Jim McKay | |
|---|---|
 McKay in the 1970s | |
| Born | James Kenneth McManus (1921-09-24)September 24, 1921 |
| Died | June 7, 2008(2008-06-07) (aged 86) Monkton, Maryland, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Sportscaster,sportswriter, actor |
| Years active | 1955–2000 2002 2006 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | Sean and Mary |
James Kenneth McManus (September 24, 1921 – June 7, 2008), better known professionally asJim McKay, was an American television sportsjournalist.
McKay was best known for hostingABC'sWide World of Sports (1961–1998). His introduction for that program has passed into Americanpop culture, in which viewers were reminded of the show's mission ("Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sports") and what lay ahead ("the thrill of victory and theagony of defeat"). He is also known for television coverage of 12Olympic Games, and is universally respected for his memorable reporting on theMunich massacre at the1972 Summer Olympics.
McKay covered a wide variety of special events, including horse races such as theKentucky Derby, golf events such as theBritish Open, and theIndianapolis 500. McKay's son,Sean McManus, a protégé ofRoone Arledge, is the former chairman ofCBS Sports.[1]
McKay was born inPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, and raised in theOverbrook section of the city in anIrish AmericanCatholic family. He attended Our Lady of Lourdes Grade School andSaint Joseph's Preparatory School.[2] When McKay was 14, he and his family moved toBaltimore, Maryland, where he attended Loyola High School (nowLoyola Blakefield). He received a bachelor's degree fromLoyola College in Maryland in 1943.[3] DuringWorld War II, he served in theUnited States Navy as the captain of aminesweeper.[4]
In 1946, McKay returned to Baltimore and took a position withThe Evening Sun as a police reporter. He was promoted to aviation reporter instead of getting a raise. During this time, he also met Margaret Dempsey, his future wife.[5]
In 1947, McKay gave up his job as a reporter forThe Evening Sun to join that same organization's new TV stationWMAR-TV. His was the first voice ever heard on television in Baltimore.[5] McKay remained with the station until 1950. In January and February 1950, McKay broadcast the first-ever televised network college basketball games for CBS, calling seven games featuring Navy in Annapolis, Maryland, using his birth name, Jim McManus.[6] Later in 1950 with CBS he hosted a variety show, calledThe Real McKay, which necessitated the changing of his on-air surname.[1] From 1958 to 1960, McKay served as host and commentator on the CBS television daytime programThe Verdict Is Yours. Through the 1950s, sports commentary became more and more his primary assignment for CBS. In1956-57, McKay teamed withChris Schenkel to callCBS telecasts ofNew York Giants football. He was originally tabbed to be the lead broadcaster of thenetwork's coverage of the1960 Winter Olympics, but had to be replaced byWalter Cronkite after suffering amental breakdown.[3] McKay recovered in time to host the1960 Summer Olympics from the CBS Television studio inGrand Central Terminal and ultimately covered a total of 12Olympic Games.[7] He had a six-episode stint as host of thegame showMake the Connection onNBC in 1955.
He moved on to ABC in 1961, and was the host of ABC's influentialWide World of Sports for 37 years.[3]
McKay was known to motor-racing fans as the host of the ABC's annual delayed telecast of the Indianapolis 500. Over the years, McKay worked with race drivers in commentary, including tripleFormula One World ChampionJackie Stewart, triple Indianapolis 500 winnerBobby Unser, andSam Posey.
While covering theMunich massacre at the1972 Summer Olympics for ABC, McKay took on the job of reporting the events live on his only scheduled day off during the Games, substituting forChris Schenkel.[4] He was on air for fourteen hours without a break,[4] during a sixteen-hour broadcast.[8] After an unsuccessful rescue attempt of the athletes held hostage, at 3:24 a.m. Central European Time, McKay came on the air with this statement:[8][9][10]
When I was a kid my father used to say "Our greatest hopes and our worst fears are seldom realized." Our worst fears have been realized tonight. They have now said there were 11 hostages; two were killed in their rooms this morn-- yesterday morning, nine were killed at the airport tonight. They're all gone.
— McKay, 1972
Although McKay received numerous accolades for his reporting of the Munich hostage crisis (including twoEmmy Awards, one for sports and one for news reporting), he stated in a 2003HBO documentary about his life and career that he was most proud of a telegram he received fromWalter Cronkite the day after the massacre praising his work.
McKay also hosted from the studio the1980 Winter Olympics inLake Placid, New York. A happier result came when the U.S. hockey team defeated the Soviet Union in theMiracle on Ice. During the broadcast wrap-up after the game, McKay compared the American upset victory to a group of Canadiancollege football players defeating thePittsburgh Steelers (the recentSuper Bowl champions at the height of theirdynasty).
In 1994, he was the studio host for theFIFA World Cup coverage, the first ever held on American soil. McKay also covered the2006 FIFA World Cup for ABC. In 2002, ABC "loaned" McKay toNBC to serve as a special correspondent during theWinter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. In 2003,HBO released a documentary by McKay calledJim McKay: My World in My Words, tracing his career and outlining McKay's personal and professional accomplishments.
McKay appears in the 1999 filmOne Day in September and in the 2024 filmSeptember 5 through archive footage of theMunich massacre at the1972 Summer Olympics.
An avid horse racing enthusiast who raised thoroughbreds, McKay foundedMaryland Million Day, a series of twelve races designed to promote Maryland's horse breeding industry. The day-long program has grown to become a major racing event in the state of Maryland, second only to thePreakness Stakes day atPimlico Race Course. It has spawned more than twenty other similar events at United States race tracks such as theSunshine Millions.
McKay and his wife purchased a minority share in theBaltimore Orioles in 1993. He participated in the effort to bring the2012 Summer Olympics to Baltimore and Washington.[5]
In 1995, McKay had heart surgery and was forced to miss thePreakness Stakes.
McKay died on June 7, 2008, fromnatural causes at age 86. He was survived by his wife Margaret, son Sean, daughter Mary Guba, and three grandchildren. McKay died on the same day as the running of theBelmont Stakes (won byDa'Tara that year, withDenis of Cork placing second).[3]
| Preceded by | Television voice of the Indianapolis 500 1967–1974 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Television voice of the Indianapolis 500 1976–1985 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | American television prime time anchor,Summer Olympics 1960 1976 1984 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | American television prime time anchor,Winter Olympics 1964 1976–1988 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | U.S. World Cup Television Studio Host 1994 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by First | ABC's Wide World of Sports host 1961–1986 | Succeeded by |
