Curt Gowdy Dead at 86

The Red Sox reported Monday that longtime sportscaster Curt Gowdy has died at his West Palm Beach home at age 86.

He had leukemia.

Gowdy braodcast New York Yankees games with Mel Allen before moving to Boston and the Red Sox, where he became a favorite of audiences and players alike.

Gowdy's national sports broadcasting credits included 13 world series, 16 baseball All-Star Games, the Olympics, NFL football, including the Super Bowl, and ABC's American Sportsman.

NBC Universal Sports and Olympics Chairman Dick Ebersol said of Gowdy Monday: "Curt was a remarkable talent. For many years, he literally carried NBC Sports on his back as the signature voice for both Major League Baseball and the NFL.... He was one of the greatest sports broadcasters in history and, more importantly, an even better man."

George Bodenheimer, President, ESPN, Inc. and ABC Sports, said: "Curt Gowdy was a pioneer in our business and set the highest of standards for everyone in sports broadcasting.  His many contributions to ABC, as host of American Sportsman and other ABC Sports' programs, are indelible.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to Curt's family, including long-time ABC Sports producer Curt Gowdy, Jr."

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.