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Wide World of Sports (US TV series)
Encyclopedia
ABC's Wide World of Sports is a sports anthology series on American television that ran from 1961 to 1998 and was originally hosted by Jim McKay
. The title continued to be used for general sports programs until 2006. As the title suggests, it aired on the American Broadcasting Company
.
to produce the show. Arledge would eventually go on to become the executive producer of ABC Sports (as well as president of ABC News
). Scherick became Vice President of Network Programming at ABC. Several years later, he became a film and television producer, with over seventy titles to his credit.
The series debut on April 29, 1961 featured both the Penn
and Drake Relays
. McKay and Jesse Abramson, the track and field
writer for the New York Herald Tribune
, broadcast from Franklin Field
with Bob Richards
as the field reporter
. Jim Simpson
called the action from Drake Stadium
with Bill Flemming
working the field.
, Wide World of Sports covered a bowling
event in which Roy Lown beat Pat Patterson. The broadcast was so successful that in 1962
, ABC Sports began covering the Professional Bowlers Tour.
In 1964
, Wide World of Sports covered the Oklahoma
Rattlesnake Hunt championships. The following year, The American Sportsman
premiered, and it would stay on for nearly 20 years.
In 1973
, the Superstars
was first televised as a segment on Wide World of Sports. The following year, the Superstars debuted as a weekly winter series that lasted for 10 years.
, the producers of ABC Sports began selecting the Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year. Its first winner was track and field star Jim Beatty
for being the first to run a sub-4-minute mile indoors. Through the years, this award was won by the likes of Muhammad Ali
, Jim Ryun
, Lance Armstrong
, Mario Andretti
, Dennis Conner
, Wayne Gretzky
, Carl Lewis
and Tiger Woods
. The award was discontinued in 2001
.
offering more outlets for sports programming, Wide World of Sports lost much of its appeal. Ultimately, the Wide World of Sports name was used as an umbrella title for ABC's weekend sports programming. Wide World of Sports discontinued its traditional anthology series format in 1997
.
On January 3, 1998 Jim McKay
declared that Wide World of Sports was cancelled after 37 successful years.
In August 2006, ABC Sports was effectively displaced by the concept of ESPN on ABC
. The Wide World of Sports name continues to occasionally be revived for Saturday afternoon sports programming on ABC, most recently during the 140th Belmont Stakes as a tribute to the recently deceased Jim McKay
. Most sports programming has been displaced from ABC and moved to sister station ESPN
, with the Saturday afternoon programming adopting the name ESPN Sports Saturday
in 2010. ESPN Sports Saturday consists solely of college football
broadcasts, documentaries such as E:60
and 30 for 30
, and a modified version of the ESPN interactive series SportsNation
, entitled Winners Bracket
.
Wide World of Sports was intended to be a fill-in show for a single summer season, until the start of fall sports seasons, but became unexpectedly popular. The goal of the show was to showcase sports from around the globe. It originally ran for ninety minutes on Saturday afternoons, and featured two or three sports per show. These included many types not normally seen on American television, such as hurling
, rodeo
, curling
, jai-alai, firefighter
's competitions, surfing
, logger sports
, demolition derby
and slow pitch softball
, and badminton
. NASCAR
Grand National/Winston Cup racing was a Wide World of Sports staple until the late 1980s, when it became a regularly scheduled network feature. Traditional Olympic
sports such as figure skating
, skiing
, gymnastics
, and track and field
competitions were also regular features of the show. The broadcast was hosted for most of its history by Jim McKay
.
Wide World of Sports aired from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time
and later 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 Eastern Time.
, The Indianapolis 500, the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship, the Daytona 500
, the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, the Little League World Series
, Triple Crown
, The Open Championship
, the X-Games, the Grey Cup
, and many other events.
) over a montage of sports clips and dramatic accompanying narration by McKay:
It was written by Stanley Ralph Ross
.
Vinko Bogataj
, whose dreadful misjump and crash of March 21, 1970 was featured from the early 1970s onward under the words "...and the agony of defeat", became a hard-luck hero of sorts, and an affectionate icon for stunning failure
. Previously, the footage played with that phrase was of another ski jumper who made a long, almost successful jump, but whose skis lost vertical alignment shortly before landing, leading to a crash. Later in the 1990s, an additional clip was added to the "agony of defeat" sequence after Bogataj's accident. Footage of a crash by Alessandro Zampedri
, Roberto Guerrero
and Eliseo Salazar
during the 1996 Indianapolis 500
shows a car flipping up into the catch fence. The "oh no!" commentary that accompanies it, however, is dubbed from commentary by Benny Parsons
of Steve Grissom
's crash in the 1997 NASCAR
Winston Cup Primestar 500
. Bogataj's mishap is also commemorated in Rich Hall
's book Sniglets as "agonosis", which is defined as "The syndrome
of tuning in on Wide World of Sports every weekend just to watch the skier rack himself."
