Lee Pete

Leeland C. Pete[1] (November 14, 1924 – March 25, 2010[2]) was an American sports-talk radio broadcaster. After serving as an Army Air Force pilot in World War II, he played college football as a quarterback at the University of Toledo. Pete also played baseball for the Rockets as an outfielder, and was inducted into the school's Varsity T Hall of Fame in 1986.[3][4] He tried out unsuccessfully with the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL).[2]

In 1954, Pete began his sports radio career at a small station in his hometown of Toledo, Ohio. After moving to Las Vegas in 1970,[2] he established a sports talk radio show on KDWN in 1981.[2][5][6] The 50,000-watt station had a night signal that was heard as far north as British Columbia, south to Mexico, east to the Plains, and west to some islands in the Pacific Ocean.[3][7] Pete's Stardust Line show became the longest-running sports betting show in the history of radio.[3] He also hosted a televised sports handicapping show, Proline, on cable television that was viewed in over 30 million homes.[3][8]

Pete was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a.k.a. Lou Gehrig's disease, in 2005.[3] He died in Toledo on March 25, 2010. He was 85.[2]

References
  1. "Leeland C. Pete". The Blade. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  2. Carplas, Steve (March 25, 2010). "Former local radio host Lee Pete dies". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  3. "Lee Pete thankful for a great life". The Blade. May 7, 2007. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  4. "Lee Pete". UTRockets.com. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  5. Carp, Steve (May 16, 1997). "Worth a Re-Pete". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  6. Youmans, Matt (June 30, 2006). "'Stardust Line' goes silent after 25-year run". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on 2010-09-11. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  7. Miech, Rob (2019). Sports Betting for Winners: Tips and Tales from the New World of Sports Betting. Kensington Publishing Corporation. p. 28. ISBN 9780806540306. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  8. Stewart, Larry (January 17, 1986). "When the Chips Are Down, TV Usually Backs the Gamblers". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
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