MARK EWING

EWING, MARK

Hometown: McPherson, KS

Transfer from Cloud Co. Juco.

WIBW Bios

Mark Ewing Mark Ewing is a 17-year veteran of covering sports in local television markets. He's a 1984 graduate of the University of Kansas. Mark worked in Oberlin, Kansas; Joplin, Mo; Green Bay, WI; and Wichita, Kansas before becoming sports director at WIBW in December 1998. Mark is a native of McPherson, Kansas. He says he watched a lot of WIBW back in the old days of Max Falkenstein and Fred White. Mark just covered his 19th NCAA site and has covered two Final Fours, four bowl games, AFC Championship, NFL playoffs, NCAA baseball regionals and the World Series. Mark, his wife Carrie, and dog Simon live in Topeka.

Mark Ewing Bio Save Email Print

Name: Mark Ewing Email Address: [email protected]

As I’ve told any group, organization, or classroom I’ve been asked to speak to, I will say that I knew I was going to be a sports broadcaster since I was about five years old. I made my first broadcast on my hometown radio station in McPherson when I was about 15. I have worked in television since 1984. I guess that makes me a broadcast veteran. I had stops in Oberlin-McCook, Joplin, Green Bay, and Wichita, before becoming Sports Director here in December of 1998. The older I get, the more I respect those who manned the Sports Director’s chair before me at WIBW in Topeka. The list of those gentlemen like Dev Nelson, Max Falkenstien, Fred White, and others reads like the Hall of Fame of broadcasting in the State of Kansas. I’ve always aspired to be respected among those great names at this craft. And, I will say that making good television is an art. It’s my aim to be creative in the process, and be respectful of the game, the athletes, and the coaches who make it so entertaining. I’ve been lucky enough to chronicle nearly an entire generation of sports heroes in my home state. I’ve witnessed 38 NC-Double-A tournament sites, with four Final Fours. I’ve been on the sidelines for seven bowl games. I’m old enough to have covered the Chiefs in the A-F-C Title game, and the Royals in the World Series. I was on site for both events. I have covered multiple state championships, drag races, and letter of intent signings. My assignments have been diverse. I once covered the Bean Bag Toss championships in Angelica, Wisconsin, and I have watched sturgeon fishing in Lake OshKosh. Since I lettered at Kansas, I can say that I played where James Naismith perfected the game of basketball, and worked in the same locker room where Vince Lombardi coached. Tradition is really appealing to me, which is why I’ve tried to live up to the reputation that WIBW set long before I arrived here. My favorite saying is that “one man’s silk is another man’s burlap”, and once, I read that covering sports is difficult because to the average sports fan… it is one centimeter wide and a thousand miles deep. Think about that one for a while.

Hi Ken...

Just a couple of words to add to my years at Kansas... and thanks for doing this... it's very impressive.

I remember my two seasons at Kansas as the best and worst time of my life all wrapped up in one.  It was the best because of the all the terrific opportunities presented to represent University of Kansas basketball, and at the same time, it was frustrating because I didn't play nearly as much as I would have liked to, and I also played during two losing seasons in Lawrence.   I will say I had terrific teammates who I enjoyed playing with.  We had a really difficult schedule with games against Arizona, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and North Carolina and other top programs during those two seasons.  I will also say that it is my feeling that surrendering playing time for young and upcoming players turned into the experience factor that propelled the 85-86 Jayhawks to the Final Four.   It was a privelage to be a native Kansan playing for Kansas.

-          Mark Ewing, Feb, 08

Ken... thanks for the note.   Tony Guy and Dave Magley were my captains during my junior season.  Jeff Dishman and Mark Summers were captains for my senior season.  Tony had some nagging shin splints, Dave had a great year and was drafted by Cleveland.  Tyke Peacock could jump out of the gym.  We would have made a great track team with Tyke, ME, Jeff Dishman recruited to run with the ball.  Ted had initially told us he wanted to uptempo the game because thta wsa the trend.  Oklahoma, which had just brought in Billy Tubbs, so Ted recruited a lot of speed.  This was before the three point stripe and shot clock.  But then, we made the mistake of beating Indiana at Madison Square Garden in a slow down game. (I think six guys on our squad played, the sixth just a few minutes)... and that was that.   I ended up playing behind Kerry Boagni my senior year.

I always thought it was interesting that Coach Owens was our head coach with Bob Hill, and Jo Jo White as our lead assistants.  We also had some guy named John Calipari as a grad assistant.  Randolph Carroll was the other grad assistant.   I was a grad assistant for Larry Brown in 84-85.  R.C. Buford was a grad assistant that season.

ME