Monday, February 20, 2006

Good Bye Curt Gowdy

Curt Gowdy, who was the sports first broadcaster that I ever listened to has passed away from Leukemia. In the late 60s when I first was interested in Baseball there was only one game a week and Curt did play by play along with Sandy Koufax and Pee Wee Reese doing commentary. Along with Howard Cosell and Chris Schenkel, he is probably one of the best known broadcasters of the 60s and 70s. In addition to Baseball, he also did AFL football on NBC,broadcasting the first Super Bowl. and the American Sportsman on ABC. He worked for both networks simultaneously. He also was the voice for many years for the Boston Red Sox. There is a park named after him in his native Wyoming.

3 comments:

steve said...

Curt Gowdy is one of the best play by play guys I have ever herd.

So many of todays play by play guys sound the same.

Cosell, Gowdy, and Schenkel all had very distinct voices and deliveries. Even though they were in the twilight of their careers when I was young I can still clearly remember all three.

Mike Barer said...

According to the movie "Monday Night Madness", Gowdy wanted to do "Monday Night Football" but Carl Lindemann (the NBC sport director), threatened to sue him if he left the network.

Dave Zarkin said...

It may be inappropriate but in Francis Ford Coppola's first major film, You're a Big Boy Now, a albino one legged doctor named Curt Gowdy chases Elizabeth Hartman and has his way with her. I wonder what Curt thought about this? Probably never saw the movie.