QuoteDALLAS | Pat Summerall, the NFL player-turned-broadcaster whose deep, resonant voice called games for more than 40 years, has died at the age of 82.
Fox Sports spokesman Dan Bell said Tuesday that Summerall had died. He could not immediately provide further details.
Summerall is the father of Jacksonville political consultant Susie Wiles.
Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/2013-04-16/story/nfl-broadcaster-pat-summerall-dies-father-jacksonville-political-consultant#ixzz2QfKiO6ax
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Pat Summerall dies at age 82
Fortunately for all of us, Pat set the standard for former athletes going into broadcasting. Summerall, Gifford, and other players from that era made a healthy transition into the booth. Summerall was way more versatile covering golf, tennis and other sports as well.
The way he said Mark Rypien with that "rippin" enunciation I will never forget. But he seemed more in his element when covering the Cowboys.
Where sports broadcasting is becoming more and more generic with pluggable, replacement, uninteresting talking heads, Summerall represented a time where voice formation was still unique.
When it was announced that Summerall was teaming up with Madden, at first I wasn't sure how they would come together. Surprisingly they became the most respected, most listened, most watched of the NFL announcing duos.
Time to revisit YouTube and listen to some Summerall "classics".