HOF Honor For Former Arizona Cardinals Broadcaster Dillon
By Scott Allen
Former Arizona Cardinals play-by-play broadcaster Tom Dillon to be inducted into Arizona Broadcasters Association Hall Of Fame
For the first 11 seasons of Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals football one radio voice became very familiar to many. Tom Dillon, who was also the voice of the Arizona State Sun Devils for 19 years, did Cardinals play-by-play until Dave Pasch took over. Now, he will be inducted posthumously into the Arizona Broadcasters Association Hall Of Fame on Thursday October 15th.
Dillon was Arizona Sportscaster of the Year 18 times. He was just truly an amazing voice and a guy I personally got to meet in the two seasons I worked for the Cardinals during training camp and the preseason. He was a very nice man. Dillon passed away on December 1, 2008.
Of course growing up, Dillon was known to many as that voice of Arizona State Sun Devil Sports. He was the natural choice to be the play-by-play guy for the Cardinals when they moved to the desert in 1988 from St. Louis. He didn’t miss a beat with the Cardinals.
What I always admired about his work ethic is most Saturday’s during football season he would do the ASU game on radio and would be doing the Cardinals game the next day no matter if the Cardinals were on the road or at home. Dave Pasch does a similar back-to-back with his ESPN College Football gig on Saturday’s and then the Cardinals on Sunday’s.
After leaving the Cardinals broadcasts, Dillon’s final broadcasting years were with Sports USA Radio, broadcasting both college and NFL games. Now he get an honor that I believe it long overdue but very well deserved. I just wish he was alive to grab it.
The late Tom Dillon will be inducted into Arizona Broadcasters Association Hall Of Fame. #ASU #AZCardinals pic.twitter.com/KevJ26xBX7
— Mike Jurecki (@mikejurecki) July 3, 2015
@mikejurecki I grew up listening to Tom Dillon. @TimHealeyASU & @DavePasch do great too but I'll always miss Tom Dillon.
— T.J. Shope (@TJShopeforAZ) July 3, 2015
Congratulations to the family of the late Tom Dillon, member of the 2015 class of the @AZBroadcasters Hall of Fame!
— Jeff Munn (@MunnyBall) July 2, 2015
Congratulations indeed. He was one of a kind and I can still hear his voice now after all these years. We were lucky to have such a great talent and great person behind the mic in Phoenix sports.