Herald-Guide sports columnist and nationally-known radio personality Mike Detillier has joined the ranks of ESPN’s Chris Fowler, CBS’s James Brown and Fox Sports’ Troy Aikman as the best of the best in sports analysis and commentary in SI.com’s 2006 Media Awards. “It really came as a complete surprise to me,” Mike told the Herald-Guide.
“The success of the New Orleans Saints and the LSU Tigers threw me into the limelight and I just did my job.
“I’m honored that Sports Illustrated put me in such elite company. Working in Louisiana and in the Deep South, sometimes you don’t get as much national recognition.
“But the success of the Saints in particular gave me a great opportunity. If you look at the group of radio personalities that SI honored, most came from the major markets like New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Chicago.
“The guys on WWL Radio and ESPN – my colleagues – have been great to work with.
“The northern guys have really given me some grief the past couple of days congratulating me and teasing me about sounding more New York than New Orleans.
“It has been a lot of hard work,” he added.
“But the real key to this whole story was the success of the Saints and also LSU, both of which gave me a great chance to showcase my talents and – hey, it worked out O.K.
“I did more than 400 radio shows in 2006 and almost half of those shows came about through shows in the Northeast or on ESPN Radio and now everyone wants me to set up shows for next year. It has been a great ride and I hope that it continues for the Saints until Super Bowl Sunday.”
In listing his 2006 Media Awards, Sports Illustrated columnist Richard Deitsch, named our guy “Best Unknown Voice,” meaning that Mike has charmed audiences and won over fans from coast to coast while becoming one of radio’s most sought-after guests.
As Deitsch put it in his popular Media Circus column:
BEST “UNKNOWN” VOICE: Mike Detillier, WWL Radio and NFL Draft expert. With the Saints emerging as America’s team, Detillier has become America’s sports-talk guest. (Google his name and you’ll see all the radio appearances he’s made in 2006.) Detillier is a longtime fixture on the Saints beat – he puts out a popular draft guide – and his Bayou boosterism, engaging personality and football chops make him an enjoyable listen for these East Coast ears.
For the record, while Mike was raking in his award, S.I. named Brown and Fowler its “person of the year,” in a tie. Aikman, former Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback, was named best football analyst.
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