. Licensed by ABC, the CTV broadcast included a mix of content from the American show, and segments produced by CTV and its affiliates.
in Australia produced their own version from 1981-1997, Nine's Wide World of Sports; this version is also a sports anthology series, but also features professional sport competitions as well. It, along with Cricket coverage on The Nine Network
also sporned a series of parodies, released as Audio Albums by Billy Birmingham
, under the nom-de-plum of The Twelfth Man
.
.
Jim McKay
James Kenneth McManus , better known by his professional name of Jim McKay, was an American television sports journalist....
. The title continued to be used for general sports programs until 2006. As the title suggests, it aired on the American Broadcasting Company
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
.
Origins
Wide World of Sports was the creation of Edgar Scherick through his company, Sports Programs, Inc. After selling his company to the American Broadcasting Company, he hired a young Roone ArledgeRoone Arledge
Roone Pickney Arledge, Jr. was an American sports broadcasting pioneer who was chairman of ABC News from 1977 until several years before his death, and a key part of the company's rise to competition with the two other main television networks, NBC and CBS, in the 1960s, '70s, and '80s.-Early...
to produce the show. Arledge would eventually go on to become the executive producer of ABC Sports (as well as president of ABC News
ABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
). Scherick became Vice President of Network Programming at ABC. Several years later, he became a film and television producer, with over seventy titles to his credit.
The series debut on April 29, 1961 featured both the Penn
Penn Relays
The Penn Relays is the oldest and largest track and field competition in the United States, hosted annually since April 21, 1895 by the University of Pennsylvania at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
and Drake Relays
Drake Relays
The Drake Relays is an annual outdoor track and field event held in Des Moines, Iowa, United States, in Drake Stadium on the campus of Drake University...
. McKay and Jesse Abramson, the track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
writer for the New York Herald Tribune
New York Herald Tribune
The New York Herald Tribune was a daily newspaper created in 1924 when the New York Tribune acquired the New York Herald.Other predecessors, which had earlier merged into the New York Tribune, included the original The New Yorker newsweekly , and the Whig Party's Log Cabin.The paper was home to...
, broadcast from Franklin Field
Franklin Field
Franklin Field is the University of Pennsylvania's stadium for football, field hockey, lacrosse, sprint football, and track and field . It is also used by Penn students for recreation, and for intramural and club sports, including touch football and cricket, and is the site of Penn's graduation...
with Bob Richards
Bob Richards
The Reverend Robert Eugene Richards, known as Bob Richards , known as the "Vaulting Vicar" or the "Pole Vaulting Parson" in his competitive days, was a versatile athlete who made three Olympic teams in two events...
as the field reporter
Sideline reporter
A sideline reporter, also known as a field reporter, courtside reporter , clubhouse reporter or dugout reporter , rinkside reporter or inside-the-glass reporter , on-court reporter , hole reporter , or boundary rider , is a member of the...
. Jim Simpson
Jim Simpson (sportscaster)
Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters...
called the action from Drake Stadium
Drake Stadium
Drake Stadium is a stadium in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. It is primarily used for the Drake Relays, and is the home field of the Drake University Bulldogs. It opened in 1925 and underwent a $15 million renovation in 2005. Widening the track reduced the stadium's seating capacity from 18,000...
with Bill Flemming
Bill Flemming
William Norman "Bill" Flemming was an American television sports journalist who was one of the original announcers for the ABC Sports show Wide World of Sports.-Early life:...
working the field.
Successful spin-offs
In 19611961 in television
The year 1961 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1961.For the American TV schedule, see: 1961-62 American network television schedule.-Events:...
, Wide World of Sports covered a bowling
Bowling
Bowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
event in which Roy Lown beat Pat Patterson. The broadcast was so successful that in 1962
1962 in television
The year 1962 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1962.For the American TV schedule, see: 1962-63 American network television schedule.-Events:...
, ABC Sports began covering the Professional Bowlers Tour.
In 1964
1964 in television
The year 1964 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1964.For the American TV schedule, see: 1964-65 American network television schedule.-Events:...
, Wide World of Sports covered the Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
Rattlesnake Hunt championships. The following year, The American Sportsman
The American Sportsman
The American Sportsman was a television series from 1965 to 1986 on ABC which presented filmed highlights of hunting and/or fishing trips involving the program's hosts and celebrities. It was typically presented on Sunday afternoons, frequently following coverage of live sporting events...
premiered, and it would stay on for nearly 20 years.
In 1973
1973 in television
The year 1973 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1973.-Events:*January 4 – The record breaking, long-running comedy series in the UK and the world "Last of the Summer Wine" starts as a 30-minute pilot on BBC1's Comedy Playhouse show....
, the Superstars
Superstars
Superstars is an all-around sports competition that pits elite athletes from different sports against one another in a series of athletic events resembling a decathlon....
was first televised as a segment on Wide World of Sports. The following year, the Superstars debuted as a weekly winter series that lasted for 10 years.
