Death of A Legend
Today, the world of sports, and the people of America; have lost an icon. Jim McKay, the face and voice of ABC’s ‘Wide World of Sports’ died today. As a kid, I remember watching ‘WWoS’ on Saturdays, with McKay taking me to far off lands, to witness sports I never knew existed. His legend preceded me, as the host of the Olympics for ABC, making the Olympiads relevant for the American people, culminating with the ‘84 Olympics in Los Angeles. His quote, “They’re all gone.” while commenting on the Munich ‘72 Olympics tragedy that saw 12 Israeli athletes lose their lives at the hands of Palestinian terrorists remains to this day one of the single greatest statements not just in sports; but in all of broadcast journalism. As a former newspaperman McKay brought a literary sense to his coverage, and had a unique way of commentating, making you feel like you were there. Many colleagues have spoken out about the wonder of Jim McKay, and how proud they were to have known and worked with him. I myself even feel like McKay had somehow, through WWoS and the Olympics, made the world smaller; but when the President of the United States makes a statement about you and your life and how people around the globe will be saddened by your loss; you know you’ve made an impact. It is sad that McKay would pass away on the day where Big Brown would lose his bid to be the first Triple Crown winner in 30 years in a sport McKay loved so much; horse racing.
I personally will miss McKay and every time I see a skier go tumbling down a snow covered hill, I will always remember ‘The agony of defeat’ and the greatness of Jim McKay.
