Sportscaster Keith Jackson
Keith Max Jackson (October 18, 1928 – January 12, 2018)[2] was an American sportscaster, known for his career with ABC Sports (1966–2006), his intelligent yet folksy coverage of college football (1952–2006), and his distinctive voice,[3] with its deep cadence and operatic tone considered "like Edward R. Murrow reporting on World War II, the voice of ultimate authority in college football."[4]
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Notable broadcasts
1950s
from ESPN/ABC Sports
It was 1952 when Keith Jackson broadcast, on radio, his first college football game -- Stanford at Washington State. Stanford won 14-13 when the Cougar holder fumbled the snap for the extra point. And 48 seasons later, Keith Jackson is still having fun at the college football stadium and still sees Walter Mitty on occasional Saturdays. When ABC Sports acquired the broadcast rights for NCAA football in 1966, Jackson was a member of the announcing corps; and going into the first season of the new century he is still a member of the ABC corps, though his work is primarily the Pac-10 Conference. Keith says, "Travel was the devil that convinced" him that "ONE TIME ZONE equaled longevity." He is not convinced 72 years has anything to do with it. At the close of 1999, Keith Jackson was awarded the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame Gold Medal, its highest honor; and named to the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame, the first broadcaster accorded these distinguished honors. Another first for Jackson was the Amos Alonzo Stagg Award from the American Football Coaches Association; and he was named National Sportscaster of the Year five successive times by the National Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association. He is in the NSSA Hall of Fame, The National Sportscasters Association Hall of Fame and the Southern California Sports Broadcasters Hall of Fame. Jackson's career highlights include 10 Winter and Summer Olympics, in which he covered the two greatest gold medal winners in the history of the Olympic Games. In 1972, Mark Spitz won seven gold medals in swimming and in 1980, Eric Heiden won five individual gold medals in speedskating. He has worked eleven World Series and League Championship Series in baseball; NBA basketball in the '60s and '70s; auto racing, including NASCAR, USAC, and Formula One, including seven Grand Prix of Monaco races. Jackson has covered many different kinds of events for "ABC's Wide World of Sports," with travels to 31 different countries. In 1958, while at KOMO Radio and Television in Seattle, he did the first live sports broadcast from the Soviet Union to the United States. Jackson spent 10 years at ABC affiliate KOMO in Seattle in news, sports and production. He moved from KOMO to ABC Radio West as sports director in 1964 and continued freelance work with ABC Sports before becoming full-time in 1966. He also worked as a radio news correspondent during those years. In 1965, he worked a baseball telecast with Jackie Robinson in the afternoon and covered the Watts riots that same night in Los Angeles. Jackson was born and raised on a farm near the Georgia-Alabama state line. He served four years in the U.S. Marines, including time in China. He attended Washington State College with the intent to study police and political science, but graduated with a degree in broadcast journalism, learning his trade in the same studios that produced Edward R. Murrow, among others in the broadcast industry. Keith and his wife of 48 years, Turi Ann, reside in Sherman Oaks, California. They have three children -- Melanie Ann, Lindsey and Christopher. They also have two grandchildren, Ian McKenzie and Holly Elizabeth.
[url=http://static.espn.go.com/abcsports/bcs/columns/jackson_keith/bio.html]from ESPN
Between Dick Enberg and Keith Jackson, the angels must have decided that they needed some sportscasters.
Keith Max Jackson (October 18, 1928 – January 12, 2018)[2] was an American sportscaster, known for his career with ABC Sports (1966–2006), his intelligent yet folksy coverage of college football (1952–2006), and his distinctive voice,[3] with its deep cadence and operatic tone considered "like Edward R. Murrow reporting on World War II, the voice of ultimate authority in college football."[4]
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Notable broadcasts
1950s
- September 20, 1958: Earliest surviving film of a Keith Jackson broadcast (college football game between Washington State College (later University and Stanford University ).[35]
- September 21, 1970: First Monday Night Football game Browns beat the Jets[36][37]
- 1971 Daytona 500: Richard Petty won his 3rd Daytona 500.[38]
- September 25, 1971: Carlos Monzón of Argentina stops Emile Griffith of the Virgin Islands in the 14th round to retain the Middleweight Championship of the World[39]
- 1972 NBA Finals: Los Angeles Lakers won the title.[40]
- 1972 Summer Olympics: U.S. swimmer Mark Spitz wins seven gold medals [36]
- May 25, 1974: Rodrigo Valdez of Colombia knocks out Bennie Briscoe of Philadelphia in the 7th round to become the new Middleweight Champion of the World[41]
- November 30, 1974: #6 USC vs. #5 Notre Dame – The "Earthquake Game"[42]
- 1975 Indianapolis 500: Bobby Unser won the race that was shortened by rain.[38]
- 1976 Summer Olympics[43]
- 1976 American League Championship Series: New York Yankees vs. Kansas City Royals (including Chris Chambliss' series-winning home run in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 5 off of Mark Littell)[37]
- October 22, 1977: #5 USC vs. #11 Notre Dame – The "Green Jersey Game"[37]
- 1977 World Series: New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (including Reggie Jackson's 3 homers on 3 pitches).[44]
- October 2, 1978: AL East Playoff – New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox (Bucky Dent's HR). [36]
- December 29, 1978: Gator Bowl – Ohio State vs. Clemson (Woody Hayes' infamous last game)[45]
- January 1, 1979: Sugar Bowl – #2 Alabama vs. #1 Penn State[37]
- January 1, 1981: Sugar Bowl: #1 Georgia vs. #4 Notre Dame.[46]
- 1980 Winter Olympics: U.S. speed skater Eric Heiden wins five gold medals. [36]
- November 28, 1981: Iron Bowl Alabama 28 vs. Auburn 17 – Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant wins his 315th collegiate game as a head coach, surpassing Amos Alonzo Stagg as college football's winningest coach. [47]
- October 17, 1981: Arkansas Razorbacks routed the #1 Texas Longhorns 42-11.
