The Columbus Dispatch

Cleveland broadcasti­ng legend Drennan is retiring

- George M. Thomas

Cleveland broadcasti­ng legend Bruce Drennan will retire at the end of the year, Bally Sports Great Lakes announced.

Drennan hosted “Drennan Live,” once known as “All Bets Are Off ” for 14 years. Known for his encycloped­ic knowledge of baseball and a love of all sports, the occasional­ly gruff and always opinionate­d Drennan worked in broadcasti­ng for 50 years.

With those qualities came controvers­y. He used that knowledge to his advantage, serving five months in a federal penitentia­ry in Morgantown, West Virginia, for tax fraud in 2006.

He pleaded guilty for not paying between $12,500 and $30,000 in taxes on gambling proceeds. According to reports, he was placing bets with bookmakers five or six times a day.

In an interview after his release, he expressed remorse for his actions.

An avid film fan, his return to what was then Sports Time Ohio proved successful enough to last these years.

Prior to his legal troubles and television show, Drennan wore a number of hats in the Cleveland sports media, including serving as a commentato­r on Cleveland baseball television broadcasts from 1980-82 with fellow legend Joe Tait.

He also worked on assorted radio stations and finished his career in that area in 2004 when he was morning host for WKNR (850-AM). He is a member of the Ohio Radio/television Hall of Fame.

 ?? ROGER METZGER/THE TIMES-REPORTER ?? Bruce Drennan is a member of the Ohio Radio/television Hall of Fame.
ROGER METZGER/THE TIMES-REPORTER Bruce Drennan is a member of the Ohio Radio/television Hall of Fame.

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