Bill Watters

Wilbur Wayne "Bill" Watters (born June 29, 1943 in Orillia, Ontario)^[1] is a Canadian sports media personality and former Assistant General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

College career

Watters was a fullback and linebacker with the Toronto Varsity Blues football team from 1961 through 1964. He was a team co-captain and league All-Star at linebacker in both 1963 and 1964. In his final season (1964), he received the Johnny Copp Trophy as the team's Most Valuable Player. Watters also was a member of the Wrestling Blues for three seasons (1961–62, 62–63, 63–64) and practiced regularly with the Varsity Blues men's ice hockey team, although he saw limited action in league play. He earned a total of three First Colours and five Second Colours, and served on the UTAA Men's Athletic Directorate in 1963–64.

Professional sports career

Watters was selected 2nd overall by the Toronto Argonauts in the 1964 CFL draft^[2] but chose not to play professional football. In the 2000s, his son, Brad Watters, became the Argonaut's Team President.^[3] Following graduation, he embarked on a career as a teacher then turned to professional sports as a broadcaster, player agent (first as an employee of Alan Eagleson and later on his own), and Assistant General Manager of Toronto Maple Leafs.

Sportscasting career

Watters formerly co-hosted Hockey Central on Rogers Sportsnet, The Bill Watters Show on AM 640 Toronto Radio and has been a regular contributor on Q107's John Derringer morning show. Watters was also a former co-host of Prime Time Sports back when it debuted in 1989. On January 14, 2011 he was let go by Rogers Sportsnet. The Bill Watters show on AM 640 Toronto Radio has been replaced by the drive-time show by Arlene Bynon as of July 18, 2011. One of the most notorious of all Watters' television appearances was the evening that he developed a nose bleed on air. Unaware, he continued to critique the first period, blood trickling out of one nostril. His partner on the air, Nick Kypreos was seen trying to direct the camera away from Watters, and looking quite uncomfortable. When they returned after commercial break, Watters nose bleed had evidently been brought under control. Watters is now a co-host on the bi-weekly live internet broadcast of "Next Sport Star" (NSS) along with entrepreneur and filmmaker Frank D'Angelo, hockey great Phil Esposito and sportscaster John Gallagher.

References