When I was growing up, there were a few sports ‘voices’ that I remember, not by name of course, but simply by the voice. I’d think, “oh, yeah, it’s that guy calling the game.”
Well, one of those ‘guys’ is gone.
He was the smooth voice of sports history, a welcome companion who brought listeners Ted Williams’ last home run, the first Super Bowl and dozens of other dramatic moments.
Curt Gowdy, who died Monday, told generations of Americans about the games they loved from the broadcast booths at 13 World Series, 16 All-Star baseball games, numerous Rose Bowls and the 1976 Montreal Olympics.
“He was the first superstar of sports television because he did all of the big events,” veteran NBC broadcaster Dick Enberg said. “He’s the last of the dinosaurs. No one will ever be the voice of so many major events at the same time ever again.”
Gowdy died of leukemia at his winter home in Palm Beach. He was 86.
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