Athlete of the Year
In 19631963 in sports
1963 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:* January 29 – First inductees into the Pro Football Hall of Fame are announced* AFL Eastern Division Playoff – Boston Patriots win 26–8 over the Buffalo Bills...
, the producers of ABC Sports began selecting the Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year. Its first winner was track and field star Jim Beatty
Jim Beatty
James Tully Beatty is a former American track and field athlete who is best remembered as the first person to break the four-minute mile barrier on an indoor track when he ran 3:58.9 on February 10, 1962 in Los Angeles, California.Beatty graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel...
for being the first to run a sub-4-minute mile indoors. Through the years, this award was won by the likes of Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
, Jim Ryun
Jim Ryun
James Ronald Ryun is an American former track athlete and politician, who was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1996 to 2007, representing the 2nd District in Kansas. In the 2006 election, Ryun was defeated by Democratic challenger Nancy Boyda...
, Lance Armstrong
Lance Armstrong
Lance Edward Armstrong is an American former professional road racing cyclist who won the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times, after having survived testicular cancer. He is also the founder and chairman of the Lance Armstrong Foundation for cancer research and support...
, Mario Andretti
Mario Andretti
Mario Gabriele Andretti is a retired Italian American world champion racing driver, one of the most successful Americans in the history of the sport. He is one of only two drivers to win races in Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship and NASCAR...
, Dennis Conner
Dennis Conner
Dennis Conner is an American yachtsman, noted for winning the bronze medal at the 1976 Olympics, two Star World Championships, and four wins in the America's Cup.-America's Cup:...
, Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
, Carl Lewis
Carl Lewis
Frederick Carlton "Carl" Lewis is an American former track and field athlete, who won 10 Olympic medals including 9 gold, and 10 World Championships medals, of which 8 were gold. His career spanned from 1979 when he first achieved a world ranking to 1996 when he last won an Olympic title and...
and Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...
. The award was discontinued in 2001
2001 in television
The year 2001 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2001.-Events:-Debuts:-1940s:*Meet the Press .*Candid Camera .*CBS Evening News ....
.
The end of Wide World of Sports
In later years, with the rise of cable televisionCable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
offering more outlets for sports programming, Wide World of Sports lost much of its appeal. Ultimately, the Wide World of Sports name was used as an umbrella title for ABC's weekend sports programming. Wide World of Sports discontinued its traditional anthology series format in 1997
1997 in television
The year 1997 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1997.- Events :-Debuts:-Miniseries:*Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac, a reunion of the 1979–93 series*The Last Don...
.
On January 3, 1998 Jim McKay
Jim McKay
James Kenneth McManus , better known by his professional name of Jim McKay, was an American television sports journalist....
declared that Wide World of Sports was cancelled after 37 successful years.
In August 2006, ABC Sports was effectively displaced by the concept of ESPN on ABC
ESPN on ABC
ESPN on ABC is the brand used for sports programming on the ABC television network. Officially the broadcast network retains its own sports division; however, for all practical purposes, ABC's sports division has been merged with ESPN, a sports cable network majority-owned by ABC's parent, The...
. The Wide World of Sports name continues to occasionally be revived for Saturday afternoon sports programming on ABC, most recently during the 140th Belmont Stakes as a tribute to the recently deceased Jim McKay
Jim McKay
James Kenneth McManus , better known by his professional name of Jim McKay, was an American television sports journalist....
. Most sports programming has been displaced from ABC and moved to sister station ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, with the Saturday afternoon programming adopting the name ESPN Sports Saturday
ESPN Sports Saturday
ESPN Sports Saturday is an American sports anthology series produced by the ESPN sports network. Hosted by Hannah Storm, it premiered at 4 p.m. ET April 3, 2010 on the American Broadcasting Company...
in 2010. ESPN Sports Saturday consists solely of college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
broadcasts, documentaries such as E:60
E:60
E:60 is a weekly investigative journalism newsmagazine show. It premiered on ESPN on October 16, 2007 at 7:00 p.m. ET, 4:00 p.m. PT. The show is one hour long....
and 30 for 30
30 for 30
30 for 30 is the umbrella title for a series of documentaries airing on ESPN and its sister networks. The series, which premiered in October 2009 and concluded in December 2010, chronicles 30 stories from the "ESPN era," each of which detail the issues, trends, people, teams, or events that...
, and a modified version of the ESPN interactive series SportsNation
SportsNation (TV series)
SportsNation is a sports-related television program that airs on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN America and ESPNews. It is hosted by Colin Cowherd and Michelle Beadle. It is based on SportsNation, the fan forum and poll section of ESPN.com...
, entitled Winners Bracket
Winners Bracket
Winners Bracket is a sports-related television program that airs on ABC. Hosted by Michelle Beadle and Marcellus Wiley, it premiered at 5 p.m. ET April 3, 2010 on the American Broadcasting Company...
.
Sports featured on Wide World of Sports
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
, rodeo
Rodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
, curling
Curling
Curling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...
