Who in Sports Died Today?

Keep up with the latest sports deaths today.

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Who in Sports Died Today?

Every day, we are faced with the news of another athlete’s death. It is a sad reality, but it is one that we must accept. Today, we remember the athletes who died while doing what they loved.

Jack Whitaker, Legendary Sports Broadcaster, Dies at 95

Jack Whitaker, a sports broadcaster who was one of the first to cross over from radio to television and who remains best known for his elegant coverage of horse racing on ABC in the 1960s and ’70s, died on Sunday at his home in Devon, Pa. He was 95.

His family announced the death but did not specify a cause.

Mr. Whitaker was among a generation of announcers, including Chris Schenkel, Lindsey Nelson, Curt Gowdy and Jim McKay, who became national figures in the 1950s and ’60s as sports leaped from black-and-white TV sets into living rooms in ever-increasing numbers.

But unlike many of his contemporaries, Mr. Whitaker survived the transition to color TV and continued working into his 90s. He could be heard as recently as last year calling National Football League games that were shown on CBS’s pregame show, “The NFL Today.” His last assignment for that program was Super Bowl LII in 2018.

Dick Enberg, Legendary Sportscaster, Dies at 82

Dick Enberg, one of the most accomplished and respected sportscasters of his generation, has died. He was 82.

Enberg’s death was announced by his family on Thursday. No cause was given, but Enberg had been diagnosed with cancer in 2017.

Enberg spent more than 50 years in broadcasting, calling a wide range of sports from baseball to basketball to tennis. He was the start of NBC’s coverage of Major League Baseball in the late 1970s and early 1980s and also called NCAA Basketball Tournament games for the network.

In 1999, Enberg won the Emmy Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sports Broadcasting. He was also inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015, the American Sportscasters Association Hall of Fame in 2011 and the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2010.

Enberg is survived by his wife, two daughters and four grandchildren.

Bob Wolff, Legendary Sportscaster, Dies at 96

Bob Wolff, the legendary sportscaster who was the only person to call play-by-play of championships in all four major North American professional team sports, has died. He was 96.

Wolff’s career began in 1939 when he was just a student at Duke University and calling games for a local radio station. From there, he went on to call games for the Washington Senators, New York Knicks, New York Rangers, and New York Titans.

Wolff was also the television play-by-play announcer for the first nationally televised college basketball game, an NCAA Tournament game between Ohio State and Kentucky in 1952. He also called Don Larsen’s perfect game in the 1956 World Series.

In 2012, Wolff was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame. He is survived by his wife, Jane, and their three children.

Curt Gowdy, Legendary Sportscaster, Dies at 86

Legendary sportscaster Curt Gowdy has died at 86.

Gowdy began his career in 1946, calling games for the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Yankees. He later moved to television, where he became one of the most recognizable voices in sports broadcasting. He called a number of historic moments, including Don Larsen’s perfect game in the 1956 World Series, Hank Aaron’s 715th career home run, and Bjorn Borg’s Wimbledon victory in 1980.

Gowdy was also known for his work on The American Sportsman, a popular television show that aired from 1966 to 1986.

In addition to his broadcasting work, Gowdy was also active in a number of charities, including the Jimmy Fund and Curt Gowdy State Park in Wyoming.

Gowdy was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984 and the American Sportscasters Association Hall of Fame in 1985.

Tony Verna, Inventor of Instant Replay, Dies at 81

Tony Verna, the special effects wizard who changed sports broadcasting forever by inventing instant replay and forever endearing himself to fans of635 the Philadelphia Eagles by helping the team win its first NFL championship in almost 50 years, died on Tuesday. He was 81.

The cause was cancer, said his son, Anthony Verna III.

In 1963, while working as a director at CBS in New York, Mr. Verna was given two weeks to come up with an idea to enliven the network’s telecast of the Army-Navy football game. He settled on a way to capture images on videotape so they could be played almost immediately after the action occurred on the field.

The idea was met with skepticism by his superiors but worked like a charm. On Dec. 7, as President John F. Kennedy watched from a stadium suite in Philadelphia, Navy running back Joe Bellino scored a touchdown against Army late in the fourth quarter. The image was recorded on videotape and broadcast moments later to millions of viewers around the country who saw it again and again in slow motion and real time.

Frank Gifford, Legendary NFL Broadcaster, Dies at 84

Former NFL player and broadcaster Frank Gifford has died at the age of 84.

Gifford was a member of the New York Giants for 12 seasons, playing both running back and wide receiver. He was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 1956 and was selected for the Pro Bowl eight times.

After his playing career, Gifford became a legendary broadcaster, working for ABC’s “Monday Night Football” from 1971 to 1997. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977 and the Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 1994.

Gifford is survived by his wife, Kathie Lee Gifford, and his children, Cody and Cassidy.

Harry Caray, Legendary Baseball Broadcaster, Dies at 83

Harry Caray, the legendary baseball broadcaster, has died at the age of 83.

Caray began his broadcasting career in 1945, when he called games for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He then moved to the minor leagues, where he worked for several teams before joining the Chicago White Sox in 1961.

Caray became a Chicago institution during his time with the White Sox, and was beloved by fans for his enthusiastic style of broadcasting. He also became well-known for leading fans in singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the 7th-inning stretch.

In 1982, Caray moved to the Chicago Cubs, where he spent the rest of his career. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989.

Caray’s death leaves a big void in the world of baseball broadcasting. He will be sorely missed by fans around the world.

Mel Allen, Legendary Baseball Broadcaster, Dies at 89

Mel Allen, the sonorous voice of baseball for generations of fans, died Saturday night at his home in Greenwich, Conn. He was 89.
The cause was cardiac arrest, his son Michael said.

With a smooth style that bespoke both warmth and erudition, Mr. Allen was the pre-eminent baseball broadcaster of his era — “the voice of God,” as one admirer called him. He was heard on radio and television from 1939 until he retired in 1996, announcing World Series and All-Star Games and some of baseball’s most momentous events, including Bobby Thomson’s “shot heard ’round the world” home run for the Giants in 1951 and Hank Aaron’s 715th home run in 1974, which eclipse

Ernie Johnson, Legendary Sportscaster, Dies at 74

Legendary sportscaster Ernie Johnson died today at the age of 74.

Johnson was best known for his work as a sports commentator on Turner Sports’ NBA programming, which he began in 1989. He also served as the host of TNT’s Emmy-winning Inside the NBA studio show, alongside Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny Smith.

Over the course of his more than 50-year career in broadcasting, Johnson also called Major League Baseball, NFL football, golf, and college basketball games. He was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame in 2001.

Johnson is survived by his wife Cheryl and their three children.