Jim McKay, Olympics and ABC Announcer, Dies At Age 86

One of the best who did it.

Got that right. Thanks.

The man is a legend. We're fortunate to have heard such a great man for all those years. Nice post Fiverings!

Thanks. His work in the Olympics was awesome, especially during the dark days of the 1972.

As a kid, I started getting into sports watching Jim McKay on Wide World of Sports on my folks BLACK AND WHITE television! They used to have this super cool auto race -- it was on a Figure-8 track so the cars actually had to cross traffic. I also liked the motorcycle race on ice. The bikes had spiked tires to help keep traction. I also think the guy who caught bullets with his teeth also was on WWOS. Someone with a .22 pistol would fire through a clear panel of thick glass (can't remember the exact material) which slowed the bullet enough and the guy timed it to catch it in his teeth. For a kid, that is "neato." (using 60s kid lingo). Sad to see him go.

Jim McKay...The Best of the Best!
He was in my home on so many weekends that he became a fixture and part of our family. Jim could make those cold winter days in Upstate NY feel warm and cozy. Sports Brodcasting was brought to a whole new dimension when Jim was at the helm. The most mundane Sport(s) became interesting and exciting when described so eloquently by Jim. There are not many in the Sports Brodcasting World that could have you on the edge of your seat clingling to every push of the skate blade during barrell jumping on ice, but Jim did just that. You knew the Athlete, where they were from and the personal side of who they were without any intrusiveness. You needed no picture to understand what was going on when Jim was describing the action. He was a master at painting the picture of the event and the action at hand. Jim was the precurser to Sports Center. If it was sport, Jim could and most likely would be there to report. Thanks for all the wonderful memories. May your "Thrill of Victory" continue on into perpetuity.

Good post, Jax. Everything you said is right on. Thanks for the kind words. Jim was an awesome sportscaster and one that I grew up watching and admiring.