Distinguished.
If there was one word that comes to mind when I think of Jack Whitaker, it would be distinguished.
Whitaker, a legendary sports commentator who made his home right here in Devon, died in his sleep over the weekend. He was 95.
Whitaker started his career here in Philly at WCAU-TV before going on to the network.
More than anyone else, Whitaker was not someone who merely regurgitated the scores, while covering everything from the first Super Bowl to the Triple Crown.
He specialized in short essays, basically the TV equivalent of a newspaper column.
He brought a style and sense of deeper meaning to sports.
Erudite, you might say.
My father loved the ponies, a trait he shared with Jack Whitaker. Much like dad, Whitaker had a deep affection for the colorful characters who inhabited the track, let alone the majestic animals who served as its four-legged superstars.
This is the way he described the greatest of them all, the legendary Secretariat.
Jack Whitaker made a difference.
He will be missed.
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