http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080607/ap_on_sp_ot/obit_mckay Some of you may remember Jim as the play-by-play man during ABC's telecasts of NASL matches--with none other than Paul Gardner providing color. As fate would have it, I've been watching a number of old ABC NASL broadcasts lately. Mr. McKay was stuck with a tough job: he not only had to do play-by-play, but also had to explain every basic rule like offside and free kicks ad infinidum for an audience that was largely unsophisticated. And it's clear from the broadcasts he was little more than a newcomer to the game himself. However, he did a classy job, as befitting his legend as one of the all-time great sportscasters.
RIP to Jim mckay and american sports Icon...... i hope you wasnt insulting anybody by calling the audience "Unsophisticated" exactly whats thats supposed to mean?
Jim McKay was what a reporter should be: eager and willing to learn about new subjects and people. Even people today who don't like soccer - and are old enough to remember the NASL being on network TV - look back at the NASL and Pele with respect. They might not realize it, but the fact McKay took soccer seriously in his announcing probably influenced those positive views on the NASL. McKay also was the play-by-play announcer for the first live World Cup final in the U.S. in 1982. Just as he made you care about some bobsledder or weightlifter you never heard of, McKay also made you care about the result of Italy-West Germany. For those reasons, he probably plays a bigger role in the history of soccer in the USA than most realize. He was one of the first in the American mainstream media to show respect toward the sport. Although there are still detractors, it is a trend that has grown to the point today that you can actually talk soccer with some of the U.S. population. McKay really started that. Marco Tardelli's goal celebration was a "Thrill of victory" highlight for a period in Wide World of Sports' history. And you know what, it never seemed out of place, even to an American audience. There is a nice column by Paul Gardner, McKay's NASL and World Cup 82 analyst, on Soccer America's site about this. http://blogs.socceramerica.com/soccer_talk/?p=27 McKay later served as studio host for ABC's coverage of the 1994 World Cup. Just like the Olympics, the role was perfect for him. McKay's professionalism is stark contrast to many of today's media, who prefer to belittle something they don't understand, rather than learn about it so they can offer a knowledgable report to the reader/viewer/listener. That's a major peeve of mine in reporting. More should be like McKay. He was one of my journalistic idols growing up.
Just what it says..."unsophisticated." ABC marketed NASL games to the "casual" fan; one who was not familiar with soccer. As a result, those of us who did know the game were constantly treated to explanations of the offside rule, the penalty area, when a ball goes out of bounds "or 'into touch,' as they say in soccer," etc. etc.
He also called the 1982 World Cup on ABC Sports and also the semifinals ... all I remember from the PK shootout involving France was his call "He misses! He misses!" for Didier Six's shot. He also narrated a piece for ABC/ESPN's coverage of World Cup 2006 over the soundtrack of The Game Of Their Lives. I think it was the final words he ever spoke on air: "And what a game it is!" [youtube]4L0fbL70e6g[/youtube]
IIRC, McKay also said, when Italy took a 2-0 lead over West Germany in 1982: "And Italy leads 14-0!" I hate to bring that up, since I admired him so much. But it was an obvious slip of the tongue, even for a supposed soccer novice like him. Other than that, I thought he did great in bringing the World Cup to the masses in the U.S. for the first time, as he did with so many other sports and events from around the world. It was my first exposure to the World Cup finals, and in 1986, when NBC and ESPN carried some of the matches, I couldn't wait. All thanks in part to Jim McKay, for so eloquently explaining to us how big of an event this truly is around the world, and how little we Americans knew about it at the time.
TOTC, thanks for posting that clip. Jim McKay was superb, that's for sure. I too wish a whole lot more announcers would follow his low key style. And he certainly ensured that Wide World of Sports was truly "must see tv".
LOL Thanks for a good memory of a (IMHO) great announcer...I don't remember this match but I'm sure I watched it and it shows his excitement at such an important sequence affecting the outcome; even though he announced it like a football (American) game as he was so good at doing, I'm sure most every American viewer understood what he was trying to say regardless of whether it was correct or not (which it wasn't). Remember also he coined the phrase "...the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat" used by ABC Sports for their lead-in with the video of that poor ski-jumper going off the ramp.... At least that's what I heard if its wrong, sorry.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinko_Bogataj I love Vinko's quote "Every time I'm on ABC, I crash" Hey at least he was good enough to get there! And McKay was at the top of his game, too, which made him one of the best sports announcers ever. imho....