Sportscaster Jim McKay Dies

Do you remember the Summer Olympics of 1972?

Do you remember the tragedy of the Munich Games, when the Palestinian terrorists murdered 11 Israeli athletes?

If you do, you will remember hearing the news from Jim McKay, who somberly reported the murders of all 11 athletes.

"When I was a kid my father used to say our greatest hopes and our worst fears are seldom realized. Our worst fears have been realized tonight. They have now said there were 11 hostages; two were killed in their rooms yesterday morning, nine were killed at the airport tonight."

Then McKay looked into the camera, with the saddest pair of eyes I've ever seen.

"They're all gone," he quietly told his stunned audience.

For many people, that phrase is as memorable as Al Michaels' "Do you believe in miracles? Yes!" when the U.S. hockey team completed its improbable victory over the Soviets at Lake Placid in 1980.

Although he spent most of his career in sports, McKay's work in Munich required him to cross over into the hardest of hard news reporting.

His professionalism was rewarded when legendary news anchorman Walter Cronkite sent him a telegram that said, "Dear Jim, today you honored yourself, your network and your industry."

McKay died today, apparently of natural causes, at the age of 86.

The irony of McKay's passing, as Sports Illustrated reports today, is that he died only hours before Big Brown is scheduled to try to complete thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown by winning the Belmont Stakes.

It is ironic because McKay, longtime host of ABC's Wide World of Sports, considered horse racing his favorie sport.

It would be fitting if horse racing's 30-year drought in the Triple Crown came to an end this afternoon.

It might happen. Joe Drape of the New York Times says Big Brown is a "mortal lock" to win today's race against an "unaccomplished field."

If Big Brown wins the Triple Crown, I will have only one regret.

I wish McKay could be here to see it happen.