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INVENTOR OF BOX SCORE™ --- TOM MERRITT
BIOGRAPHY
Tom Merritt's lifelong involvement with sports took a decidedly different turn in 2000 with the launch of his
original sports trivia-based computer game, BOX SCORE™. After nearly 25 years as a nationally respected sports
media relations executive, his role became that of an entrepreneur, complete with all the challenges of single-handedly
introducing BOX SCORE™ to sports fans.
Merritt's career in sports got underway when, following an academic internship at the National Football League
office in New York, he was hired as an assistant in a two-person sports media relations unit at NBC-TV in December,
1975. The timing led to a prominent role in publicizing college basketball, which was making its regular season
debut on NBC-TV leading up the network's exclusive coverage of the NCAA championship tournament.
With a boom in sports coverage occurring throughout network television during the late 1970s, Merritt's responsibilities
with NBC-TV increased and, in May 1982, he was named Director of Sports Information and elevated to head the unit.
Before leaving the network in the spring of 1987, Merritt staffed such high profile events as the Super Bowl, World
Series, Orange Bowl, Wimbledon, the Breeders' Cup, and the NCAA Basketball Final Four, which he has attended every
year since 1976.
In July 1987, Merritt was hired as Executive Director of Thoroughbred Racing Communications (TRC) and given the
challenge of creating the first national media relations and information services office for the sport. He served
in that capacity for the entire history of TRC until it ceased operations on December 31, 1998.
Merritt, 53, received his BS in Public Communications from Syracuse University in 1973 and his M.Ed., with an emphasis
in sports administration, from Ohio University in 1975.
He resides in Cornwall, NY with his wife, Dana.
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