It's official. Keith Jackson, one of the legendary voices of sports--particularly college football--has retired. Though he retired once before, in 1999, he said, "This time, I know it's the right decision."

~Adam

My favorite Jacksonism: "My, oh my, Miami!"

I'll miss him - he was the guy who taught me most of what I know about football - and I liked everything about him.

It'll be a big loss. I loved hearing his voice during football season when i was growing up.

Man, my childhood is disappearing fast.

His coverage was always knowledgable and on the money. He took considerable pains to become a student of the game (not something all sportscasters do - IMHO).

I can remember him calling the first season of Monday Night Football back in the early 70’s, but he was considered too smart for the fans, and not a big enough star.

Throughout the late 70’s and into the early 80’s he was the sportscaster of choice for the Sugar Bowl when Alabama could not be stopped.

He also announced so many other sporting events from MLB, the NBA, Boxing, Auto Racing, and of course the 72 Olympics.

Strangely I will always remember his coverage of two things that are not Football related, but are burned into my memory forever: First, the ABC coverage of the 1972 Summer Olympics when he continued to report and contribute even when the Palastinian terrorists attacked and took the Israeli team hostage, turning the Olympics into the Munich Massacre.

The second event is a much happier memory: when he called the now famous 16-inning long sixth game of the 1986 NL Championship between the New York Mets and Houston Astros. It was the longest game in the history of baseball until the Astros-Braves game in 2005. He did it with knowledge, style, and great interest. Arguably one of the top 10 best games ever played.

He was definitely the voice of College Ball. No one could say "Fum-BLE!" like he could, and make you feel it.

Happy Days Mr. Jackson.

Rob

[ April 27, 2006, 02:05 PM: Message edited by: ITJock ]

Wow.....good luck Keith....

I still remember way back in '84 hearing his utter disbelief when he discovered that unheralded Syracuse had just knocked off #1 Nebraska. He is the Dickie V of college football with his enthusiasm for the game.

Keith Jackson has been incapable of following the game for the better part of two decades. His Rose Bowl call this year was an embarrassment. Two gems from games he did this year: 1. "We'll see if he uses a tee for this kick" uh, rules changed on that like a football generation ago. 2. "You know the clock didnt move at all on that play" Fouts: "That was an extra point." He could barely follow the game and was a walking encyclopedia of errors.

Even pre-dementia, Keith was mediocre compared to real pros like Chris Schenkel and Gowdy who used knowledge and competence to compensate for lack of schtick. Just because you have a southern accent as think as a klansman's hood and you use lots of incomprehensible homspun cliches does not mean you know what youa are talking about or add to the game.

Well thank god you never make mistakes.

I am willing to admit that he has not been at the top of his game since his return, maybe even a little before. The guy is like 80.

He is a legend in the game, and has made a huge contribution for longer than most people here have been alive to watch. Schenkel and Gowdy were GREAT too, with phenomenal careers, but they would be the first to admit that there is room for more than a few people at the top.

Hundreds of thousands of fans like him, some don't. No need to disrespect the man.

I can only hope I am that well regarded and can keep it together when I am 80. I hope, I think we all hope, that people will remember the good stuff about us, not the small mistakes.

He's retiring. Whatever happened to common courtesy?

Sorry for the rant - but it just seems... discourteous? disgracious?... to snipe at him from the distance when he is leaving.


Rob

Keith Jackson was phenomenal in so many ways.

Growing up on college football in the 80's and similar to another poster assocaiting Syracuse knocking off #1 Nebraska in the early 1980's, Jackson was a huge part of one of my frist memories of WVU athletics at age 7 or 8. During the broadcast of an ABC game ( can't rememeber the teams), Jackson went absolutely crazy with excitement over West Virginia's spectacular 40-26 thrashing of the defending national champs Oklahoma in Norman back in 1982. A game that delivered WVU's program its first taste of national acclaim. I'll always associate that win with Jackson's passion for all things college football.

[ April 27, 2006, 10:25 PM: Message edited by: GymMountainEER ]

"Just because you have a southern accent as think as a klansman's hood and you use lots of incomprehensible homspun cliches does not mean you know what youa are talking about or add to the game."

couldn't agree more:

"There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again." — George W. Bush, Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002

seriously, though, keith jackson and that distinctive baritone are permanently etched into the collective memory of a generation or two.

crisp fall day at a tailgate, smell of pork jambalaya in the air and the voice drifting from some nearby portable tv:
"the six foot fahve line backer from mobeeel a-la-ba-ma."

I agree with you, Rob. No need to snark off on the guy like that. And KJ's accent wasn't really all that deep Southern. He grew up in the Paloose of Eastern Washington, played football at WSU and came out of that with a nice blend of twang, drawl and generic Midwestern American - exactly what the networks want for broad audience appeal. Finally, "thick as a Klansman's hood" doesn't make much sense, since sheets aren't really the thickest things on Earth, although some heads apparently are. More silly stereotyping gone astray.

Keith Jackson was born and raised in Georgia, despite attending Washington State. Also, weren't Klansmen's hoods made of wool? I'll have to check with Keith. In any event, the guy sucked at play-by-play and is only lauded because some people prefer schtick to substance. He was not one of the ten best play by play men of his own generation. That's just how I see it. For a more humorous look at Keith, see this link.
http://www.everydayshouldbesaturday.com/?p=1992

[ April 28, 2006, 02:19 PM: Message edited by: kattt ]