Former sportscaster Warner Wolf bombarded after ‘This Is Us’ reference

Warner Wolf was at his home in Naples, Florida, on a quiet Tuesday night when out of leftfield — near the “fair pole,” no doubt — came a text from a number he did not recognize, alerting him to a scene in a show he never has watched.

“I didn’t know what they were talking about,” he said on Wednesday morning. “Then an email came, then more, then more overnight, this morning, I mean, it’s incredible. I can’t believe it.”

Causing the stir was an out-of-the-blue reference to the retired sportscaster in an episode of “This Is Us,” NBC’s mega-hit, which premiered the second half of its second season on Tuesday.

Wolf said he has been referenced on television shows in the past, including “Moonlighting,” a hit in the late 1980s, “but never have I had a reaction like this. I mean, it’s incredible.

“I’m ashamed to say I’ve never seen the show. I certainly will punch it up and start watching it.”

Wolf came up in a scene that featured the three siblings at the center of the series’ story.

One of the characters, Randall, says it would be nice to have videotape of their childhoods to settle disputes over what really happened in the past.

“Whenever we remembered things differently, we’d just say, ‘Let’s go to the videotape,’ like Warner Wolf, and then see what was really up,” Randall says.

His sister, Kate, responds, “Who’s Warner Wolf?”

Says Randall, “Sportscaster guy when we were growing up. He used to always say, ‘Let’s go to the videotape,’ and they’d play the highlights.”

Their brother Kevin then wistfully says, “Warner Wolf,” and Kate says, “Oh, yeah.”

There are some curious things about the reference, notably that the characters are in their late 30s and grew up in Pittsburgh. While Wolf did some national work in his career, his “Let’s go to the videotape” line is most associated with his local evening news reports.

Wolf was a fixture on channels in Washington, D.C., and New York from 1965 through 2004. He was not sure what connection he would have to Pittsburghers, other than working with famed Pirates announcer Bob Prince on some national ABC telecasts in the 1970s.

This could be an important hint to the mystery: Dan Fogelman, the show’s creator and executive producer, grew up in northern New Jersey.

Regardless, Wolf was appreciative, and plans to reach out to the show to offer thanks.

“It’s nice to be remembered after all these years,” said Wolf, who turned 80 in November. “When I meet people they often will say, ‘Hey, I remember you!’ But I always say there is not videotape anymore. You can’t use that phrase. Everything is digital.”

Wolf moved to Florida nearly two years ago, and left his job as the sports update man on Don Imus’ WABC radio show in late 2016. Last year he filled in four times on WOR radio sports talk shows, twice with his fellow former TV sports anchor, Len Berman, and twice on “Sports Zone” in the evening.

He said he would be happy to fill in more in the future, but he said he keeps himself busy. Recently he took up golf, as well as the paddle sport “pickleball.”

He follows current events and attends classes at a nearby college. “You have to keep busy,” he said. “You can’t say, ‘Well, I used to be a sportscaster’ and then lay in bed all day. No, you have to get up.”

When “This Is Us” invoked his name, it was a nostalgic touch for many viewers, and a Google name-check for many others. It was all good for Wolf, who might now have a new activity on Tuesday nights.

“I’m still getting these emails,” he said. “This show, holy Moses, I’m really missing something, I guess . . . I’m really flattered. It’s unbelievable. I’ve always wondered if ‘Let’s go to the videotape’ will be on my tombstone.”

By Neil Best

neil.best@newsday.com@sportswatch

Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.