1. Jim McKay - Whether it was the Olympics or demolition derby on the Wide World of Sports, Jim McKay brought class and professionalism to all he did. In Munich, when he looked into the camera and told us "They're all gone", it was like hearing it from a member of the family. If there is an afterlife I hope he is announcing those races between Jim Thorpe and Jessie Owens.
2. "Harry we have a cake here sent to us from Edna Purdon of East Falls." Summer evenings were never better. God rest Richie and Harry.
3. For a few years in the early sixties there was one man who so clearly dominated his sport that love him or hate him you had to tune in when he pitched. Sandy Koufax was able to endure pain and perform at a level never matched before or since. That left arm coming over the top and every muscle in his body launching him towards the plate was something to see. My heart aches watching the clip of his retirement at the top of his career.
4. Jim Browne - He was 6'2", 235 lbs., and he could run like a deer. That isn't what made him the greatest RB ever. It was his heart. He played with a ferocity and desire to be the best. I hear it said he was a better lacrosse player than anyone of his time. Only one back in my lifetime came close to him...
5. O.J. Simpson - 6'2", 212 lbs., with the best vision any running back ever had. He is not given the credit he deserves for being tough. They handed the ball to him nearly every down and he never left the field.
6. Lou Brock - He was the heart of some great St. Louis Cardinals teams. An explosive athlete who seemed to be built of tungsten steel. If I had a base to steal he would be the first baserunner I would call in to do the job. He could hit with pop too.
7. John Halicek - The best sixth man ever. Then when the greats retired he became the leader and willed the Celtics to a couple more championships. I hated him so.
8. Tom Landry - Before we had every NFL game televised you were lucky to see two games on a Sunday in the Fall. More often than not one of the games would feature this man on the sidelines, stone faced, in a sports coat, his head topped with a classic hat. It always made me feel good to see him lose, but the man was class.
9. Dick Enberg - A real pro who I first heard announce UCLA basketball games back in the sixties. He became a fixture on CBS, bringing us most of the premier games televised for the next 30 years by that network.
10. Bill Campbell - Living near Philadelphia we were fortunate enough to get cable in the mid 1960s and I got to watch Big 5 games with him announcing. He was the radio announcer for nearly every Philadelphia professional sports team at some point between 1965 and 1980. I believe he did basketball best, college and NBA.
Oh, and one last thing. Did anyone else get a decent radio in the sixties and spend evenings tuning in radio stations from Boston, New York, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, St. Louis, Cincinnati? Every once in a while maybe Chicago or Atlanta would come in if the wind was blowing in the right direction. I still remember the night I tuned in "Sports Huddle" a radio call in show broadcast weekend evenings on WBZ in Boston. That show became the template for all the sports talk shows you see and hear today.
