Chiefs Kingdom and Mix 92.3 Mourns The Heart Of Chiefs Broadcasts

I was surprised that Kansas City Chiefs Radio Network executive producer and broadcaster Dan Israel has passed away. If you listen to Chiefs games on Mix 92.3 or any Chiefs radio affiliate or the mothership station, you've heard him.

Dan would do some interviews and add texture to the broadcast, along with Danan Hughes providing color, Josh Klinger on the sideline, Art Hains at the update desk, and THE voice of the Chiefs Mitch Holthus keeping us on the edge of our seats. Yet, Dan's on-air work during the games was the tip of the iceberg.

Dan Israel was the Chiefs Radio Network equivalent of Saturday Night Live's Lorne Michaels. As executive producer of the Chiefs broadcasts, he orchestrated everything that we broadcast during Chiefs games.

I didn't know Dan well because the Chiefs broadcasts are second to none. They are technically very well executed, and the package put together by the network and fed to affiliates is very entertaining for both Chiefs superfans and the casual listener. I didn't need to talk to him often, usually on a video conference where he'd lay out the season and any changes to the broadcasts. Those calls were fun because, by the end of the video conference, it was less about the broadcasts and more about how we all thought the Chiefs season would go.

Dan battled cancer for over ten years, something I didn't know and you wouldn't know from listening to his broadcasts. According to KMBC, Dan spent 35 years with the Kansas City Chiefs and was widely thought of as the heart and soul of the team's radio broadcasts. He was also responsible for building up the Chiefs radio network, which now has affiliates in 12 states, so he's also partially responsible for spreading the Chiefs Kingdom far and wide.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid had this to say on the Chiefs website about the loss of Dan and how he valiantly fought cancer:

I was heartbroken to hear about the loss of Dan Israel. Over the last several years, I watched Dan battle this disease with strength and a positive attitude. Dan was the first person I would interview with after games. No matter how he was feeling, he always put that aside to get that interview in with a positive spin for our fans. He was a huge part of the Chiefs Radio Network and the Chiefs football team. I loved Dan Israel, and he will be missed by the Chiefs organization but never forgotten.

Clark Hunt, Chiefs Chairman & CEO, says Dan brought joy into the building each day and that through the Chiefs Radio Network, he helped bring football to life for millions of listeners across the Chiefs Kingdom.

Townsquare's Bill Schuler, who works for our Qunicy Hannibal stations, one of which is also a Chiefs affiliate, said on the Chiefs Radio Network Facebook page, "Dan was a joy to work with. We'll miss him very much."

Thank you, Dan, for the heart and soul you put into the Kansas City Chiefs and for building what I'd say is the best NFL Radio Network broadcast in the nation. When we couldn't be at the game, you made us feel like we were there.