Steve True
Steve True (born November 13, 1954) , better known as Steve "The Homer" True, is an American sportscaster from South Bend, Indiana. He attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Arizona and Indiana University South Bend. His father was a professor at the University of Notre Dame for a period before becoming a professional speaker, which he did for 40 years, where he was known as "The World's Greatest Edutainer".
True was a sports anchor on Milwaukee's WISN-TV's Channel 12 5 PM News where he was given an Emmy award for his work. He also hosted The World's Greatest Sports Talk Show on WISN 1130 AM. Starting on September 27, 2005, True became the host of a new version of the World's Greatest Sports Talk Show on WAUK, which is now known as ESPN 540. In addition to having the top ranked sports show in Wisconsin, True is also the play-by-play voice for Marquette University's Men's Basketball team.
Early life
True was an outstanding Tennis player growing up, because, he says, "I wasn't good enough at any other sport." He played tennis at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He returned home to South Bend to finish his accounting degree at the Indiana University South Bend. True was the assistant head tennis coach at Notre Dame University in South Bend, Indiana. He was a finalist for the head tennis coach's job at Indiana University, but did not get it. After attending Midwestern Broadcast College, in Chicago, Illinois, he got into radio.
Prior radio career
Prior to working with ESPN 540, Steve True was an on-air personality with numerous radio stations, WIXK, WIBA, WTDY, and finally WISN. True made his name in Milwaukee on 1130 WISN from 1989-2005 hosting the evening sports talk show. It was originally weeknights from 6-7PM but True's style and nature made the ratings climb sharply leading to an expanded two hour weekday format from 6-8 PM. It was at WISN where True got the name "the Homer". He's a homer, "but not an idiot," as he puts it. It was also at WISN where True became a Milwaukee radio power. His radio shows added a fresh perspective for listeners and a guest list that rivaled other radio station powerhouses. His strength in the business gave producers and guests opportunities to gain their own shows and promotions due to True's ability to include everybody on his staff in almost every show.
Current radio program
On September 27, 2005, True began his new 2-6 PM show at WAUK, the Milwaukee market's ESPN Radio affiliate, then broadcasting on two frequencies, 540 AM. True's show continues on the station, now airing on the full-time 540 AM frequency. The move means True's show is no longer taken off the air due to sunset hours before 6 PM, as happened under the previous WAUK arrangement.
True's program is also simulcasted in Madison on WAUK's sister sports talk radio station, FM 100.5 ESPN WTLX.
He is also a frequent contributor to the 11AM-2 program on ESPN 540, The D-List, with his good friend Dan Needles (a former co-worker at WISN TV) and Drew Olson (president of the Baseball Writers Association).
Has developed a reputation for having the strongest guest lists of any Milwaukee radio sports talker. Regular guests include Packers insider Jason Wilde (Wisconsin's Sportswriter of the year), Current Packers star OL Mark Tauscher aka "The Eraser", Former University of Wisconsin-Madison Athletic Director Pat Richter, Former NFL star Joe Panos, Miami Heat Superstar Dwyane Wade, St. Louis University's Men's Basketball Coach Rick Majerus, and ESPN's John Clayton, Chris Mortensen, and Buster Olney.
Well-known show segments
- True begins his show with a recording of The Star Spangled Banner, often as performed by a singer or music group from Wisconsin
- True conducts daily InterViews with Jason Wilde of the Wisconsin State Journal and Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and weekly interviews with Green Bay Packers offensive lineman Mark Tauscher, former University of Wisconsin-Madison athletic director and professional American footballer Pat Richter, and sports memorabilia dealer Jeff Lemieux
- True holds a once-weekly trivia contest in which a caller competes against WISN-TV sportscaster and ESPN Milwaukee colleague Dan Needles, styled as "Rain Man" for his strong performances, in a two-minute, fifteen-question trivia challenge
Marquette University men's basketball play-by-play
True is the current play-by-play man for the Marquette University men's basketball team. He is known as a "classic-type" play-by-play man. True is known for giving the Marquette players unique nicknames that matches their playing style and life stories. Successfully predicted that Dwyane Wade would be a superstar after a Wade performance in a Marquette tournament win at the Great Alaska Shootout. Wade had three levels of play: D-Wade, Micro-Wade, and Tidal-Wade. Homer also said AbOUT Wade- even when he was bad, he was good. And when he was good, he was real good. Travis Diener was the teenage assassin. Steve Novak was money. Marquette games are broadcast on his current station, ESPN 540 WAUK in Milwaukee.
Accomplishments
Beat Mark Tauscher in Tennis.