R.I.P. Jim McKay

I've overheard one guy doing play-by-play for the University of Maryland's radio station during the men's basketball team's season. I complimented him a couple of times for his understated play-by-play style. I really enjoyed it because it wasn't over-the-top and it didn't try to be. Which is one of the things I admired about McKay.

I posted on my BLOG!!! for the first time in over a year in appreciation of McKay.

I'd rather see more people emulate the Jim McKays of the world than the current bombast that passes for television sports coverage.

 

Phil Mushnick touched on this in his column, which pointed out how if Jim McKay was so beloved by the network suits, why do they go out of their way to look for the next Chris Berman or Stewie Scott instead of the next Jim McKay?

McKay was part of the scrapbook of my youth, along with Curt Gowdy and Tony Kubek doing the "Game of the Week" and Chris Schenkel and Nelson Burton Jr. doing the PBA on ABC every Saturday afternoon.

Like you, Digress, McKay WAS sports on ABC to me. His versatility and ability to take fringe sports like ski jumping, lumberjacking and Evel Knievel jumping buses and make you care about them was unparalleled.

When you put him in an Olympic setting, you defined the perfect fit of man and moment.

RIP to that classy fit of man and moment.

 

Because McKay was the only one who had newspaper reporting experience and Arledge thought that would be a key to coverage that day.

 

C'mon dude. Everyone knows when fact negates the legend, print the legend! Roone did it because he's an effin genius!

Regardless of why he had McKay report on the tragedy, it was the right move with the right person at the right time. I can think of few people who would dispute that point.

 

Growing up in the 1970s, McKay and Gowdy had my dream jobs. I wanted to host either WWS or American Sportsman.

 

My one sustained contact with the guy (six inches apart, for 4 1/2 hours) was at an "industry social outing" dear to Jim's heart.

Given our comparative statures, the guy was an utter prince to me and everyone around him.

 

Just noticed that HBO West will be showing Jim McKay: My World In My Words (2003) at 2:30 p.m. EDT, which I assume means it was shown at 11:30 a.m. on HBO East.

No idea if this is a lucky coincidence or a last-minute change by HBO, but good on 'em either way.