Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
What an international legend in the sports broadcasting world! He will be sorely missed for his honesty and accuracy in portraying the Olympics, Wide World of Sports and more.
What an international legend in the sports broadcasting world! He will be sorely missed for his honesty and accuracy in portraying the Olympics, Wide World of Sports and more.
Another one of my childhood memories gone! RIP!
Rest well Jim!:'=( I still remember hearing those words "their all gone" from the 1972 Munich games!
I still think about that incident. Very, very sad indeed. Mckay was the consummate professional. From the broadcasting scope, he could do it all. There was an interview this morning with Brent Mussberger on ESPN this morning as Brent knew him quite well. As his peers have said of him is that he was a great broadcaster but even a better person.
What humanity he showed on that awful day in Munich. I was a kid during the heyday of Wide World, and ABC's Olympics coverage, so perhaps I couldn't fully appreciated Jim's honesty and how special that was. In retrospect, I realize that he was a man of rare integrity. He also had quite an ability to make people feel genuine feelings with him. He helped us feel the tragedy in Munich, and captured viewers with an appealing genuineness in the excitement he would display over a great athletic performance.
As Suzanne points out is true for her, Jim McKay is part of my childhood memories. Part of growing up for me was tuning in every Saturday afternoon, for a glimpse at "the thrill of victory, and the agony of defeat."
People often talk about Munich when they speak of Jim McKay, but for me the other most notable memory I have of Jim was something positive, the Miracle on Ice. The game was played in the afternoon and taped for television broadcast in prime time. When the Olympics coverage started that evening, Jim introduced the show by listing the events that would be covered that evening. When he talked about the hockey game, he explained that this would be taped coverage of a game that had already been played that afternoon. A broad grin broke onto his face, as he said, "In case there's even ONE person out there who doesn't know how this game turned out, we're not going to tell you!" I was thinking, well, thanks for not telling me, Jim, but then it turned out that he hadn't spoiled the surprise, because my next thought was that there was no possible way the U.S. team had won, so I must be mis-reading something. The brimming excitement Jim showed in discussing the game afterward was contagious, and made this breathtaking upset all the more enjoyable.
Jim McKay: a man who found work he loved and did it very well. A man who made us really feel. What a fantastic life he lived. Many thanks, Jim.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
