There are very few universally beloved sports commentators. Some are an acquired taste, some have hung on long after their expiration date, and some, well, they were just never very good to begin with. None of this holds true for former NFL play-by-play man Pat Summerall, who died Tuesday at the age of 82.
Summerall, who spent 10 years in the league as a kicker, began his play-by-play career in 1974. Though he’d eventually be responsible for manning the mic on 16 Super Bowls, his most notable work, perhaps, was the time spent partnering with human cartoon John Madden, first on CBS, and then on Fox. A consummate master of restraint—prone to measured mood elevation only when appropriate—he also lent his cool professionalism to both PGA Tour events and U.S. Open tennis. (His versatility was apparent early; in addition to being an NFL kicker in his younger days, he was also an NFL defensive back. According to Frank Gifford, he was “underrated” as a defensive player, mostly due to a lack of playing time, and only because he was too valuable as a kicker. [The coaches were reluctant to risk his health.])
Accolades and praise aside—and sparing you the line-by-line history of a storied career that you can read about any number of other places—I’ll tell you what Pat Summerall meant to me: to me—and a thousand other people my age—Summerall was the voice of a thousand Christmas mornings. Continue reading
entertaining affairs – especially several 0-0 draws.
This week’s picks are all about local Lawrence and KC acts.