, jai-alai, firefighter
Firefighter
Firefighters are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous fires that threaten civilian populations and property, to rescue people from car incidents, collapsed and burning buildings and other such situations...
's competitions, surfing
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
, logger sports
Lumberjack
A lumberjack is a worker in the logging industry who performs the initial harvesting and transport of trees for ultimate processing into forest products. The term usually refers to a bygone era when hand tools were used in harvesting trees principally from virgin forest...
, demolition derby
Demolition derby
Demolition derby is a motorsport usually presented at county fairs and festivals. While rules vary from event to event, the typical demolition derby event consists of five or more drivers competing by deliberately ramming their vehicles into one another...
and slow pitch softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
, and badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
. NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
Grand National/Winston Cup racing was a Wide World of Sports staple until the late 1980s, when it became a regularly scheduled network feature. Traditional Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
sports such as figure skating
Figure skating
Figure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice skates. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions...
, skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
, gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
, and track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
competitions were also regular features of the show. The broadcast was hosted for most of its history by Jim McKay
Jim McKay
James Kenneth McManus , better known by his professional name of Jim McKay, was an American television sports journalist....
.
Wide World of Sports aired from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time
North American Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
and later 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 Eastern Time.
Firsts
Wide World of Sports was the first program to air coverage of WimbledonThe Championships, Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...
, The Indianapolis 500, the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship, the Daytona 500
Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a -long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule....
, the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, the Little League World Series
Little League World Series
The Little League Baseball World Series is a baseball tournament for children aged 11 to 13 years old. It was originally called the National Little League Tournament and was later renamed for the World Series in Major League Baseball. It was first held in 1947 and is held every August in South...
, Triple Crown
Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing consists of three races for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses. Winning all three of these Thoroughbred horse races is considered the greatest accomplishment of a Thoroughbred racehorse...
, The Open Championship
The Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
, the X-Games, the Grey Cup
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
, and many other events.
Introduction
The show was introduced by a stirring, brassy musical fanfare (composed by Charles FoxCharles Fox (composer)
Charles Ira Fox is an American composer for film and television. His most heard compositions are probably the "love themes" , and the dramatic theme music to ABC's Wide World of Sports and the original Monday Night Football.....
) over a montage of sports clips and dramatic accompanying narration by McKay:
It was written by Stanley Ralph Ross
Stanley Ralph Ross
Stanley Ralph Ross was raised in Brooklyn New York, starting his career in advertising, then soon going to work as a writer and actor on various television shows, most notably cult-classics such as the 1960s Batman series starring Adam West and also The Monkees...
.
"The Thrill of Victory..."
The melodramatic introduction became a national catchphrase that is often heard to this day. While "the thrill of victory" had several symbols over the decades, ski jumperSki jumping
Ski jumping is a sport in which skiers go down a take-off ramp, jump and attempt to land as far as possible down the hill below. In addition to the length of the jump, judges give points for style. The skis used for ski jumping are wide and long...
Vinko Bogataj
Vinko Bogataj
Vinko Bogataj is a former ski jumper from Slovenia who became noted on US television in the 1970s for a moment of spectacular failure that was featured on ABC's Wide World of Sports as the infamous Agony of Defeat....
, whose dreadful misjump and crash of March 21, 1970 was featured from the early 1970s onward under the words "...and the agony of defeat", became a hard-luck hero of sorts, and an affectionate icon for stunning failure
Failure
Failure refers to the state or condition of not meeting a desirable or intended objective, and may be viewed as the opposite of success. Product failure ranges from failure to sell the product to fracture of the product, in the worst cases leading to personal injury, the province of forensic...
. Previously, the footage played with that phrase was of another ski jumper who made a long, almost successful jump, but whose skis lost vertical alignment shortly before landing, leading to a crash. Later in the 1990s, an additional clip was added to the "agony of defeat" sequence after Bogataj's accident. Footage of a crash by Alessandro Zampedri
Alessandro Zampedri
Alessandro Zampedri is an Italian race car driver. He started three Indy 500s .Zampedri was seriously injured in the 1996 Indianapolis 500, suffering severe foot and leg injuries on the last lap of the race. While running fourth, Zampedri was collected in a crash with Roberto Guerrero and Eliseo...
, Roberto Guerrero
Roberto Guerrero
Roberto José Guerrero Isaza is a former racing driver from Colombia. He participated in 29 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 23 January 1982...
and Eliseo Salazar
Eliseo Salazar
Eliseo Salazar Valenzuela is a Chilean racing driver, and the only one of his countrymen to compete in Formula One. He participated in 37 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix scoring a total of three championship points...
during the 1996 Indianapolis 500
1996 Indianapolis 500
The 80th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 26, 1996. This was the first Indy 500 contested by the Indy Racing League, under the overall sanctioning umbrella of USAC. It was the third and final race of the 1996 IRL season. Buddy Lazier won the race, his...
shows a car flipping up into the catch fence. The "oh no!" commentary that accompanies it, however, is dubbed from commentary by Benny Parsons
Benny Parsons
Benjamin Stewart Parsons was an American NASCAR driver, and later an announcer/analyst on TBS, ESPN, NBC and TNT...
of Steve Grissom
Steve Grissom
Steve Grissom is a NASCAR driver. Grissom was the 1993 Busch Series champion and has eleven Busch wins in 185 starts. He turned down a scholarship to play quarterback at the University of Alabama to focus a career on racing....
