Pat Summerall Dead at 82.

[FirstTimer]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2013/04/16/pat-summerall-cbs-fox-nfl/2088571/

For many sports fans in the 1960s through the 1990s, Pat Summerall was the voice of the NFL, starting with CBS' Sunday telecasts and later with Fox, famously paired for much of that time with John Madden.

Summerall, 82, passed away Tuesday, Fox Sports spokesman Dan Bell said. The Dallas Morning News reported Summerall died in his room at Zale Lipshy Hospital where he was recovering from surgery for a broken hip, a family friend confirmed.

Summerall worked a record 16 Super Bowls, drawing on his football relationships made during his nine-plus years as a kicker in the NFL, primarily for the then-Chicago Cardinals and New York Giants from 1952-61.

He had been ill off and on in his later years and had a liver transplant in 2004.

His was a trusted, low-key, to the point voice, which made the contrast to the effervescent Madden -- "Boom!" -- a pairing that was informative and entertaining.

His last Super Bowl worked was for Fox on Feb. 3, 2002, which was also his last game with Madden, ending a 21-year run together.

Summerall became so gifted at his second career that he was named National Sportscaster of the Year in 1977 by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association and inducted into its Hall of Fame in 1994.

Pro football recognized him, too, as the 1994 recipient of the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award, by the Pro Football Hall of Fame "for longtime exceptional contributions to radio and television in professional football."

And in 1999 he was inducted into the American Sportscasters Association Hall of Fame.

Summerall, born May 10, 1930, attended the University of Arkansas.

 

[ram29jackson]

he played for the Chicago Cardinals too

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/S/SummPa20.htm

 

[killgod]

 

[Tailback U]

Madden 64 comes to mind for me. I think I was 12 when the game out.

RIP. I know a lot of people didn't like them, but Madden and Summrall were my favorite commentating team of all time. Probably because I grew up listening to them and didn't really know any better and they spoke about the game in a way that only a 12 year old can relate to.

 

[ram29jackson]

Madden 64 comes to mind for me. I think I was 12 when the game out.

RIP. I know a lot of people didn't like them, but Madden and Summrall were my favorite commentating team of all time. Probably because I grew up listening to them and didn't really know any better and they spoke about the game in a way that only a 12 year old can relate to.

ignorant,stupid, disrespectful comment. They were great professionals and great commentators-period.

 

[Maynard]

sad - loved pat and john...RIP

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Summerall was a true great, and a guy that modern NFL play by play men should study. His understated style was refreshing. He let the action speak for itself, something these blabbermouths today who never stfu can seem to grasp.

Another thing about Summerall, like others from his era like Vin Scully, Curt Gowdy, Dick Enberg, even Brett Musberger & Al Michaels a little later, these guys would do multiple sports and do them all very well (unlike Joe Buck, who sucks at both sports he does). Summerall is best known for NFL, but was also the CBS voice of U.S. Open tennis, The Masters, even the NBA Finals a couple of times.

I think the Al Michaels & John Madden team is the greatest broadcast team of all time, but the team people over 30 grew up with was Summerall & Madden, doing those key NFC late Sunday games, during what is starting to be looked back on these days as the end of the golden era of the NFL.

 

[NAHSTE]

I'll take Summerall and Madden over Michaels and Madden any day. Michaels is great in his own right but as a duo, Pat and John are the standard.

 

[Maynard]

yeah, i love michaels. but the combo of john and pat just made sundays on CBS and Fox. that combo is the standard and is how i will always remember growing up on football

 

[leaffan]

There's no way the INT around the 3:20 mark is an INT in todays game.

God I miss real football.

 

[killgod]

i watched that whole clip to actually listen to those two call a game. at the time growing up i didn't care that much for madden, but man i would love to hear those two compared to the shit we get today.

 

[Dan The Man]

 

[Rudi]

RIP. Summeral and Madden were top notch.

 

[Derrville]

Best ever. RIP

 

[shag773]

RIP..My favorite Pat Summerall call of all time..

 

[BigBucs]

 

[KINGOFOOTBALL]

=-(

John and Pat were Goat to me. I've made fun of Pats so understated you'd think it was a routine play delivery. Thing is during Maddens younger days he was absolutely exploding with energy and Pat did an amazing job of not only keeping that in right proportions but giving Madden the right materials and feeding him the perfect questions to let Madden go off on his legendary tangents.
I remember one game that was a major snoozer obese Guard Kennard lost his helmet on the sidelines and Madden was sarcastically upset and said some absurdity 'who needs a helmet they should just put a big empty bucket on his head' . And Pat with the most serious and honest tone says 'well it'd probably take them just as long to remove the handle... 3rd and 12 coming up '

One thing that always cracked me up was his name mess ups.
Jerry Rice with the sack and fumble recovery..... Simeon Rice rather.
Tony Dorset with the 17 yard run....Correction Emmitt Smith... He sure looked like Tony on that play John.

RIP.

 

[Senser81]

Pat was the master of letting the action speak for itself. And its actually pretty unique that you had an ex-player being the play-by-play guy.

I remember Pat having huge issues doing Rams games when Torry Holt wore #88 and Isaac Bruce wore #80. "Warner to Holt for 16...pardon me, its Bruce...no, its Holt..."

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Pat was the master of letting the action speak for itself. And its actually pretty unique that you had an ex-player being the play-by-play guy.

I remember Pat having huge issues doing Rams games when Torry Holt wore #88 and Isaac Bruce wore #80. "Warner to Holt for 16...pardon me, its Bruce...no, its Holt..."

Sometimes he would say "Isaac Holt", and not correct himself, either because at that point he was just like 'fuck it, its one or the other', or because it sounded natural from calling all of those Cowboys games with the DB of the same name.

 

[NAHSTE]

Is anybody going to fix his name in the thread title though?