Franklin Mieuli(/ˈmjuːli/MEW-lee;September 14, 1920 – April 25, 2010) was aSan Francisco Bay Arearadioandtelevision producerwho was best known as the principal owner of theSan Francisco / Golden State Warriorsfrom 1962 to 1986.[1]The pinnacle of his 24 years with thefranchisewas itsNational Basketball Association ( NBA )Championship in1975.He was also a minorityshareholderin both theSan Francisco 49ersandGiants.
Franklin Mieuli | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 14, 1920 San Jose, California,U.S. |
| Died | April 25, 2010(aged 89) San Francisco Bay Area,California |
| Occupation(s) | FormerownerofGolden State Warriors,minority co-owner of theSan Francisco 49ersand theSan Francisco Giants |
Aneccentricpersonality, Mieuli eschewedformal attireand conservative grooming in favor of acasualwardrobe and his ever-present fullbeardanddeerstalker.His preferred mode oftransportationwas themotorcycle.[2]
Early years
editMieuli, the second son of Italian immigrants fromCastellana Grotte,Apulia,was born inSan Jose, Californiaon September 14, 1920. His father Giacomo and older brother Jack Jr. owned and operatedNavlet's Nurseryin theEast Bay (San Francisco Bay Area).
Mieuli graduated from San Jose High School and theUniversity of Oregon,in 1940 and 1944, respectively.[3][4]
In the early 1950s, Mieuli was the local promotions man forBurgermeister Beer( "Burgie" ). His association with the 49ers led him to land the team's star fullback,Joe "The Jet" Perry,on his own sports and music radio program, "Both Sides Of The Record", sponsored by Burgie, on R&B-formatted KWBR (1310 AM; later known asKDIA) beginning in 1954.
Mieuli also produced the 49ers radio broadcasts onKSFObeginning in the 1950s, and produced the first televised 49ers game in 1954. He subsequently produced Giants radio broadcasts, hosted byRuss HodgesandLon Simmonsupon the team's move from New York by ownerHorace Stonehamin 1958.
Mieuli was influential in the hiring of sportscasterBill King,initially the third man in the Giants broadcast booth in 1958, behind Hodges and Simmons. Upon Mieuli's purchase of the Warriors in 1962, King left Giants radio to become play-by-play voice of the newly minted "San Francisco Warriors". Coincidentally, at the time of Mieuli's purchase of the team, he was still producing the KSFO broadcasts of the Giants, 49ers, and the Warriors.
In 1956, Mieuli purchased five reel-to-reel audiotape duplicators fromAmpexfor use in distributing sports and music programming to radio stations. The venture led him to create Hi*Speed Duplicating Company, the first business of its kind in Northern California. In 1960, Mieuli produced national radio coverage of theVIII Winter Olympic GamesatSquaw Valley.This was the start of his long-standing radio and television production company, Franklin Mieuli & Associates.
On January 8, 1958, Mieuli was granted a construction permit for a newFM radiostation in San Francisco, which went on the air on Thursday, December 10, 1959, as KPUP (106.9 FM); the station is now the FM portion of all-newsKCBSradio's simulcast. Reflecting Mieuli's love for the style of music, KPUP programmed aJazzmusic format, drawing from the rich variety of artists and recordings that were popular at the time, as well as Mieuli's friendship withSaul ZaentzofFantasy Records.(The San Francisco Giants' 1962 season highlights, narrated by Russ Hodges and Lon Simmons and produced by Mieuli, were released on a long-playing record by Fantasy, catalog number GB-1962.)
KPUP's call letters were changed to the jazzier-sounding KHIP in July 1960. To help finance his purchase of the Warriors, Mieuli sold KHIP toLeon Crosbyin June 1962 for $146,000; Crosby renamed the stationKMPX.
Golden State Warriors
editMieuli, along with 32 other local investors, was part of ajoint ventureheaded byDiners Clubthat purchased the Philadelphia Warriors fromEddie Gottliebfor $850,000 and moved the ballclub to the Bay Area following the1961–62 NBA season.[5]After drawing 5,579 per home game in the prior year, the Warriors fell to the bottom of the league in attendance average with 3,067 in 1962–63, its first season in San Francisco.[6][7]When Diners Club and other stockholders threatened to bail out from the franchise, Mieuli simply purchased their shares until he eventually became the sole owner.[5]
His 24-year ownership of the Warriors was moderately successful on the court, as the team made theplayoffsten times with threeNBA Finalsappearances.[5]The first two trips to the championship series resulted in defeats to theBoston Celticsin1964and thePhiladelphia 76ersin1967.The third one in1975was a four-game sweep of theWashington Bulletsand the first time the franchise won the title after its move to the Bay Area.[8]Home attendance was a different story as the Warriors averaged more than 10,000 a game only five times (1976–1979, 1981).[6]
Mieuli played a major role in breaking down racial barriers in the NBA by encouraging his team's front office to sign players regardless ofcolor.[9]Ten of the twelve players on the Warriors' championship roster during the 1975 Finals wereAfrican American,as was head coachAl Attlesand his assistantJoe Roberts.[10]
Mieuli sold the Warriors toJim FitzgeraldandDaniel Finnaneon May 23, 1986.[11]
Later career
editUntil his death in 2010,[12]Mieuli retained a 10% share of the 49ers, an investment that dates back to 1954. In addition to his role with Franklin Mieuli & Associates, which handles broadcast engineering for thirty pro and college sports teams, he was an active member of the San Francisco chapter of Broadcast Legends, and was inducted into the National Television Academy/Northern California Chapter's Gold Circle in 2006, honoring him for his significant contributions to local television during a career spanning more than fifty years.
In 2007, Mieuli was inducted into the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame as a member of the second class to be honored. He was the recipient of five Super Bowl rings as a part-owner of the 49ers, as well as one NBA Championship trophy as the owner of the Warriors. He died at a hospital in theSan Francisco Bay Areain 2010.[2]
His firm, Franklin Mieuli & Associates, continues to produce radio broadcasts for many professional teams in the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB; as well as NCAA teams.
References
edit- ^"Will Franklin Mieuli spoil success?"Sports Illustrated
- ^abWeber, Bruce [http:// BARHOF "Franklin Mieuli, Offbeat N.B.A. Owner, Dies at 89"The New York Times,Tuesday, April 27, 2010
- ^The Bell Staff.San Jose, California: San Jose High School. 1940. p. 73.
- ^"PASSINGS: Franklin Mieuli, Ron Scalera".Los Angeles Times.April 26, 2010.RetrievedFebruary 12,2011.
- ^abcBush, David"A tip of the cap: There's still more to Mieuli than meets the eye"San Francisco Chronicle,Wednesday, May 4, 2005
- ^abShouler, Ken; Ryan, Bob; Smith, Sam; Koppett, Leonard & Bellotti, Bob.Total Basketball: The Ultimate Basketball Encyclopedia.Wilmington, Delaware: Sport Media Publishing Inc., 2003.
- ^San Francisco Warriors (1962–63 roster & statistics) – Basketball-Reference.
- ^Golden State Warriors (franchise index) – Basketball-Reference.
- ^Thompson II, Marcus"Ex-Warriors owner Franklin Mieuli dies at 89"The Oakland Tribune,Monday, April 26, 2010
- ^Official NBA Guide.2003–2004 Edition. St. Louis, Missouri:The Sporting News,2003.
- ^Golden State Warriors 2005–06 Media Guide: 148.Archived2012-11-08 at theWayback Machine
- ^"Ex-Warriors owner Franklin Mieuli dies at 89"SF Gate