's crash in the 1997 NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
Winston Cup Primestar 500
Primestar 500
At one time, two different NASCAR races were known as the Primestar 500:* Golden Corral 500, the race at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 1997 and 1998* Samsung/Radio Shack 500, the race at Texas Motor Speedway in 1999...
. Bogataj's mishap is also commemorated in Rich Hall
Rich Hall
Richard "Rich" Hall is an American comedian, writer and musician.-Early life and career:Hall was born in Alexandria, Virginia and grew up in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. He is part Cherokee Indian...
's book Sniglets as "agonosis", which is defined as "The syndrome
Syndrome
In medicine and psychology, a syndrome is the association of several clinically recognizable features, signs , symptoms , phenomena or characteristics that often occur together, so that the presence of one or more features alerts the physician to the possible presence of the others...
of tuning in on Wide World of Sports every weekend just to watch the skier rack himself."
Canadian version
During the 1970s and 1980s, a Canadian version was aired by the CTV Television NetworkCTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
. Licensed by ABC, the CTV broadcast included a mix of content from the American show, and segments produced by CTV and its affiliates.
Australian version
The Nine NetworkNine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
in Australia produced their own version from 1981-1997, Nine's Wide World of Sports; this version is also a sports anthology series, but also features professional sport competitions as well. It, along with Cricket coverage on The Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
also sporned a series of parodies, released as Audio Albums by Billy Birmingham
Billy Birmingham
Billy Birmingham is an Australian humourist and sometime sports journalist, most noted for his parodies of Australian cricket commentary in recordings under The Twelfth Man name. He was the writer of the comedy hit Australiana which was made famous by performer Austen Tayshus...
, under the nom-de-plum of The Twelfth Man
The Twelfth Man
The Twelfth Man is the name for a series of comedy productions by Australian satirist Billy Birmingham. Birmingham, a skilled impersonator, is generally known for parodying Australian sports commentators' voices...
.
Mexican version
During the 1970s and 1980s, there was a Mexican version, aired by Imevision, at the time the Mexican government's public television network, known as DeporTV, El Ancho Mundo del Deporte (DeporTV, the Wide World of Sports). The program was later dropped by Imevision's successor, TV AztecaTV Azteca
Azteca, is the second largest Mexican television entertainment. It was established in 1983 as the state-owned Instituto Mexicano de la Televisión , a holding of the national TV networks channel 13 and 7 and was privatized under its current name in 1993 and now is part of Grupo Salinas...
.
Hosts
- Jim McKayJim McKayJames Kenneth McManus , better known by his professional name of Jim McKay, was an American television sports journalist....
(1961–1998) - Becky Dixon (1987–1988)
- Frank GiffordFrank GiffordFrancis Newton "Frank" Gifford is a Hall of Fame former American football player and American sportscaster.-Early life:Gifford was born in Santa Monica, California, the son of Lola Mae and Weldon Gifford, an oil driller....
(1987–1993) - Julie MoranJulie MoranJulie Moran , America's Junior Miss 1980, was a correspondent on the entertainment news show Entertainment Tonight from 1994–2001. Before joining ET, she co-hosted NBA Inside Stuff with Ahmad Rashad and later replaced Frank Gifford as host of ABC's Wide World of Sports...
(1994–1995) - Robin RobertsRobin Roberts (newscaster)Robin René Roberts is an American television broadcaster. Roberts is the co-anchor of ABC's morning show Good Morning America-Early life:...
(1996–1998)
Event announcers
- Mike AdamleMike AdamleMichael David "Mike" Adamle is a sports personality and former National Football League player. He is best known as the co-host of American Gladiators series for seven years....
- Jack AruteJack AruteJack Arute, Jr. currently covers the NFL and college sports for Sirius XM Radio. He is the president of the Stafford Motor Speedway in Connecticut...
- Jules BergmanJules BergmanJules Bergman , a broadcast writer and journalist, served as Science Editor for ABC News from 1961 until his death in 1987. He is most remembered for his coverage of the American space program....
- Bob BeattieBob BeattieRobert Wetherson "Bob" Beattie was a professional American football player who played offensive tackle/defensive tackle in the American Football League and the National Football League . He played for the AFL's Philadelphia Quakers and the NFL's New York Yankees and Orange/Newark Tornadoes ....
- Larry BirleffiLarry BirleffiLarry V. Birleffi was a Wyoming broadcaster known as the original "Voice of the University of Wyoming Cowboys", having announced all UW football and basketball games from 1947—1986. He helped to build the UW sports program in Laramie and was a vigorous promoter of its athletic teams...
