Jim Gordon | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1927-02-15)February 15, 1927 |
| Died | February 16, 2003(2003-02-16) (aged 76) Putnam Valley, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | radio andtelevisionannouncer, sportscaster |
| Years active | 1960s–1994 |
Jim Gordon (February 15, 1927 – February 16, 2003) was anAmericantelevision andradionewscaster andplay-by-playsportscaster in theNew York City area for nearly 40 years.
He delivered the firstnewscast for New York'sWINS radio when it switched from aTop 40rock music format toall-news in 1965 and also had long tenures as the television "voice" of theNHLNew York Rangers and radio voice of theNFLNew York Giants.
Later in life, he was also active in local politics inPutnam County, New York.[1]
Gordon's career began inSyracuse,NY. In the mid-1950s he moved to his native New York City and over the next four decades worked at several major radio stations in various sports and news capacities, includingWMGM and its successors,WHN,WINS,WABC,WNEW-AM andWOR. In addition to his broadcasting roles, he served asnews director of WABC and WNEW.[2][3]
Early in his New York radio career, he hosted pre and post-game programs on WMGM broadcasts ofBrooklyn Dodgers baseball games. He also calledcollege sports andboxing matches.
As a news reporter, he covered riots and blackouts in New York and anchored WINS' coverage of theApollo 11Moon landing mission on July 20, 1969.
Gordon began calling New York sporting events when he was hired byMadison Square Garden in 1955 to be the radio voice of theRangers andKnicks. He worked in those capacities on-and-off in both radio and television over the next three decades, occasionally alternating with other New York sportscasters likeMarty Glickman,Les Keiter,Bob Wolff,Win Elliot,Tim Ryan,Don Criqui andMarv Albert.
In between Knicks and Rangers assignments, he appeared onCBS Sports' NHL coverage as a commentator alongsideStu Nahan and lead play-by-play manDan Kelly, and he also was the original television voice of theNew York Islanders, calling games in the1972–73 season. Returning to the Rangers in the mid-1970s, he called their cable and broadcast TV games until 1984, when he was replaced bySam Rosen.[4] During some of those hockey seasons, he also called games on the syndicatedNHL Network.
In1977, Gordon was hired to replace Marv Albert as the radio voice of theNew York Giants football team. For 18 seasons (ending in 1994) Gordon called games on both WNEW and WOR alongsideDick Lynch and (later)Karl Nelson. He was fired by WOR after the1994 season and replaced byBob Papa, effectively ending his broadcasting career.
Gordon is best known for his call ofScott Norwood's 47-yard field goal attempt with eight seconds left inSuper Bowl XXV, which would have won the game for theBuffalo Bills:
Snap, spot, in the air, it's got the distance, it is... NO GOOD!
His trademark catchphrase was "Giants have it!", used during plays that resulted in the Giants taking possession of the football, Norwood's field goal attempt included.
A near-iconic expression that Gordon used almost nightly while calling Rangers games:"Loose puck in front! (pause, followed by) No Ranger there."
When a Ranger player took a shot and missed the net completely his trademark call would be the seemingly contradictory, "Shot on Goal....wide"!
Gordon was a resident ofPutnam County, New York and served as a volunteer firefighter and in several elective positions. That included a decade as aDemocratic member of itscounty legislature from 1986 to 1996. He was its chairman from 1990 to 1993.[5]
Gordon died from cancer on February 16, 2003, one day after turning 76.[6]
| Preceded by | Stanley Cup FinalsAmerican network television play-by-play announcer/color commentator 1967-1968;1971-1972;1979 | Succeeded by |