. During his long tenure at the ABC affiliate, Weigel became known for his packaged bloopers which he dubbed "Weigel Wieners" and also for his colorful attire. For a brief time at WLS-TV (1981-1983), Weigel was a news anchor, but he largely was the station's lead sports anchor during his tenure at the station, which lasted from 1977 until December 1994, when he was fired to make way for Mark Giangreco
Mark Giangreco
Mark Giangreco is the sports director and lead sports anchor for WLS-TV in Chicago, Illinois. Giangreco currently anchors the sports segment on ABC7 during the 5pm and 10pm newscasts. -Education and career:...
.
In February 1995, Weigel joined WBBM-TV
WBBM-TV
WBBM-TV, virtual channel 2 , is the CBS owned-and-operated television station in Chicago, Illinois. WBBM-TV's main studios and offices are located in The Loop section of Chicago, as part of the development at Block 37, and its transmitter is atop the Willis Tower.-History:WBBM-TV traces its history...
as its lead sports anchor/sports director. He also began writing a sports column for the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
.
In 1999, Tim Weigel was inducted into the American Football Association's Semi Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Illness and death
In June 2000, Weigel began experiencing vision problems. An MRI revealed a brain tumor, and he underwent immediate surgery. After his operation and subsequent radiation treatments, Weigel returned to work. However, six months later, an MRI showed a recurrent tumor.Weigel died exactly one year to the day after his operation, at his home in Evanston, Illinois
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
.
Personal
Weigel married his high school sweetheart, Kathy Worthington, in 1966. They had two children, Rafer WeigelRafer Weigel
Rafer Weigel is the weekend sports anchor and reporter at WLS-TV in Chicago. He was sports anchor for CNN HLN’s Morning Express with Robin Meade and a former actor.-Background:...
, who became an actor, sportswriter and sports anchor, and Jenniffer Weigel
Jenniffer Weigel
Jenniffer Colleen Weigel , known professionally as Jenniffer Weigel, is a Chicago television personality, author and performer who owns her own Chicago-area production company. She hosted Taste, a program aired on NBC affiliates both in New York and in Chicago and now writes a column for the...
, who became a Chicago television reporter. Weigel and Worthington divorced in 1975. He later married Carol Phifer, and that marriage also ended in divorce.
In 1992, Weigel married morning radio personality Vicki Truax. They had one daughter, Teddi, in 1994.