- Tim BrantTim BrantTim Brant is an American sportscaster and Vice President and Director of Sports for ABC 7 / WJLA-TV in Washington DC. He has spent nearly thirty years covering sports nationally for CBS and ABC....
- Charlie BrockmanCharlie BrockmanCharles T. "Charlie" Brockman was an American broadcaster and was a former president of the United States Auto Club from 1969-1972....
- Charlsie CanteyCharlsie CanteyCharlsie Cantey , one of broadcasting's veteran thoroughbred horse racing analysts, is an American sportscaster who worked for ESPN , ABC Sports , WOR-TV , CBS Sports , USA Network and NBC Sports .-Early career:Cantey studied for two years at Mount Vernon College for Women then...
- Howard CosellHoward CosellHoward William Cosell was an American sports journalist who was widely known for his blustery, cocksure personality. Cosell said of himself, "Arrogant, pompous, obnoxious, vain, cruel, verbose, a showoff. I have been called all of these...
- Dave Diles
- Becky Dixon
- Don DrysdaleDon DrysdaleDonald Scott "Don" Drysdale was a Major League Baseball player and Hall of Fame right-handed pitcher with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was one of the dominant starting pitchers of the 1960s, and became a radio and television broadcaster following his playing career...
- Chris EconomakiChris EconomakiChristopher "Chris" Constantine Economaki is an American motorsports commentator, pit road reporter, and journalist. Chris Economaki has been given the title "The Dean of American Motorsports." Microsoft chose Economaki to author the auto racing history portion of its Encarta...
- Jack EdwardsJack Edwards (sportscaster)Jack Edwards is the play-by-play announcer for the Boston Bruins on NESN. He occasionally does play-by-play for NHL on Versus coverage as well.- Early career :...
- Larry EvansLarry EvansFor the football player of the same name, see Larry Evans .Larry Melvyn Evans was an American chess grandmaster, author, and journalist. He won or shared the U.S. Chess Championship five times and the U.S. Open Chess Championship four times...
- Bill FlemmingBill FlemmingWilliam Norman "Bill" Flemming was an American television sports journalist who was one of the original announcers for the ABC Sports show Wide World of Sports.-Early life:...
- Sonny FoxSonny FoxIrwin "Sonny" Fox is an American television host, executive and broadcasting consultant, who was the fourth full-time host of the children's television program, Wonderama.-Biography:...
- Terry GannonTerry GannonTerrance Patrick "Terry" Gannon , is a sportscaster for ABC Sports, ESPN and The Golf Channel. Gannon's work has included an extensive variety of sporting events, including college basketball, as well as figure skating, golf, college football, and the WNBA.-College basketball:Gannon began his...
- Frank GiffordFrank GiffordFrancis Newton "Frank" Gifford is a Hall of Fame former American football player and American sportscaster.-Early life:Gifford was born in Santa Monica, California, the son of Lola Mae and Weldon Gifford, an oil driller....
- Curt GowdyCurt GowdyCurtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,...
- Phil HillPhil HillPhilip Toll Hill, Jr., was a United States automobile racer and the only American-born driver to win the Formula One World Drivers' Championship. Hill was described as a "thoughtful, gentle man" and once said, "I'm in the wrong business. I don't want to beat anybody, I don't want to be the big hero...
- Keith JacksonKeith JacksonKeith Jackson is an American sportscaster, known for his long career with ABC Sports , his coverage of college football , his style of folksy, down-to-earth commentary, and his distinctive voice, with its deep cadence, and operatic tone considered "like Edward R...
- Reggie JacksonReggie JacksonReginald Martinez "Reggie" Jackson , nicknamed "Mr. October" for his clutch hitting in the postseason with the New York Yankees, is a former American Major League Baseball right fielder. During a 21-year baseball career, he played from 1967-1987 for four different teams. Jackson currently serves as...
- Bruce JennerBruce JennerWilliam Bruce Jenner is a former U.S. track and field athlete, motivational speaker, socialite and television personality. He won the gold medal for decathlon in the Montreal 1976 Summer Olympics....
- Jim LampleyJim LampleyJames "Jim" Lampley is an American sportscaster, news anchor, movie producer, and restaurant owner. Lampley has anchored a record 14 Olympic Games U.S. television broadcasts, most recently the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China....
- David LettermanDavid LettermanDavid Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
- Mickey MantleMickey MantleMickey Charles Mantle was an American professional baseball player. Mantle is regarded by many to be the greatest switch hitter of all time, and one of the greatest players in baseball history. Mantle was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.Mantle was noted for his hitting...
- Ann MeyersAnn MeyersAnn Meyers Drysdale is a retired American basketball player and sportscaster. She was a standout player in high school, college, the Olympic Games, international tournaments, and the professional levels.Meyers was the first player to be part of the U.S. national team while still in high school...
- Cheryl Miller
- Jim McKayJim McKayJames Kenneth McManus , better known by his professional name of Jim McKay, was an American television sports journalist....
