In a “Saturday Night Live” skit this weekend about a local news team shooting a promo (video above), a traffic reporter played by Fred Armisen is named “Hope Hines” — which was quite the surprise to the real Hope Hines, a former WTVF sports anchor who retired in July and happened to be watching “SNL” with his wife.

“When they said my name, I looked at her and said, ‘what in the heck is going on here?’” Hines said in an interview with WTVF. “Wow. It just blew me away.”

Hines, who found the skit “really, really funny,” did a little digging and was able to uncover how “SNL” settled on his name. Read more

Nashville sports legend Hope Hines retired this week after 28 years as WTVF‘s sports director. The broadcast veteran is using his new free time to write a book about his career, which will be released this spring.

Hines both started and ended his career at WTVF, the CBS affiliate in Nashville. He was sports director from 1971 to 1975 before leaving the station to join KFMB, in San Diego. His lengthy broadcast career also took him to WWL in New Orleans, WCNC in Charlotte and WMAR in Baltimore before returning to WTVF in 1983.

Hines worked on his final script for the 6 p.m. broadcast for three hours. “It’s like a painting,” Hines said. “You’re never really through with it, you just stop.” Watch the tribute to Hines, after the jump. Read more