After 50 Years, Mark Rosen To Retire From WCCO-TV
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- When you think Minnesota sports, you think Mark Rosen. He's been covering our teams for five decades at WCCO.
But as the song goes, nothing lasts forever. And so the time has come for Rosen to share the news that he has decided to retire from WCCO.
"My book said it best, I've had the best seat in the house for so many years. I'm thankful for the opportunity and the trust of Minnesota's die-hard sports fans," Rosen said.
The guy with the "Best Seat in the House" has been in your house since 1969. That's 50 years bringing us the most compelling sports stories of our time. He was still a high school junior when he started, and was hired full time while attending the University of Minnesota.
From the 1980 Miracle on Ice in Lake Placid, to high school hockey players dreaming of making it to that world stage, he's been there for Minnesota's ups and downs.
Rosen's love of sports started young. A camera caught him watching Sandy Koufax pitch in the 1965 World Series. He'd later interview Koufax, one dream come true in a career full of them.
Rosen's kindness and fairness have earned him the respect of the athletes he covers and the viewers at home.
He's worked with broadcast legends like Dave Moore, Don Shelby and RJ Fritz, and along the way earned his place on the Mount Rushmore of WCCO. He was inducted into the Minnesota Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2013.
"Mark is a legend in this town leading us through the highs of game day. We plan to take the next few months to celebrate him and his incredible reel of personal highlights," WCCO vice-president and general manager Ann Ouellette said.
Don't worry, he'll be here through the 2019 NCAA Final Four in Minneapolis in April. That gives us time celebrate a legendary career before he signs off for good 50 years to the month after he first started.