- Clem McSpaddenClem McSpaddenClem Rogers McSpadden was a Democratic politician and a U.S. Representative from Oklahoma's 2nd Congressional District who served from 1973 to 1975. He was also the grandnephew of Oklahoma comedian and actor Will Rogers....
- Don MeredithDon MeredithJoseph Don "Dandy Don" Meredith was an American football quarterback, sports commentator and actor. He spent all nine seasons of his professional playing career with the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League . He was named to the Pro Bowl in each of his last three years as a player...
- Al MichaelsAl MichaelsAlan Richard "Al" Michaels is an American television sportscaster. Now employed by NBC Sports after nearly three decades with ABC Sports, Michaels is one of the most prominent members of his profession...
- Julie MoranJulie MoranJulie Moran , America's Junior Miss 1980, was a correspondent on the entertainment news show Entertainment Tonight from 1994–2001. Before joining ET, she co-hosted NBA Inside Stuff with Ahmad Rashad and later replaced Frank Gifford as host of ABC's Wide World of Sports...
- Brent MusburgerBrent MusburgerBrent Woody Musburger is an American sportscaster for the ESPN and ABC television networks. Formerly with CBS Sports and one of the original members of their legendary program The NFL Today, Musburger has covered NASCAR, NBA, MLB, NCAA football and basketball games. Musburger has also served as a...
- Larry NuberLarry NuberLarry Nuber of Maumee, OH was an auto racing announcer, best known for his work on ESPN broadcasts of NASCAR and CART races in the 1980s.-Before ESPN:...
- Bud PalmerBud PalmerJohn S. "Bud" Palmer is a former pro basketball player. He was a member of the original New York Knickerbockers, and was their leading scorer in their inaugural season 1946/47...
- Sam PoseySam PoseySam Posey is a retired American racecar driver and sports broadcast journalist.-Driving career:...
- Robin RobertsRobin Roberts (newscaster)Robin René Roberts is an American television broadcaster. Roberts is the co-anchor of ABC's morning show Good Morning America-Early life:...
- Bob Rose
- Hughes RuddHughes RuddHughes Rudd was a television journalist and CBS News correspondent...
- Bill RussellBill RussellWilliam Felton "Bill" Russell is a retired American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association...
- Maria SansoneMaria SansoneMaria Grace Sansone is a American television personality, and the former correspondent/co-host of LX New York airing on the NBC flagship station WNBC, New York. Sansone also is a red carpet host for the TV GUIDE NETWORK coverage of award shows...
- John Saunders
- Chris SchenkelChris SchenkelChristopher Eugene "Chris" Schenkel was an American sportscaster. Over the course of five decades he called play-by-play for numerous sports on television and radio, becoming known for his smooth delivery and baritone voice.-Early life and career:Schenkel began his broadcasting career at radio...
- O. J. SimpsonO. J. SimpsonOrenthal James "O. J." Simpson , nicknamed "The Juice", is a retired American collegiate and professional football player, football broadcaster, and actor...
- Jackie StewartJackie StewartSir John Young Stewart, OBE , better known as Jackie Stewart, and nicknamed The Flying Scotsman, is a Scottish former racing driver and team owner. He competed in Formula One between 1965 and 1973, winning three World Drivers' Championships. He also competed in Can-Am...
- Lynn SwannLynn Swann-Collegiate:Swann attended the University of Southern California, where he was an All-American on the Trojans football team. He played under legendary coach John McKay, including the 1972 undefeated and national championship season. McKay said of Swann, "He has speed, soft hands, and grace." He...
- Al TrautwigAl TrautwigAl Trautwig is a commentator with the MSG Network, NBC, Versus, and USA Network. He does the pre-game and post-game shows for the New York Knicks and New York Rangers, as well as fill-in play-by-play for both teams.-Early life:...
- Lesley VisserLesley VisserLesley Candace Visser is an American sportscaster, radio personality, and sportswriter. Visser is the first female NFL analyst on TV, and the only sportscaster in history, male or female, who has worked on Final Four, NBA Finals, World Series, Triple Crown, Monday Night Football, the Olympics, the...
- Rodger WardRodger WardRodger M. Ward was an American racecar driver who won the 1959 and 1962 Indianapolis 500. He also was the 1959 and 1962 USAC Championship Car champion.-Early history:...
- Jack Whitaker
Miscellany
- The 19711971 in filmThe year 1971 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*February 8 - Bob Dylan's hour long documentary film, Eat the Document, premieres at New York's Academy of Music...
Woody AllenWoody AllenWoody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
film BananasBananas (film)Bananas is a 1971 comedy film written by Mickey Rose and Woody Allen, directed by Allen, and starring himself and Louise Lasser. Parts of the plot were based on the book Don Quixote, U.S.A. by Richard P. Powell. It was filmed on location in New York City, Lima , and various locations in Puerto...
featured two parodies of Wide World of Sports, featuring cameo appearances by Don DunphyDon DunphyDon Dunphy was a United States television and radio sports announcer specializing in boxing broadcasts. Dunphy was noted for his fast paced delivery and enthusiasm for the sport. It is estimated that he did "blow-by-blow" action for over 2,000 fights. The Friday Night Fights were broadcast every...
and Howard CosellHoward CosellHoward William Cosell was an American sports journalist who was widely known for his blustery, cocksure personality. Cosell said of himself, "Arrogant, pompous, obnoxious, vain, cruel, verbose, a showoff. I have been called all of these...
