"Football, basketball, baseball, the Olympics, 'American Sportsman,' the fishing and hunting show. I was always proud that I wasn't just a baseball announcer, that I could go in and do just about anything."

    About This Interview

    In his three-hour interview, Curt Gowdy (1919-2006) reflects on his early experiences as a sportscaster on Oklahoma City radio, detailing the then-common practice of recreating away games with sound effects to mimic stadium noises. He discusses working alongside famed Yankee broadcaster Mel Allen and becoming the official "Voice of the Red Sox," staying with the Boston team for fifteen years. He reminisces fondly about the many legendary players he covered during those years, including Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams, and describes the close friendships he developed with both. Gowdy also discusses his tenure at ABC, working under the now-legendary Roone Arledge in what was then the fledgling sports department. He speaks of his experiences covering Super Bowls, Olympics, Rose Bowls, and World Series and recounts working on two of his favorite shows, American Sportsman and The Way it Was. He also outlines broadcasting the Goodwill Games, producing and hosting the special America the Beautiful, and lending his sports expertise to cable shows such as ESPN's 20th Century Sports and HBO's Play-by-Play: A History of Sports and Inside the NFL. Marvin Wolf conducted the interview on May 19, 2000 in Boston, MA.

    All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.
    People Talking About ...
    Thumbnail of Curt Gowdy

    Curt Gowdy on his big break as announcer for the New York Yankees

    04:26
    Thumbnail of Curt Gowdy

    Curt Gowdy on Yankee player Joe DiMaggio

    00:52
    Thumbnail of Curt Gowdy

    Curt Gowdy on the 1964 and 1968 Olympic games; on evolving technology that came from the Olympics

    04:10
    Thumbnail of Curt Gowdy

    Curt Gowdy on The Hollywood Blacklist

    01:51
    Thumbnail of Curt Gowdy

    Curt Gowdy on his greatest career triumph

    00:37
    Play Full Interview

    Chapter 1

    On his childhood and early influences; on loving sports as a child; on joining the Air Corps, but hurting his back and not being able to be a pilot; on getting into sports radio with KFBC in Cheyenne, Wyoming

    11:11

    On KFBC; on moving to a CBS station KOMA in Oklahoma City; on his big break as announcer for the New York Yankees; on re-creating away games; on announcing for the Yankees on radio and early television; on Yankee fans and players when he first started announcing for the Yankees

    14:34

    On covering basketball at Madison Square Garden; on covering sports for the Dumont network

    01:49

    Chapter 2

    On announcing basketball games at Madison Square Garden; on the Dumont network; on leaving the Yankees to be the head announcer for the Boston Red Sox; on Fenway Park; on traveling with the Red Sox

    08:18

    On the duties of a sports announncer and preparing for games; on simulcasting; on Red Sox players; on memorable games -  Joe DiMaggio's comeback at the '49 World Series and Ted Williams' last game; on other Red Sox players - Carl Yestrepski and Rico Petrocelli

    14:51

    Curt Gowdy on announcing games for the Boston Celtics; on working for NBC; on the '52 B.U.-Villanova football game and the Rice-Alabama game

    05:50

    Chapter 3

    On the Rice-Alabama game (contd.); on his start with NBC in 1956 and moving to ABC in 1960; on the genius of Roone Arledge

    09:09

    On The American Sportsman; on leaving the Boston Red Sox; on the 1964 and 1968 Olympic games and the importance of satellite feeds; on the early days of instant replay; on the Hollywood Blacklist

    14:31

    On JFK's assassination; on Game of the Week at NBC; on his co-anchors

    04:24

    Chapter 4

    On the first Super Bowl, broadcast by both NBC and CBS; on memorable moments from Super Bowl III - Jets v. Colts; on Super Bowl V and other Super Bowls he called; on his friendships with coaches and players

    13:44

    On Rose Bowls; on memorbale moments from Orange Bowls and Sugar Bowls; on NFL Game of the Week; on preparing for football games

    09:37

    Chapter 5

    On covering 16 World Series; on extra cameras for World Series games; on memorable moments from World Series games; on preparation for the World Series; on international broadcasters; on All-Star games

    12:09

    On colleague Howard Cosell and his opinions on former players who became broadcasters; on broadcasters becoming celebrities; on the PBS show The Way it Was; on preparing to cover hockey for the Olympics; on the syndicated show The Racers

    10:35

    On his peers; on sports broadcasters' trademark expresssions; on having one of the most recognizable voices in all of broadcasting; on voices he believes are memorable

    04:59

    Chapter 6

    On playing himself in movies; on acquiring radio stations; on his guest appearances on television shows; on becoming president of the Basketball Hall of Fame; on broadcasting the Goodwill Games; on returning to radio as the voice of the Patriots; 

    09:38

    On the show America the Beautiful; on HBO's Play by Play; on working for HBO and ESPN; on the evolution of sports broadcasting; on his sons - both involved in sports broadcasters/production; on his current projects; on his Emmy and Peabody wins; on advice to aspiring sports broadcasters; on his regrets and career triumphs

    11:03

    ABC's Wide World of Sports

    Curt Gowdy on his respect for Roone Arledge and the creation of Wide World of Sports and The American Sportsman

    03:10

    Curt Gowdy on the first time he did Wide World of Sports

    01:38

    American Sportsman, The

    Curt Gowdy on his respect for Roone Arledge and the creation of Wide World of Sports and The American Sportsman

    03:10

    Curt Gowdy on hosting The American Sportsman

    02:58

    Goodwill Games

    Curt Gowdy on broadcasting the Goodwill Games

    00:51

    Olympics

    Curt Gowdy on the 1964 and 1968 Olympic games; on evolving technology that came from the Olympics

