Charlie Jones | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 9, 1930 |
| Died | June 12, 2008(2008-06-12) (aged 77) |
| Education | University of Southern California undergraduate University of Arkansas Law |
| Occupation | Sportscaster |
| Spouse | Ann Jones (m. 1954) |
| Children | 2 |
Charlie Jones (November 9, 1930 – June 12, 2008) was an American sportscaster forNBC andABC.
Charlie Jones was born inFort Smith, Arkansas. He earned an undergraduate degree at theUniversity of Southern California, where he was a tennis player, and a law degree at theUniversity of Arkansas. He also served two years in theU.S. Air Force.[1]
Jones began his sportscasting career at local television and radio stations in Fort Smith, before signing on as a broadcaster for the fledglingDallas Texans of theAmerican Football League in1960. Jones also began calling AFL games forABC that year.
In 1965, he moved to NBC, continuing to broadcast the AFL and later theNational Football League. He would work NFL games until1997, when NBC lost their NFL (AFC) broadcasting rights toCBS. Among Jones' notable broadcasts was in January 1993, when he covered theBuffalo Bills vs. Houston Oilers Wild Card game, in which theBills rallied from a 35–3 second half deficit to defeat theOilers in overtime 41–38.
Jones was the sideline reporter for NBC for the firstSuper Bowl (named the World Championship Game untilSuper Bowl III), where he interviewedBob Hope at halftime andSuper Bowl IX. He was the radio play-by-play announcer for Super Bowl III.
In 1997, Jones was awarded thePro Football Hall of Fame'sPete Rozelle Radio-Television Award. He also received anEmmy Award in 1973 for his part as writer, producer and host of thedocumentaryIs Winning the Name of the Game?[2]
During his time at NBC, Jones also broadcast the1988 Summer Olympics calling the infamousBen Johnson-Carl Lewis 100 meter dash,1986 FIFA World Cup,1991 Ryder Cup,1992 Summer Olympics and1996 Summer Olympics, as well asMajor League Baseball,PGA Tour golf, andWimbledon tennis.
He was the announcer for auto races including the 1988Meadowlands Grand Prix and throughout the1998 Formula One World Championship.
He was the play-by-play announcer for the 1986college football national championship, wherePenn State defeatedMiami 14–10 in the1987 Fiesta Bowl, and for the1993 'Game of the Century', where #2Notre Dame upset #1Florida State, 31-24.
In 1999, he returned to ABC Sports to callcollege football through the 2001 season.
He was also a play-by-play announcer for theCincinnati Reds in1973 and1974 (whenHank Aaron hit home run #714 to tieBabe Ruth on opening day),California Angels in1990, andColorado Rockies from1993 to1995.
In the mid-1970s, he hostedAlmost Anything Goes with Regis Philbin, The American Frontier with Merlin Olsen, andPro-Fan.
Jones, along withFrank Shorter, provided the voices of the TV announcers for a fictionalized staging of the U.S. Olympic Track and Field trials in the 1982 filmPersonal Best.
In 2008, Jones died at the age of 77 at his home inLa Jolla, California of aheart attack.
He and his wife, Ann, had two children, Chuck and Julie.[1] He is a member of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame (2000), the Texas Radio Hall of Fame (2007) and the Arkansas Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame (2024).[3]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