.
- The album version of an early-1970s Cheech and ChongCheech and ChongCheech & Chong are a comedy duo consisting of Richard "Cheech" Marin and Tommy Chong, who found a wide audience in the 1970s and 1980s for their films and stand-up routines, which were based on the hippie and free love era, and especially drug culture movements, most notably their love for...
hit song called "Basketball Jones" (a parody of a rhythm and blues number called "Love Jones") contained a prologue that parodied this program. It was called "White" World of Sports and featured a not-too-bright commentator named "Red BlazerBlazerA blazer is a type of jacket. The term blazer occasionally is synonymous with boating jacket and sports jacket, two different garments. A blazer resembles a suit coat cut more casually — sometimes with flap-less patch pockets and metal buttons. A blazer's cloth is usually durable , because it is an...
".
- An anachronistic joke early in the 19741974 in filmThe year 1974 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*February 7 - Blazing Saddles is released in the USA.*August 7 - Peter Wolf, lead singer of The J...
western film parody, Blazing SaddlesBlazing SaddlesBlazing Saddles is a 1974 satirical Western comedy film directed by Mel Brooks. Starring Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder, the film was written by Brooks, Andrew Bergman, Richard Pryor, Norman Steinberg, and Al Uger, and was based on Bergman's story and draft. The movie was nominated for three...
, had Slim PickensSlim PickensLouis Burton Lindley, Jr. , better known by the stage name Slim Pickens, was an American rodeo performer and film and television actor who epitomized the profane, tough, sardonic cowboy, but who is best remembered for his comic roles, notably in Dr...
yelling at his railroad crew, "What in the Wide, Wide World of Sports is a-goin' on here?"
- On a 19851985 in televisionThe year 1985 involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1985.For the American TV schedule, see: 1985-86 United States network television schedule.-Events:*January 1 – VH1 launches in the United States....
episode of Wheel of FortuneWheel of Fortune (U.S. game show)Wheel of Fortune is an American television game show created by Merv Griffin, which premiered in 1975. Contestants compete to solve word puzzles, similar to those used in Hangman, to win cash and prizes determined by spinning a large wheel. The title refers to the show's giant carnival wheel that...
, a contestant lost $62,400 on the puzzle "THE THRILL OF VICTORY AND THE AGONY OF DEFEAT" when she called an S, but Pat SajakPat SajakPat Sajak is a television personality, former weatherman, actor and talk show host, best known as the host of the American television game show Wheel of Fortune.-Early life:...
said there was no S. Had she solved the puzzle and won the $62,400, that would have set a record which would have remained the single-round maingame record today.
- Walt Disney WorldWalt Disney World ResortWalt Disney World Resort , is the world's most-visited entertaimental resort. Located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida ; approximately southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States, the resort covers an area of and includes four theme parks, two water parks, 23 on-site themed resort hotels Walt...
's athletic facility is named ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex (originally Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex from its opening in 1997 until 2010). The Walt Disney CompanyThe Walt Disney CompanyThe Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
acquired ABC, and a majority stake in ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, in 1996.
- In 2007, Time MagazineTime (magazine)Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
named ABC's Wide World of Sports as one of 100 all-time TV shows.
- Weekend updates on ABC Sports Radio, of the ABC Radio Networks, continue to brand as ABC's World of Sports.
- A segment on ESPNUESPNUESPNU is a television channel that specializes in college sports, and is produced by, affiliated with and owned by parent network ESPN. ESPNU originates out of ESPN Regional Television's ESPNU (often referred to as The U) is a television channel that specializes in college sports, and is produced...
's The HerdThe Herd with Colin CowherdThe Herd with Colin Cowherd is a sports talk radio show hosted by Colin Cowherd and broadcast on ESPN Radio from Bristol, Connecticut. The show is heard Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. ET until 1 p.m. ET on most ESPN Radio stations and is simulcasted on ESPNews...
is called "Spanning the Globe" which also featured Jim McKayJim McKayJames Kenneth McManus , better known by his professional name of Jim McKay, was an American television sports journalist....
's voice saying "Spanning The Globe."
- In 2011, ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's Kenny MayneKenny MayneKenneth "Kenny" Wheelock Mayne is a sports journalist and comedian for ESPN.-Sports career:A native of Kent, Washington, Mayne is a former honorable mention junior college All-American quarterback in 1978 at Wenatchee Valley Community College in Wenatchee, WA...
stars in his own internet show called Kenny Mayne's Wider World of Sports with Kenny's face lapping over the ABC logo.