- January 1, 1983: Sugar Bowl – #1 Georgia vs. #2 Penn State.[48]
- 1984 Summer Olympics: The USA basketball team, led by Michael Jordan and Patrick Ewing, wins gold.[13]
- October 27, 1984: West Virginia 17 vs. #19 Penn State 14.
- 1986 National League Championship Series: New York Mets vs. Houston Astros (included the 16-inning Game 6).[44]
- November 30, 1985: Iron Bowl Alabama 25 vs Auburn 23 – "The Kick"[37]
- May 17, 1987: NASCAR The Winston won by Dale Earnhardt ("The Pass in the Grass")[38]
- December 5, 1987: NCAA Basketball, #5 Indiana vs. #2 Kentucky, Bank One/Big Four Classic (with Dick Vitale).
- November 26, 1988: #1 Notre Dame vs. #2 USC.
- February 19, 1989: NCAA Basketball, Indiana Hoosiers vs. Michigan Wolverines. Jay Edwards' last-second shot to beat Michigan (with Dick Vitale).
- September 16, 1989: #1 Notre Dame vs. #2 Michigan.
- May 27, 1990: Monaco Grand Prix won by Ayrton Senna (Last auto race broadcast with Jackie Stewart)[38]
- November 16, 1991: #2 Miami vs. #1 Florida State (a.k.a. "Wide Right I"). [36]
- November 23, 1991: #4 Michigan vs. #18 Ohio State [36][37]
- January 1, 1992: Rose Bowl – #2 Washington vs. #3 Michigan (Washington won a split national championship)
- January 1, 1993: Sugar Bowl – #2 Alabama vs. #1 Miami for the national championship [47]
- September 24, 1994: Colorado at Michigan, The Miracle at Michigan [36]
- January 2, 1997: Sugar Bowl – #1 Florida State vs. #3 Florida for the national championship
- January 1, 1998: Rose Bowl – Michigan 21, Washington State 16 (With this game Michigan won a share of the 1997 national championship)
- January 4, 1999: Fiesta Bowl – #1 Tennessee 23, #2 Florida State 16 in the first BCS National Championship Game[49]
- January 4, 2002: Rose Bowl – Miami (FL) vs. Nebraska in 2002 BCS National Championship Game
- January 3, 2003: Fiesta Bowl – Miami (FL) vs. Ohio State in 2003 BCS National Championship Game [36]
- November 22, 2003: Ohio State at Michigan (100th meeting)
- October 8, 2005: Oklahoma vs. Texas (100th meeting)[50]
- January 4, 2006: Rose Bowl – Texas vs. USC in 2006 BCS National Championship Game [36]
from ESPN/ABC Sports
It was 1952 when Keith Jackson broadcast, on radio, his first college football game -- Stanford at Washington State. Stanford won 14-13 when the Cougar holder fumbled the snap for the extra point. And 48 seasons later, Keith Jackson is still having fun at the college football stadium and still sees Walter Mitty on occasional Saturdays. When ABC Sports acquired the broadcast rights for NCAA football in 1966, Jackson was a member of the announcing corps; and going into the first season of the new century he is still a member of the ABC corps, though his work is primarily the Pac-10 Conference. Keith says, "Travel was the devil that convinced" him that "ONE TIME ZONE equaled longevity." He is not convinced 72 years has anything to do with it. At the close of 1999, Keith Jackson was awarded the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame Gold Medal, its highest honor; and named to the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame, the first broadcaster accorded these distinguished honors. Another first for Jackson was the Amos Alonzo Stagg Award from the American Football Coaches Association; and he was named National Sportscaster of the Year five successive times by the National Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association. He is in the NSSA Hall of Fame, The National Sportscasters Association Hall of Fame and the Southern California Sports Broadcasters Hall of Fame. Jackson's career highlights include 10 Winter and Summer Olympics, in which he covered the two greatest gold medal winners in the history of the Olympic Games. In 1972, Mark Spitz won seven gold medals in swimming and in 1980, Eric Heiden won five individual gold medals in speedskating. He has worked eleven World Series and League Championship Series in baseball; NBA basketball in the '60s and '70s; auto racing, including NASCAR, USAC, and Formula One, including seven Grand Prix of Monaco races. Jackson has covered many different kinds of events for "ABC's Wide World of Sports," with travels to 31 different countries. In 1958, while at KOMO Radio and Television in Seattle, he did the first live sports broadcast from the Soviet Union to the United States. Jackson spent 10 years at ABC affiliate KOMO in Seattle in news, sports and production. He moved from KOMO to ABC Radio West as sports director in 1964 and continued freelance work with ABC Sports before becoming full-time in 1966. He also worked as a radio news correspondent during those years. In 1965, he worked a baseball telecast with Jackie Robinson in the afternoon and covered the Watts riots that same night in Los Angeles. Jackson was born and raised on a farm near the Georgia-Alabama state line. He served four years in the U.S. Marines, including time in China. He attended Washington State College with the intent to study police and political science, but graduated with a degree in broadcast journalism, learning his trade in the same studios that produced Edward R. Murrow, among others in the broadcast industry. Keith and his wife of 48 years, Turi Ann, reside in Sherman Oaks, California. They have three children -- Melanie Ann, Lindsey and Christopher. They also have two grandchildren, Ian McKenzie and Holly Elizabeth.
[url=http://static.espn.go.com/abcsports/bcs/columns/jackson_keith/bio.html]from ESPN
Between Dick Enberg and Keith Jackson, the angels must have decided that they needed some sportscasters.
The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated Communist but instead the people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists -- Hannah Arendt.