    04:10

    Curt Gowdy on preparing to cover hockey for the Olympics

    02:10

    Super Bowl

    Sportscaster Curt Gowdy on the first Super Bowl, broadcast by both NBC and CBS

    01:55

    Sportscaster Curt Gowdy on the some of the Super Bowl  games he covered

    06:18

    Way it Was, The

    Curt Gowdy on the PBS show The Way it Was

    04:50

    World Series

    Curt Gowdy on covering 16 World Series

    09:35

    Curt Gowdy on Joe DiMaggio's comeback at the '49 World Series

    01:29

    Coverage

    Curt Gowdy on legendary announcer Mel Allen

    00:40

    Curt Gowdy on Ted Willams last game

    02:58

    Emmy Awards

    Curt Gowdy on his Emmy wins and being the first sportscaster to win a Peabody

    00:58

    Fame and Celebrity

    Curt Gowdy on broadcasters becoming celebrities

    00:54

    Hollywood Blacklist

    Curt Gowdy on The Hollywood Blacklist

    01:51

    JFK Assassination and Funeral

    Curt Gowdy on JFK's assassination

    01:34

    Memorable Moments on Television

    Curt Gowdy on Ted Willams last game

    02:58

    Olympic Games

    Curt Gowdy on the 1964 and 1968 Olympic games and the importance of satellite feeds

    04:10

    Curt Gowdy on preparing to cover hockey for the Olympics

    02:10

    Representation on Television

    Curt Gowdy on international broadcasters

    01:35

    Sports

    Curt Gowdy on how World Series differ from All-Star games

    02:16

    Curt Gowdy on preparing to cover hockey for the Olympics

    02:10

    Curt Gowdy on Yankee player Joe DiMaggio when he first started announcing for the Yankees

    00:52

    Super Bowl

    Sportscaster Curt Gowdy on the first Super Bowl, broadcast by both NBC and CBS

    01:55

    Technological Innovation

    Curt Gowdy on the 1964 and 1968 Olympic games and the importance of satellite feeds

    03:23

    Television Industry

    Curt Gowdy on broadcasters becoming celebrities

    00:54

    Underrepresented Voices

    Curt Gowdy on international broadcasters

    01:35

    We Celebrated

    Sportscaster Curt Gowdy on the first Super Bowl, broadcast by both NBC and CBS

    01:55

    World Series

    Curt Gowdy on covering 16 World Series

    09:35

    Curt Gowdy on Joe DiMaggio's comeback at the '49 World Series

    01:29

    Sportscaster

    Curt Gowdy on his start in sports radio at KFBC in Cheyenne, Wyoming

    02:58

    Curt Gowdy on his big break as announcer for the New York Yankees

    04:26

    Curt Gowdy on the duties of a sports announcer

    01:19

    Curt Gowdy on how to prepare for a game and talking to players

    01:16

    Curt Gowdy on the evolution of sports broadcasting

    01:42

    Curt Gowdy on advice to aspiring sports broadcasters

    01:15

    Sports

    Curt Gowdy on the 1964 and 1968 Olympic games and the importance of satellite feeds

    04:10

    Curt Gowdy on covering 16 World Series

    09:35

    Curt Gowdy on having one of the most recognizable voices in all of broadcasting

    00:44

    Curt Gowdy on Yankee player Joe DiMaggio when he first started announcing for the Yankees

    00:52

    Curt Gowdy on his big break as announcer for the New York Yankees

    04:26

    Curt Gowdy on Ted Willams last game

    02:58

    Curt Gowdy on Joe DiMaggio's comeback at the '49 World Series

    01:29

    Sportscaster Curt Gowdy on the first Super Bowl, broadcast by both NBC and CBS

    01:55

    Sportscaster Curt Gowdy on the some of the Super Bowl games he covered

    06:18

    Curt Gowdy on the evolution of sports broadcasting

    01:42

    Mel Allen

    Curt Gowdy on colleagues with whom he announced World Series games

    00:51

    Curt Gowdy on fellow broadcasters he's admired

    02:29

    Curt Gowdy on legendary announcer Mel Allen

    00:40

    Roone Arledge

    Curt Gowdy on how Ed Scherick and Roone Arledge transformed sports

    02:19

    Curt Gowdy on his respect for Roone Arledge 

    03:41

    Curt Gowdy on preparing to cover hockey for the Olympics

    02:10

    Red Barber

    Curt Gowdy on fellow broadcasters he's admired

    02:29

    Warren Beatty

    Curt Gowdy on playing himself in Heaven Can Wait

    00:34

    Howard Cosell

    Curt Gowdy on colleague Howard Cosell and his opinions on former players who became broadcasters

    01:15

    Curt Gowdy on voices he believes are memorable - Howard Cosell

    00:47

    Joe DiMaggio

    Curt Gowdy on Yankee player Joe DiMaggio when he first started announcing for the Yankees

    00:52

    Curt Gowdy on Joe DiMaggio's comeback at the '49 World Series

    01:29

    Ted Husing

    Curt Gowdy on fellow broadcasters he's admired

    02:29

    John F. Kennedy

    Curt Gowdy on JFK's assassination

    01:34

    Vince Lombardi

    Sportscaster Curt Gowdy on the first Super Bowl, broadcast by both NBC and CBS

    01:27

    Leslie Nielsen

    Curt Gowdy on playing himself in The Naked Gun

    01:30

    Edgar J. Scherick

    Curt Gowdy on how Ed Scherick and Roone Arledge transformed sports

    02:19

    O. J. Simpson

    Curt Gowdy on his first Rose Bowl and meeting O.J. Simpson

    00:53

    All Interviews

    Loading Interviews...