Forever Young: Horowitz loves all things sports
Salem’s long-time sports journalist still covers Oregon State, has added radio
When Gary Horowitz arrived in the Salem-Keizer area 25 years ago, he became the writer of note covering prep football locally—and also a Pac-12 scribe, focusing on Oregon State and Oregon.
The 63-year old Ohio native has altered his job description in recent years—still writing for print and online sources—but adding broadcast radio to his very eclectic resume’.
To be up front and transparent—Gary is now my broadcast partner for prep football and basketball on KBZY Radio (1490 AM) in Salem. We also work in concert on local/regional sports. Included in that mix is the three-year old Beaver Buzz show, where Gary and his in-studio host (normally morning disc jockey Bob Buck, but sometimes yours truly) spend 30 minutes on the airwaves each Friday looking back and forward at Oregon State and Oregon football during the Pac 12 season.
The show emanates from Horowitz’s two decades of work with the Statesman Journal covering Oregon State and Oregon sports, and his current role writing about Oregon State athletics for the Associated Press.
Horowitz says the Beaver Buzz is a common-sense addition to what he has done for a long time.
“Since KBZY is one of the flagship stations in the state for Oregon State football, men’s basketball and baseball telecasts, it was a natural fit to create our own show,” says the always smiling Horowitz.
“I continue to cover Oregon State football games for the Associated Press, and I’m a Heisman Trophy voter.”
Gary and Bob Buck piece together audio quotes from the previous weekend’s football press conferences at Oregon and Oregon State—or the opposing team site, if the game is on the road. Horowitz then comes up with a series of semi-scripted segments to address current aspects of the Beaver football team’s growth under current head coach and former Beaver quarterback Jonathan Smith. He chats with his host—Bob Buck or Mark Gilman—about the Beavers, Ducks, and the Pac-12 football scene.
The rest of the week, Gary is an important part of KBZY’s morning show from 6:00 to 8:40 am. And by all indications, he is loving evey minute of it. And when he’s done at the station for the day, Gary has ventured into the education field as an instructional assistant in the Salem-Keizer School District—working at the high school level with special education students. He enjoys the blend of vocations.
“It’s great to be affiliated with KBZY—providing daily sports segments, news and weather updates. It’s also rewarding working with the high school students.”
Horowitz’s foray into the world of radio comes after spending nearly four decades in print journalism—with jobs at weekly newspapers in Ohio, followed by a long stint at the Arizona Republic newspaper in Phoenix—and then the Statesman Journal in Salem.
The long print journalism career was an extension of Gary’s interest in writing that began in grade school in Columbus, Ohio, and grew from there.
“By the ninth grade it became apparent that I didn’t have the talent or height to play point guard in the NBA,” said Horowitz, tongue-in-cheek.
“And while I enjoyed writing song lyrics, I apparently didn’t have the voice to make it as a rock ’n roll star.”
(This is where I insert my snarky comment that says—it is 100 percent true—about his singing voice.)
By high school, Gary was on the staff of the student newspaper doing—what else—sports.
“I always wanted a career that didn’t really feel like work, and covering sports was something I enjoyed,” admits Horowitz with extreme honesty.
Gary headed off to college, first attending classes at the University of Missouri for two years. It was there that he got to be part of a student Q and A session with longtime sports writer and broadcaster—Howard Cosell—of Monday Night football fame and frequent interviewer of Gary’s all-time favorite athlete—boxer Muhammad Ali.
Horowitz vividly recalls asking Cosell a question in that Q and A session.
“I told Cosell I had read his autobiography, and there was a chapter on Ali,” he recalls.
Cosell wrote that he would fear for Ali’s safety if he ever fought then-heavyweight champion George Foreman—creator of the kitchen grill by the same name. Ali did end up fighting Foreman and knocked him out in the famous “Rumble in the Jungle” bout.
“I reminded Cosell that he was wrong about Ali’s safety, and his reply has stayed with me all these years later,” says Horowitz.
Cosell said in response: “Young man, those are strong allegations and accusations.”
