Saturday, June 7, 2008

Jim McKay

"Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport… the thrill of victory… and the agony of defeat… the human drama of athletic competition… This is ABC's Wide World of Sports!"

One of the greats in broadcasting has passed away.

Jim McKay has died at age 86.

McKay died Saturday, said ABC, the network with which he was long affiliated. The cause of death was not immediately given.

McKay was host of ABC's "Wide World of Sports" for decades. The influential weekend series introduced viewers to all manners of strange, compelling and far-flung sports events.

But he was suddenly placed in the role of a newscaster in 1972 when Israeli athletes were kidnapped in Munich. As viewers followed the gripping story, McKay told how the hostages were killed in a commando raid.

Jim McKay had the ability to convey the emotion of the moment -- the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. I think that's what made him such a compelling sportscaster and, in Munich, newscaster.

After the failed rescue attempt of the Israeli hostages at the Munich Olympics, McKay relayed the news to viewers:

"... our greatest hopes and our worst fears are seldom realized. Our worst fears have been realized tonight. They’ve now said that there were eleven hostages; two were killed in their rooms yesterday morning, nine were killed at the airport tonight. They’re all gone."

Watch Jim McKay discuss his coverage of the 1972 Munich Olympics hostage crisis.

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