Nothing reminds me more of sports growing up than Jim McKay’s voice on Wide World of Sports. The 1972 Olympics are one of my first and most vivid sports memories. I’m continue to be mad about the basketball game and agree with refusing the medal.
I remember Olga Corbut (sp?) so vividly, even what her gym bag looked like, and the excitment of the announcers over this little girl. . . all like it was yesterday.
And, the Cold War was beginning to dawn on me, even as a nine year old. If I was beginning to understand the Cold War, I was also beginning to realize the humanity of Russia as well. All that, through the ’72 Olympics.
In it all, there was Jim McKay. Not only in the Olympics. On Wide World of Sports, I listened to his voice weekly–spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport – – I watched that same skier wipe out over an over again. To have that kind of fall even one time would be nasty — but, to have wipe out every week on Wide World of Sports seemed particularly violent.
Of course, my firends and I all knew, because someone told us at recess, that the skier died (which he didn’t). If you’re from my era, you really ought to watch the opening of Wide World of Sports one more time, and remember the late Jim McKay.
Or, read, Crunchy Con’s thoughts about the ’72 Olympics (click here).
