Videos of the Week

I’ve been away from the computer for the most part during this Labor Day Weekend so I forgot about Videos of the Week.

Here’s a good theme for you. Since ESPN took over ABC Sports last year (the silly ESPN on ABC), I’m worried that people may forget what a powerhouse ABC Sports used to be. It had most of the Olympics from 1968 until 1988. NBC did the 1972 Winter Olympics and had the rights for the 1980 Moscow Olympics, but only showed highlights due to the US boycott. Look at what ABC used to have:

Monday Night Football
MLB
College Football
Wide World of Sports
Triple Crown
Indy 500
Pro Bowler’s Tour

It was the first network to bring the ACC Tournament to network TV, did the NBA in the 1960’s to the early 1970’s and certainly began the career of many a great broadcaster from Jim McKay to Al Michaels to Al Trautwig to Jim Lampley. Too bad that ESPN decided to absorb the division into its enormous corporation, but it was coming.

Anyway, here are some videos from ABC Sports for you.

The last moments of the final broadcast of the Professional Bowlers Tour on ABC with the late Chris Schenkel and Nelson Burton, Jr. Try not to shed a tear when they pay tribute to Chris.

An ABC Sports promo from 1987.

ABC Sports’ sign-off after every broadcast.

A promo for the old Wide World of Sports

And this promo for Wide World is labeled from 1964!

This ABC Sports promo comes from the mid-late 1980’s.

ABC Sports used to film the Daytona 500, edit it and present it for later broadcast on Wide World of Sports. That would be unthinkable today. This is from 1969 done by the recently deceased Bill Flemming and Chris Economaki. This is the first of eight parts so if you want to see the rest of the broadcast, you can click on the video below and see it.

And the 1983 Kentucky Derby hosted by Jim McKay with Howard Cosell doing the post parade. Notice Howard holding onto his toupee and poor Bill Hartack trying to hold onto an umbrella. Great stuff.

And the race itself with Jim McKay doing what he did best.

That’s it. Enjoy!