The 620 Sportsline says goodbye

PHOENIX - The final 620 Sportsline aired Tuesday evening on Sports 620 KTAR with many of the former hosts, big name guests and producers contributing to the finale.

Before there were all sports talk radio stations there was the 620 Sportsline.

The show took a look back through the years from the very beginning.

One of the original hosts, George Allen, talked about the early years of the 620 Sportsline and how it was started.

"In 1975 a guy by the name of John Moynihan came to town and John had pitched a show to management earlier and it was not accepted," Allen told the last host of the 620 Sportsline Dave Burns. "John went away, came back again, he pitched it again and they decided to go with it."

The show was similar to how it is now where the local teams preempt the show a majority of the evenings. The one difference was that KTAR played the Los Angeles Dodgers broadcasts.

Al McCoy, Suns play-by-play man, and Pat McMahon spent a segment discussing the growth of sports in the Phoenix market and the growth of the 620 Sportsline with the additions of the Arizona Cardinals, Phoenix Coyotes and Arizona Diamondbacks to the Valley.

Former hosts Greg Schulte, Tim Roye, Jude LaCava, Todd Walsh and Brad Cesmat were all a part of the memory remembering show.

"Listening to all the stories from all of our guests gave me an even deeper sense of appreciation of the 620 Sportsline," Burns said after the show. "I am just so lucky to say I have been a part of this."

Sports 620 KTAR's Ron Wolfley, who played with the Cardinals and now is a color commentator, has witnessed the expansion of the NFL in Phoenix and the show he was once a guest of.

Former ASU basketball coach Bill Frieder joined in late, talking about his time as a guest on the show.

The 620 Sportsline has been on the air for more than 30 years on the airwaves of KTAR.

The show will be replaced by the daily best-of program 'Big Ones' from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. on weeknights.

Burns will not be leaving KTAR but changing roles instead. His new title will be digital media host and he will adding content to KTAR.com throughout the week.

A few of the specifics in Burns' new role include podcasts, videocasts, columns, chats, and various pieces that will include other media members.