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| From left: Dick Enberg and Merlin Olsen, 1988 |
One of my heroes in this business.
Dick Enberg has died at 82.
Oh, my indeed.
Over a nearly 60-year career, Enberg (who held a doctorate in health sciences) truly "touched 'em all" (paraphrasing one of his catch phrases).
He called eight Super Bowls, and would have called a ninth, but ceded the job to outgoing Curt Gowdy in Super Bowl XIII. Enberg chose to anchor the pre-game show instead, allowing Gowdy one last call on NBC.
It was with the Peacock Network where Enberg would make his name nationally, but prior to that, he was renowned in Los Angeles for his coverage of UCLA, as well as the Angels and Rams.
It was Enberg who called the UCLA/Houston "Game of the Century" to a national audience in 1968. That was the first time a regular season college basketball game was seen across the country.
He hosted a couple of game shows, as well as Sports Challenge, a trivia show that brought out some of the most famous athletes ever. Imagine the likes of Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio on a game show? You didn't have to. They were on Sports Challenge.
Upon his move to NBC in 1975, Enberg became among the most familiar voices in the business. The Renaissance Man truly did it all. The eight Super Bowls. The 1982 World Series. The Rose Bowl. Wimbledon (which he and Bud Collins made into appointment TV with Breakfast at Wimbledon). The French Open. The Breeders' Cup. Boxing. The US Open (and, later, The Masters on CBS). The Olympics. The NBA. College basketball.
He was absolute brilliance with Billy Packer and Al McGuire on college hoops, including the famed Magic/Bird National Championship of 1979. Here they are in 1981, calling Notre Dame/Virginia.
He even a couple of Canadian Football League Games during the 1982 NFL strike.
Here's Dr. Enberg, chatting with another broadcaster named Scully. The two retired in 2016.
For me, Enberg will always be the NFL. He'll always be a Sunday afternoon with the great Merlin Olsen -- my favorite NFL broadcasting duo. It was a big event when Dick Enberg was on, and he and Olsen were the perfect combination of broadcasting finesse.
Here are the two opening a 1988 AFC Divisional Playoff Game.
There are so many standout moments, and others will hit me as the day goes on, but here's a classic: John Elway and the Broncos on "The Drive" in 1987.
He had just started doing a podcast, and tweeted this yesterday:
Oh yeah, and he was one of the broadcasters in The Naked Gun (with Mel Allen, of course).From the #Beatles to David Letterman - James Cagney to George Clooney - TV Producer and Executive, Andy Friendly, has rubbed shoulders with the biggest names in entertainment. He takes us behind the scenes today on #SoundofSuccess! https://t.co/NrPPnduTEo— Dick Enberg (@Deohmy) December 21, 2017
The only way to finish this is to present you with his most famous phrase of all. Thank you, Dick Enberg, for everything. Oh, my.
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