While Phillies fans try to figure out how anybody could possibly pay Jayson Werth THAT much money, and Eagles fans await a Sunday night clash in Dallas, two things that happened yesterday that should be noted from the world of sports.
The man who brought Jayson Werth to the Phillies, and who was the architect of that World Series champion team in 2008, is headed to the Hall of Fame.
Make no mistake, Pat Gillick deserves to be enshrined in Cooperstown. His wheeling and dealing built two different teams into World Champions. His Toronto Blue Jays won back-to-back crowns in 1992-93. We’ll even forgive him for one of the most crushing defeats in Philly sports history, that walkoff homer by Joe Carter that stuck a fork in the ’93 Phillies.
Congratulations, Pat, you earned your spot in the Hall.
We gained one Hall of Famer yesterday, but lost another one, at least in the world of broadcasting.
Make no mistake, Don Meredith was a football player long before he entered the broadcast booth. He was one of the most recognizable faces on those old Cowboys teams who used to delight in beating up on the Eagles twice a year.
But it was after he retired and picked up a microphone that Meredity found his true niche. 'Dandy Don' formed part of the triumvirate that took the sports and television worlds by storm.
Back then, Monday Night Football was not just another game. It was an event, almost always among the top-rated shows of the week.
A big part of that was Meredith, who played straight man to the flamboyant Howard Cosell. They made Monday Night Football more than sports; they made it part of American popular culture.
I, for one, cannot witness a blowout in sports without cronning one of Meredith’s famous ditties, “Turn out the lights, the party’s over.”
Rest well, Don.
The man who brought Jayson Werth to the Phillies, and who was the architect of that World Series champion team in 2008, is headed to the Hall of Fame.
Make no mistake, Pat Gillick deserves to be enshrined in Cooperstown. His wheeling and dealing built two different teams into World Champions. His Toronto Blue Jays won back-to-back crowns in 1992-93. We’ll even forgive him for one of the most crushing defeats in Philly sports history, that walkoff homer by Joe Carter that stuck a fork in the ’93 Phillies.
Congratulations, Pat, you earned your spot in the Hall.
We gained one Hall of Famer yesterday, but lost another one, at least in the world of broadcasting.
Make no mistake, Don Meredith was a football player long before he entered the broadcast booth. He was one of the most recognizable faces on those old Cowboys teams who used to delight in beating up on the Eagles twice a year.
But it was after he retired and picked up a microphone that Meredity found his true niche. 'Dandy Don' formed part of the triumvirate that took the sports and television worlds by storm.
Back then, Monday Night Football was not just another game. It was an event, almost always among the top-rated shows of the week.
A big part of that was Meredith, who played straight man to the flamboyant Howard Cosell. They made Monday Night Football more than sports; they made it part of American popular culture.
I, for one, cannot witness a blowout in sports without cronning one of Meredith’s famous ditties, “Turn out the lights, the party’s over.”
Rest well, Don.
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