Dave Furst has always been a sports fan first.
Wednesday marks his final day with WRTV as he moves to another dream job as vice president of communications for IndyCar.
Dave's eye on the humanity and hopes of those in competition has brought us the biggest moments in Indiana sports.
Dave Furst made his debut on WRTV in 1997 taking us on a journey with the people who bring arenas and athletic fields to life.
"When I was at IU I went through the journalism department and was kind of a news junky," Furst said. "And I was the only guy in the fraternity that at 5 o'clock and 6 o'clock would go up to the room and flip on Channel 6 news. I'm like, 'I would love to be a part of that some day,' and luckily enough, 20 years later, here I am."
And over two decades, Dave covered everything from auto racing, basketball, football — both professional and amateur — from stadium highlights to Friday night fly-lights.
"The great thing about working in Indianapolis is eventually they all come through this city," Furst said. "When I was younger, the opportunity to talk to Michael Jordan was just unbelievable. Jord to me, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson all these guys coming through town you eventually spoke to all of them.
"But also growing up as a fan of the Indianapolis 500, I never had an opportunity as a kid to go into the garage area, so I didn't have an opportunity to get to know A.J. Foyt, any of the Unsers or any of the guys with the legendary names that I'd grown up enjoying and appreciating what they did at the 500 and racing in general so to have that opportunity. So here I am 20 years later at Channel 6 and I've got on my cell phone A.J. Foyt, Al Unser, Mario Andretti. A 15-year-old me would not have believed what's in my cell phone."
The multiple-Emmy Award-winning broadcaster made connections with an elite group of sports figures among them Tony Kanaan, Roger Penske, Tony Dungy, Vic Oladipo and race car owner David Letterman.
Like the late-night comic, our Dave is also quick and witty.
Over the years, the gifted sports guy gave us reasons to smile, like when the Colts played on "Monday Night Football."
Dave Furst — the ultimate sports fan better known by his team for being dad and loving his family.
