Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Pat Summerall Dies

It's probably not a stretch to say that Pat Summerall was to sportscasting, what Walter Cronkite was to news.  Summerall had been associated with sports broadcasting since 1962 when he was a color commentator along with Chris Schenkel  broadcasting Giants games on CBS.  His rich voice and dedication to his craft lead him to become lead announcer on NFL broadcasts, not that common for ex-players.  Summerall had been doing the games when I first started watching the NFL in the late 60s.  He remained active until only a few years ago.    He would work for CBS, Fox and ESPN.His partnership with John Madden made  both men bigger stars. A few years ago, Summerall, a recovering alcoholic, could be heard on a  Shick Shadel commercial with Pat O'Day on the radio.  Although Summerall played in the NFL, there is no doubt he was much more famous as an announcer.  He broadcast 16 Super Bowls, more than any other announcer.

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