Brian Wheeler fought the demon off for years
... but in the end, he lost the battle
I must say this is one of the most difficult columns I’ve ever written. Brian Wheeler died last week at 62, Way too soon. Not only a great broadcaster, but a great friend.
For 21 years he was the radio voice for the Trail Blazers and made more fans for the team than most of the players did. You all know his voice and style, but the guys at 620 Rip City Radio put together a clip with some of his great calls here. You’ve heard most of them many times but they never get old.
One of the most generous people I have ever known, he was always up for a concert, a comedy show or a pro wrestling match. And he was always ready and willing to share the experience with his friends. He was just a great guy who loved being Brian Wheeler.
The hard part of writing this post is that I’m afraid it has to be personal. You see, Brian was haunted by the same demon that I have fought for a good part of my life.
Food addiction.
We talked about it many times and supported each other in whatever way we could. But it’s a hard one. All addictions are so difficult, but with food, you cannot simply walk away and say you will never eat again. You just make choices, to eat or not to eat something harmful to you. And often, it’s sitting there in front of you.
Most people have the power to make good choices. A few of us do not. I have yo-yoed my weight for decades now. Up and down. And I am fully aware of the consequences of not winning my fight.
His friends — and his organization — did everything they could to help him and sometimes it worked for a while. He tried surgery but it didn’t last. In the end, it became a losing battle over a long period of time that cost him his health, his job and, inevitably, his life.
Brian died too soon — and his weight problem contributed to it. It hit me hard, not only for the loss of his friendship, but as a warning sign.
Like Brian did, I have a job that doesn’t come with a lot of physical activity. I’m basically a professional watcher. I sit, either in front of a television or in a press box, and watch others push their bodies through all sorts of physical activity. When you combine that with a lack of discipline in what you eat, it’s a prescription for a shorter life.
Often, in times like this, I am bewildered that I have lasted this long.
This week I have begun walking — an activity that frankly has always bored me silly. And I’m trying to watch what I put into this overweight body. It really shouldn’t be this hard but if you aren’t a food addict, I’m not sure you can ever understand it.
But I’d like Brian Wheeler to be my inspiration. I think he would like that. It really stinks that we lost him so soon. He had so much to live for.
And so do I.
Thank you very much!
Thank you, Dwight, for writing this. I was here for all 21 years of Brian's Blazers career, including his radio shows. His incredible knowledge of all sports was amazing, which is why I took pride in stumping him and Kenny during their "Stump the Band" trivia part of their show. That led to me winning a bus trip to a Mariners game with Brian, Kenny, Jay Allen and others. It was an incredible time, and Brian was very engaging with all of us. The other time I got to spend time talking with him was when the insurance company I was working for took a group tour of the Rose Garden. It was during the day, and not many people were there, but Wheels was. He sat down and talked with us for 15-20 minutes.
I'm glad he got to connect with his birth family in recent years. His radio calls of the games were incredible. I loved that he was an unapologetic homer. I also loved his professional standards of referring to players by their real names, not their nicknames. During his game calls, he would always say "Lillard", not "Dame", "Wallace", not "Sheed", "James", not "Lebron"...etc.
Lastly, a cool memory of him. He had been the voice of the Blazers for several years when one game it was arranged for Bill Schonely to call the third quarter of a game. After the third quarter, when Schonely was signing off, Wheels said, "Wait, I've been doing this long enough to recognize a hot hand when I see one. Why don't you finish the game." Schonely was very surprised and grateful. It showed Brian Wheeler's' class and respect for the Blazers broadcasting legend.