Bob Weinfeld ‘Gets to Know’ the sportscaster

By Deb Silverthorn
The Legacy at Willow Bend has scored in scheduling Chuck Cooperstein to visit at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 21. Closing in on 120 interviews, it is Legacy resident and “mayor” Bob Weinfeld, who, with Cooperstein, will make a slam dunk for his “Getting to Know Your Neighbors and Your Staff and your Relatives of Residents” series.
“Chuck is something else and he brings the Mavs games to life,” Weinfeld said. The just-turned 93-year-old interviewer doesn’t miss a shot as he researches his guests and makes the one-hour tell-all occasions informative, interesting and always loaded with laughter.
“We’ve met over the years during the holidays at Temple Shalom and I’m so excited to bring him in and have him tell his story — play by play!” Weinfeld said.
A New York City native, Cooperstein earned a Bachelor of Science degree in broadcasting from the University of Florida. He is the husband of Karen, and father of Jeffrey, now following in dad’s, and creating his own, footprints working at ESPN and The Dallas Morning News.
Cooperstein, for a decade, has been heard as the play-by-play voice of the Mavericks on ESPN, where he has also anchored since 2001. He also made Dallas’ sports scene home.
“After college, I started out working for Sports Phone, everything that radio was except our broadcast was over the phone as opposed to over the air,” Cooperstein said. “In 1984, Brad Sham gave me a great opportunity at KRLD, one that lasted eight years, and there we had as strong a staff as any.”
Cooperstein’s career includes a play-by-play history with TCU and the University of Texas football, TCU, Texas A&M and SMU basketball and Dallas Cowboys pregame shows. He broadcast CBS/Westwood One NCAA basketball games beginning in 1991, and CBS/Westwood One college football games starting in 1995.
“I have always loved basketball,” said the sportscaster, who played the sport in high school and was a student team manager while in college. “It’s a great sport; in a confined space, spectators can easily see the plays and players — no helmets or hats. It’s easy to connect to the game and every night I get to see the best players on the court.”
Cooperstein, who was honored with a Katie Award for his play-by-play expertise by the Dallas Press Club, and who travels with the team, has missed only a couple of games, due to the High Holy Days.
“If Sandy Koufax can miss World Series games for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, I can miss a preseason game,” he said. “I hate to say out loud that I’d do this job for nothing, but it beats any 9-to-5 opportunity. I’m very grateful and to call this my career is absolutely a blessing.”
With his wife, Cooperstein has created the Coops’ Kids Foundation, a nonprofit providing grants to support social, emotional and physical health of children through educational, athletic and leadership development. More than $450,000 has been raised in the last four years with events including the 2018 Talk of the Town, which featured Cooperstein, Eric Nadel (voice of the Texas Rangers), Brad Sham (voice of the Dallas Cowboys) and The Ticket/KTCK hosts George Dunham and Craig Miller.
“Chuck is all about raising funds for our children but along with that he’s about being here for them,” said Texas Scottish Rite Hospital’s Ashley Givens, who last year received a $35,000 donation from Coops’ Kids. “He’s an awesome guy who comes in and visits and just brightens up the patients’ day.”
“Chuck is a very special guest. Actually, special is the only kind of guests we have here,” Weinfeld said. “He’s got stories from the road and home court, from mitzvah projects and all kinds of community service. You may know the voice, but you’ll learn a whole lot more about the man here at The Legacy.”
Cooperstein’s upcoming visit to The Legacy at Willow Bend is open to the public. For details about Coops’ Kids, visit CoopsKids.biz.

The Legacy at Willow Bend has scored in scheduling Chuck Cooperstein to visit at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 21. Closing in on 120 interviews, it is Legacy resident and “mayor” Bob Weinfeld, who, with Cooperstein, will make a slam dunk for his “Getting to Know Your Neighbors and Your Staff and your Relatives of Residents” series.
“Chuck is something else and he brings the Mavs games to life,” Weinfeld said. The just-turned 93-year-old interviewer doesn’t miss a shot as he researches his guests and makes the one-hour tell-all occasions informative, interesting and always loaded with laughter.
“We’ve met over the years during the holidays at Temple Shalom and I’m so excited to bring him in and have him tell his story — play by play!” Weinfeld said.
A New York City native, Cooperstein earned a Bachelor of Science degree in broadcasting from the University of Florida. He is the husband of Karen, and father of Jeffrey, now following in dad’s, and creating his own, footprints working at ESPN and The Dallas Morning News.
Cooperstein, for a decade, has been heard as the play-by-play voice of the Mavericks on ESPN, where he has also anchored since 2001. He also made Dallas’ sports scene home.
“After college, I started out working for Sports Phone, everything that radio was except our broadcast was over the phone as opposed to over the air,” Cooperstein said. “In 1984, Brad Sham gave me a great opportunity at KRLD, one that lasted eight years, and there we had as strong a staff as any.”
Cooperstein’s career includes a play-by-play history with TCU and the University of Texas football, TCU, Texas A&M and SMU basketball and Dallas Cowboys pregame shows. He broadcast CBS/Westwood One NCAA basketball games beginning in 1991, and CBS/Westwood One college football games starting in 1995.
“I have always loved basketball,” said the sportscaster, who played the sport in high school and was a student team manager while in college. “It’s a great sport; in a confined space, spectators can easily see the plays and players — no helmets or hats. It’s easy to connect to the game and every night I get to see the best players on the court.”
Cooperstein, who was honored with a Katie Award for his play-by-play expertise by the Dallas Press Club, and who travels with the team, has missed only a couple of games, due to the High Holy Days.
“If Sandy Koufax can miss World Series games for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, I can miss a preseason game,” he said. “I hate to say out loud that I’d do this job for nothing, but it beats any 9-to-5 opportunity. I’m very grateful and to call this my career is absolutely a blessing.”
With his wife, Cooperstein has created the Coops’ Kids Foundation, a nonprofit providing grants to support social, emotional and physical health of children through educational, athletic and leadership development. More than $450,000 has been raised in the last four years with events including the 2018 Talk of the Town, which featured Cooperstein, Eric Nadel (voice of the Texas Rangers), Brad Sham (voice of the Dallas Cowboys) and The Ticket/KTCK hosts George Dunham and Craig Miller.
“Chuck is all about raising funds for our children but along with that he’s about being here for them,” said Texas Scottish Rite Hospital’s Ashley Givens, who last year received a $35,000 donation from Coops’ Kids. “He’s an awesome guy who comes in and visits and just brightens up the patients’ day.”
“Chuck is a very special guest. Actually, special is the only kind of guests we have here,” Weinfeld said. “He’s got stories from the road and home court, from mitzvah projects and all kinds of community service. You may know the voice, but you’ll learn a whole lot more about the man here at The Legacy.”
Cooperstein’s upcoming visit to The Legacy at Willow Bend is open to the public. For details about Coops’ Kids, visit CoopsKids.biz.