Jim McKay

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Jim McKay
Jim McKay 1970s.JPG
Born James Kenneth McManus
(1921-09-24)September 24, 1921
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Monkton, Maryland
Occupation Sportscaster, sportswriter, actor
Years active 1955–2000
2002
2006
Spouse(s) Margaret Dempsey (1948–2008); his death
Children Sean and Mary

James Kenneth McManus (September 24, 1921 – June 7, 2008), better known by his professional name of Jim McKay, was an American television sports journalist.

McKay is best known for hosting ABC's Wide World of Sports (1961–1998). His introduction for that program has passed into American pop culture. He is also known for television coverage of 12 Olympic Games, and is universally respected for his memorable reporting on the Munich massacre at the 1972 Summer Olympics.

McKay covered a wide variety of special events, including horse races such as the Kentucky Derby, golf events such as the British Open, and the Indianapolis 500. McKay's son, Sean McManus, a protégé of Roone Arledge, is president of CBS Sports and News divisions.[1]

Biography

Early life

McKay was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and raised in the Overbrook section of the city in an Irish American Roman Catholic family. He attended Our Lady of Lourdes Grade School and Saint Joseph's Preparatory School.[2] When McKay was 14, he and his family moved to Baltimore, Maryland, where he attended Loyola Blakefield high school. He received a bachelor's degree from Loyola College in Maryland in 1943.[3] During World War II, he served in the United States Navy as the captain of a minesweeper.[4]

Television

In 1947, McKay gave up his job as a reporter for the Baltimore Sun newspapers to join that same organization's new TV station WMAR-TV. His was the first voice ever heard on television in Baltimore, and he remained with the station until joining CBS in New York in 1950 as host of a variety show, called The Real McKay, which necessitated the changing of his on-air surname. Through the 1950s, sports commentary became more and more his primary assignment for CBS. In 1956-57, McKay teamed with Chris Schenkel to call CBS telecasts of New York Giants football. He was originally tabbed to be the lead broadcaster of the network's coverage of the 1960 Winter Olympics, but had to be replaced by Walter Cronkite after suffering a mental breakdown. McKay recovered in time to host the 1960 Summer Olympics from the CBS Television studio in Grand Central Terminal.[5] He had a six-episode stint as host of the game show Make the Connection on NBC in 1955.

ABC Sports

He moved on to ABC and was the host of ABC's influential Wide World of Sports for 37 years.

McKay was known to motor racing fans as the host of the ABC's annual delayed telecast of the Indianapolis 500. At times McKay worked with race drivers in commentary including triple Formula One World Champion Jackie Stewart, triple Indy 500 winner Bobby Unser, and Sam Posey.

While covering the Munich massacre at the 1972 Summer Olympics for ABC, McKay took on the job of reporting the events live on his only scheduled day off during the Games, substituting for Chris Schenkel.[4] He was on air for fourteen hours without a break,[4] during a sixteen-hour broadcast.[6] After an unsuccessful rescue attempt of the athletes held hostage, at 3:24 AM German Time, McKay came on the air with this statement:[6][7][8]

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When I was a kid my father used to say "Our greatest hopes and our worst fears are seldom realized." Our worst fears have been realized tonight. They have now said there were 11 hostages; two were killed in their rooms this morn-- yesterday morning, nine were killed at the airport tonight. They're all gone.

— McKay, 1972

Although McKay received numerous accolades for his reporting of the Munich hostage crisis (including two Emmy Awards, one for sports and one for news reporting), he stated in a 2003 HBO documentary about his life and career that he was most proud of a telegram he received from Walter Cronkite praising his work he received the day after the massacre.

In 1994, he was the studio host for the FIFA World Cup coverage, the first ever held on American soil. McKay also covered the 2006 FIFA World Cup for ABC. In 2002, ABC "loaned" McKay to NBC to serve as a special correspondent during the Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. In 2003, HBO released a documentary by McKay called Jim McKay: My World in My Words, tracing his career. This film outlines McKay's personal and professional accomplishments.

Maryland horse racing

McKay founded Maryland Million Day, a series of twelve races designed to promote Maryland's horse breeding industry. The day-long program has grown to become a major racing event in the state of Maryland, second only to the Preakness Stakes day at Pimlico Race Course. It has spawned more than twenty other similar events at U.S. race tracks such as the Sunshine Millions.

Death

McKay died on June 7, 2008, from natural causes at the age of 86. He was survived by his wife Margaret, son Sean, daughter Mary Guba, and three grandchildren. McKay, a horse racing enthusiast who also covered Triple Crown races for ABC Sports, died on the same day as the running of the Belmont Stakes (won by Da'Tara that year).[3]

Honors

References

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  6. 6.0 6.1 Hale, Mark. 5 Questions for Jim McKay. AmericanSportscasterOnline.com.
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  12. Hall of Fame Archives & Honorees. Accessed 26-03-2015.
  13. Olympics 2008 Opening Ceremony Intro and Ending **Courtesy of NBC** on YouTube
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External links

Preceded by Television voice of the
Indianapolis 500

19671974
Succeeded by
Keith Jackson
Preceded by Television voice of the
Indianapolis 500

19761985
Succeeded by
Jim Lampley
Preceded by American television prime time anchor, Summer Olympics
1960
1976
1984
Succeeded by
Bill Henry
Bryant Gumbel
Bryant Gumbel
Preceded by American television prime time anchor, Winter Olympics
1964
19761988
Succeeded by
Chris Schenkel
Tim McCarver and Paula Zahn
Preceded by U.S. World Cup Television Studio Host
1994
Succeeded by
Brent Musburger