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Pat
Summerall
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NFL great dies at 82
espn.com
DALLAS -- Pat Summerall was the calm alongside John Madden's storm.
Over four decades, Summerall's deep, resonant voice described some of
the biggest games in America. Simple, spare, he delivered the details
on 16 Super Bowls, the Masters and the U.S. Open tennis tournament with
a simple, understated style that was the perfect complement for the
"boom!" and "bang!" of Madden, his partner for half of the NFL
player-turned-broadcaster's career.
Summerall died Tuesday at age 82 of cardiac arrest, said University of
Texas Southwestern Medical Center spokesman Jeff Carlton, speaking on
behalf of Summerall's wife, Cheri.
"He was an extraordinary man and a wonderful father," said Susie Wiles,
his daughter. "I know he will be greatly missed."
His final play-by-play words beside Madden were succinct, of course, as
he called the game-ending field goal of the Super Bowl for Fox on Feb.
3, 2002, when New England beat St. Louis 20-17.
"It's right down the pipe. Adam Vinatieri. No time on the clock. And
the Patriots have won Super Bowl XXXVI. Unbelievable," Summerall said.
Sparse, exciting, perfect. A flawless summation without distracting
from the reaction viewers could see on the screen.
At the end of their final broadcast together, Madden described
Summerall as "a treasure" and the "spirit of the National Football
League" in a tribute to the partner that complemented the boisterous
former Oakland Raiders coach so well.
"Pat was my broadcasting partner for a long time, but more than that he
was my friend for all of these years," Madden said in a statement
Tuesday. "We never had one argument, and that was because of Pat. He
was a great broadcaster and a great man. He always had a joke. Pat
never complained and we never had an unhappy moment. He was something
very special. Pat Summerall is the voice of football and always will
be."
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell also praised Summerall for being an
"important part of NFL history."
"Pat Summerall was one of the best friends and greatest contributors
that the NFL has known," Goodell said Tuesday in a statement. "He spent
50 years as part of our league, first as a player on the legendary New
York Giants teams of the late '50s and early '60s and then as a Hall of
Fame broadcaster for CBS and FOX. His majestic voice was treasured by
millions of NFL fans for more than four decades. Pat always represented
the essence of class and friendship. It is a sad day in the NFL. Our
hearts go out to Pat's wife, Cheri, and the entire Summerall family.
Pat will always be an important part of NFL history."
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