From the Associated Press’ Rick Callahan :
Sportscaster Chris Schenkel, whose easygoing baritone won over fans during a more than six-decade broadcasting career in which he covered everything from bowling to the Olympics, died Sunday following a long battle with emphysema. He was 82.
He was the first to cover the Masters Tournament on television, in 1956; the first to call a college football game coast to coast on ABC; and the first to serve as live sports anchor from the Olympics, in Mexico City in 1968.
His career highlights included calling gymnast Nadia Comaneci’s perfect 10 at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, and calling the 1958 NFL championship game between the Baltimore Colts and New York Giants.
He was also the longtime voice of the Professional Bowlers Association, entertaining a generation of viewers with his Saturday afternoon broadcasts.
He left a legacy of greatness. I grew up watching PBA bowling on ABC every Saturday from 1992-1997…Saturday afternoons were what it was all about back then, going through a grueling week of school just to wait for that precious 90 minutes where Chris Schenkel and Nelson (Bo) Burton Jr. along with the PBA entertained you. It was magic indeed. Though the PBA is long gone from ABC, the memories will always remain and Chris Schenkel’s legacy will live forever.