For more than 50 years, Hank Goldberg was a staple on the air.
“Hank Goldberg was one of the most interesting, informative, compelling sports personalities in South Florida,” said former WTVJ sports producer Stu Jacobs. “Because of his humor and because of his delivery and the way he had fun with things people forget, he was a great sports journalist.”
“You either loved him or hated him, but regardless, you needed to watch to hear what Hank had to say,” added his former co-anchor, Tony Segreto. “That that personality just doesn't exist anymore, and I don't know if management at the local level would even want to have to deal with it because it was different and cutting edge.”
He spent 25 years of his career right here in South Florida, where he made an instant impact on the passionate sports community.
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“It was part of his DNA. He would come on the air with this treasure trove of information in enormous amount of sources, and he was just down home. He was honest,” said Segreto. “I worked with a lot of anchors – some of the greatest of all time – but he was probably the most perceptive one I worked with. He knew when to start, when to stop when to add one to subtract, when to when to weigh in, and when to pull back.”
He first joined the Miami sports beat in 1978, showcasing his larger-than-life personality on WIOD-AM. It’s where he got the nickname “Hammering Hank Goldberg” for his energic outbursts with callers during the show.
“He was a little rough around the edges, and a little gruff,” said Jacobs with a smile. “He didn't pronounce everything perfectly, but that's why people loved him. If you were a sports fan, you had a listen to Tony and to Hank Goldberg. You were compelled to listen to Hank, you were compelled to watch Hank, because you never know what he was going to say. You always wanted to hear what he had to say next. He wasn't afraid to give his opinion about anything.”
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He then found his home on television, joining the team at WTVJ in 1983 where he spent nine years building relationships with some of the biggest names in sports.
“He was so deeply respected by his peers in by coaches around the country,” said Segreto. “When you get the respect that he had from Don Shula - that's testimony in of itself of what people thought of him.”
“The art of getting information today is almost a lost art on a local level, and Hank was the ultimate personality who could get information he knew everybody,” added Jacobs. “He had sources everywhere. He was friends with Al Davis. He was friends with people at the NFL league offices and all the major sports. So Hank Goldberg, yes, he was this jolly, fun, informed figure, but he was a great he was a great journalist underneath it.”
And as we celebrate his passing, we too celebrate all the accomplishments of his illustrious career knowing Hank will hammer on.
“It’s an incredible loss of a great man and a great friend, and more than just a friend… he was he was part of our family,” said Segreto. “Just a wonderful man who meant a lot to this community, and the one who will be greatly missed and is missed as we speak.”
“It's truly the loss of a legend and the kind of sports personality that rarely comes along, and that we will all miss dearly because of who Hank was,” said Jacobs.