After his time at Mizzou, Gary transferred to his hometown school of Ohio State University, where he got the opportunity to cover the Buckeye basketball team for Ohio State’s student newspaper, the Lantern, and later wrote sports columns for the publication. A loyal Buckeye fan, Horowitz loves to talk about former football coach Woody Hayes, and two-time Heisman Trophy winner, Archie Griffin.
After his time at Ohio State, Gary moved into sports journalism professionally as outlined earlier.
Gary remembers his first summer at the Statesman Journal in 1997, when he began interviewing Tom Smythe, the then head football coach at McNary High School, who won the first of his two state titles that season.
“During summer pre-season practices, I had several phone interviews with (Smythe),” recalls Gary.
“When I finally went to a practice and met him in person for the first time, he greeted me with a warm handshake, accompanied by a comment that I ”sure seemed a lot taller on the phone.”
For the record, Horowitz is a towering 5 feet, 3 1/16 inches tall. And he does joke a bit about his extreme height.
Horowitz loves prep sports coverage because while most players won’t move beyond the high school level, they have a passion for their school and for the game they play. They make a lot of lifetime memories.
“I’ve been fortunate in my professional career to have covered college football national championship games, NCAA basketball tournaments, the College World Series in Omaha during Oregon State’s national championship runs, professional tennis and golf events, Olympic track and field trials, championship fights in boxing and so much more,” explains.
“But there’s a purity about high school sports that can’t be found anywhere else.”
With the move away from newspaper writing, and towards Associated Press writing and radio sportscasting, Horowitz has found more time for some of his sports-related hobbies-which these days focus on the links.
“I played competitive racquetball until my aching left knee made that endeavor exceedingly difficult,” says Gary.
“I love walking the fairways of the beautiful, tree-lined Salem Golf Club. No one will ever confuse me with Jack Nicklaus (his favorite player), but every once in a while, I’ll see a birdie putt fall, and it keeps me coming back for more.”
Gary has had an opportunity to mix it up with professional athletes in his time as a sports journalist.
While at the Arizona Republic newspaper, Horowitz wrote about former featherweight and super-featherweight boxing champion Bobby Chacon, who was launching a boxing comeback of sorts in his mid-30’s. Chacon had famously fought Ray “Boom-Boom” Mancini for a world lightweight title in 1984, as part of his storied career. After the interview, Gary—perhaps unwisely—got Chacon to agree to go a few rounds with him.
“Chacon took it easy on me, and only threw one punch in earnest,” he recalls vividly.
“It was a body shot that left me wincing. That marked the end of my boxing career.”
Horowitz also had a chance to try out for the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes—the local minor league baseball team. I was working as the team’s radio sportscaster at the time (in 2009), and was witness to at least a part of Gary’s attempt to impress the wise old manager, Tom Treblehorn.
Treblehorn, who had been a high-profile major league manager with the Brewers, invited Gary to give it a try at Volcanoes Stadium.
“I had informed him that I was a five-tool player,” remembers Horowitz.
After taking some batting practice and shagging flies in the outfield, Treb informed Gary that he was “a no-tool player, but didn’t embarrass himself.”
Gary did get to suit up for the team, but was not allowed to pitch in relief as he repeatedly requested.
“Treb kept me on the bench due to possible ‘liability issues.’”
So while Gary will probably never make the roster for his favorite major league team—the Baltimore Orioles—he did get the chance to shop his athletic wares to a professional squad.
There are more stories that Horowitz can tell, and if you take some time to walk with Gary and his dog, Ranger, he will be glad to regale you with more of his awesome exploits.
To be sure, Gary is not bragging, but simply loves to talk about experiences that so many of us wish we could have participated in.
Gary Horowitz is a man with a passion for sports—and it shows every time we chat.
If you ever need an enthusiasm infusion, talk with Gary. Like a song from his favorite musical artist, Bob Dylan—Horowitz uses his love of sports and its connection to his past and the future to remain “Forever Young.”
Gary is one of the best! Good profile, Mark.
Continuing great stories, especially those full of historical perspective. Loved connecting with Terry Haugen last night in South’s Skybox. Quality family… Then, there’s Phil Webb. His attributes as an institutional leader for nearly 70 years is without question. So, Mark, any chance you could interview him? Yes, no more regular season home games, but maybe for a postseason? He shared a bit of his wisdom with me, but I know he has much more on his mind…