I've always been afraid of this day because
I've always known this day was coming.
My dad said that to me when my mom
died and now I understand just a
little bit of what he felt that day.
A part of me does night at night.
Maybe the best part.
Certainly the favorite part,
because this is my life.
It was the life I could only dream about as
a little boy in a small farm town in Iowa.
It is the life I chose when my
first wife said I had to choose
between this life and her.
I chose this life.
My kids never did forgive me for that,
but I could have never been
the father they wanted anyway.
If I didn't have the life I wanted.
I have loved everything about my life,
the places I bend, the teams I've covered,
the people I've met,
and the people I've worked
with for the past 38 years.
Here, 41 years in Dallas and 50
years since I spun that first
record as a disc jockey in Iowa.
But six stations later fired from
5:00 AM and a 13 week contract.
When I started here, there were
days I didn't think I'd make the 13.
Weeks, but here we are.
I'd like to name each and everyone of the
great and talented people I've worked with,
but I'm 73 now and I want to be done
before I'm 74 and I wouldn't be.
It was the SMU investigation in 86
that led to the end of their football
team glory years that changed my life.
It changed the way I covered sports and
it played a very big part in making me.
The person I am.
I've said several times I hated the
fact that SMU story had to be told.
But I'm incredibly proud of the fact
we were the ones who told him I knew
then my life had to be about more
than ball scores and highlights,
and I will be forever grateful.
This station gave me the platform
and the opportunity to talk about
gay rights in America.
The gun violence at our cities,
the racism that my granddaughter has
lived with every day of her life.
This station has allowed me to talk
about the issues that really matter.
I have been told. I make the conservative.
You are uncomfortable.
That was never my intent,
but I do hope I did.
I think a good commentary should
make everybody uncomfortable,
and I think the news should too.
We do not provide the public service we
should by reporting only the good news,
we shouldn't sanitize what can be dirty
and harsh. And yes, uncomfortable.
Television has to be more than
sitcoms in COP shows.
We need to take people out of their
bubbles in their safe place and make
him think about the world we live in.
It is the only thing I've ever
really wanted to do was to simply
make you think about the things I
think we should all think about.
But I've survived 41 years on
Dallas TV because the Great
Daddy Livingston taught me how.
If you don't have a Denny
Livingston in your life,
I strongly encourage you to find one.
He makes dreams come true.
It was Danny who taught me in Omaha to
cover the kids to tell their stories.
They'll watch mom and dad will watch,
and the grandparents will too.
And now, 41 years later,
some of those kids I've talked
about on thank God for kids.
They're the grandparents now,
and some of those kids we've talked about on.
Thank God for kids.
They will be kids forever and
sleep with angels tonight.
Dolly Parton said it perfectly at
a song she wrote if I should stay.
I would only be in your way,
so I'll go,
but I know I'll think of
you every step of the way
and I will always love you.
I will always love you. For
letting that little boy in
that small farm town in Iowa,
live out his dream and grow old in Texas.
I wish you all the very best and I
do hope you can all find a little
of the happiness in your life that
you have all made possible in mind.
There will be no more TV tomorrow's
from me. So
for everyone who's been
a part of this one, and
all of these 41 years, I'm Dale Hanson.
I really do thank you for watching.
Goodnight and goodbye.
You're my friend.
Thank you again.
Made it.
Every second.