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Bill Grigsby
Bill Grigsby is a former American sportscaster best known for his work with the Kansas City Chiefs' Radio Network. He was a member in some form or another from 1963 through 2009. He has served as a color analyst and did some play-by-play for Super Bowl I, and was also a part of the Chiefs' gameday pre-game show. Grigsby also broadcast for the Kansas City Athletics in the late 1950s and early '60s.
http://wn.com/Bill_Grigsby -
By Saam
Byrum Fred "By" Saam, Jr. (September 11, 1914 – January 16, 2000) was an American sportscaster. His primary focus in his career was announcing baseball and football games in Philadelphia.
http://wn.com/By_Saam -
Charlie Finley
Charles Oscar Finley (February 22, 1918–February 19, 1996), nicknamed Charlie O or Charley O, was an American businessman who is best remembered for his tenure as the owner of the Oakland Athletics Major League Baseball team. Finley purchased the franchise while it was located in Kansas City, moving it to Oakland in 1968. He is buried in Merrillville, Indiana's Calumet Park Cemetery.
http://wn.com/Charlie_Finley -
Chris Schenkel
Christopher Eugene "Chris" Schenkel (August 21, 1923 – September 11, 2005) 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.
http://wn.com/Chris_Schenkel -
Earl Gillespie
Earl W. Gillespie (July 25, 1922, Chicago, Illinois – December 12, 2003, West Allis, Wisconsin) was an American sportscaster, best known as the radio voice of Major League Baseball's Milwaukee Braves from 1953 to 1963.
http://wn.com/Earl_Gillespie -
George Plimpton
George Ames Plimpton (18 March 1927 – 25 September 2003) was an American journalist, writer, editor, and actor. He is widely known for his sports writing and for helping to found The Paris Review.
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Halsey Hall
Halsey Hall (May 23, 1898 – December 30, 1977) was a sports reporter and announcer in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area from the 1920s to 1970s.
http://wn.com/Halsey_Hall -
Herb Carneal
Herb Carneal (May 10, 1923 – April 1, 2007) was an American Major League Baseball sportscaster. From 1962 through 2006, he was a play-by-play voice of Minnesota Twins radio broadcasts, becoming the lead announcer in 1967 after Ray Scott left to work exclusively with CBS. Prior to 1962, he was the voice of the Baltimore Orioles, partnering with Ernie Harwell from 1957 to 1959, and with Bob Murphy in 1960-1961. His mellow baritone voice and laid-back demeanor were well-loved by Twins fans. His enduring nickname was The Voice of the Twins. Carneal's trademark greeting, "Hi everybody," was reminiscent of his down-home style.
http://wn.com/Herb_Carneal -
Jackie Robinson
Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson (January 31, 1919 – October 24, 1972) was the first black Major League Baseball (MLB) player of the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. As the first black man to play in the major leagues since the 1880s, he was instrumental in bringing an end to racial segregation in professional baseball, which had relegated black players to the Negro leagues for six decades. The example of his character and unquestionable talent challenged the traditional basis of segregation, which then marked many other aspects of American life, and contributed significantly to the Civil Rights Movement.
http://wn.com/Jackie_Robinson -
Keith Jackson
Keith Jackson (born October 18, 1928) is an American sportscaster, known for his long career with ABC Sports (1966–2006), his coverage of college football (1952–2006), his style of folksy, down-to-earth commentary, and his distinctive voice, with its deep cadence, and operatic tone considered "like Edward R. Murrow reporting on World War II, the voice of ultimate authority in college football."
http://wn.com/Keith_Jackson -
Mark Holtz
Mark Holtz (October 1, 1945 - September 7, 1997) served as broadcaster for the Texas Rangers.
http://wn.com/Mark_Holtz -
McLean Stevenson
Edgar McLean Stevenson, Jr. (November 14, 1927 – February 15, 1996), better known as McLean Stevenson, was an American actor most recognized for his role as Lt. Colonel Henry Blake on the TV series M*A*S*H.
http://wn.com/McLean_Stevenson -
Otto Graham
Otto Everett Graham, Jr. (December 6, 1921 – December 17, 2003) was a professional American football and basketball player who played for the Cleveland Browns in both the All-America Football Conference and National Football League, as well as the Rochester Royals in the National Basketball League.
http://wn.com/Otto_Graham -
Sam DeLuca
Samuel Frank DeLuca (born May 2, 1936 in Brooklyn, New York) is a former professional American football offensive lineman in the American Football League. He played six seasons for the Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers and the New York Jets.
http://wn.com/Sam_DeLuca
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Atlanta (, ) is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. Atlanta had an estimated population of about 540,900 people. Its metropolitan area is the ninth largest in the country, inhabited by more than 5.4 million people. The Atlanta Combined Statistical Area has a population approaching six million, making it the most populous metropolis in the Southeastern United States. Like many areas in the Sun Belt, the Atlanta region has seen explosive growth since about 1976, and it added about 1.1 million residents between 2000 and 2008.
http://wn.com/Atlanta -
Dallas () is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. As of 2009, the population of Dallas was at 1.3 million according to the US Census Bureau. The city is the largest economic center of the 12-county metropolitan area that according to the March 2010 U.S. Census Bureau release, had a population of roughly 6.5 million as of July 2009. The metropolitan area is the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States.
http://wn.com/Dallas -
http://wn.com/Kansas_City_Star -
KARE, digital channel 11, is an NBC-affiliated television station licensed to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul area (commonly known as the Twin Cities) of Minnesota and portions of western Wisconsin. It also operates KARE WX NOW, formerly known as NBC Weather Plus on its second digital subchannel (11.2). KARE is owned by the Gannett Company, with studios located in Golden Valley, Minnesota.
http://wn.com/KARE -
KCSP (610 AM, "610 Sports") is a sports/talk radio station located in Kansas City, Missouri. The Entercom-owned station broadcasts on 610 kHz.
http://wn.com/KCSP_(AM) -
Moscow ( or ; ; see also ) is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the world, a global city. Moscow is the most populous city on the continent of Europe and the seventh largest city proper in the world, a megacity. The population of Moscow (as of 1 January 2010) is 10,563,038.
http://wn.com/Moscow -
Philadelphia () is the largest city in Pennsylvania, sixth-most-populous city in the United States and the fifty-first most populous city in the world.
http://wn.com/Philadelphia -
Salem is a city located in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is the county seat of Marion County. The population was 7909 at the 2000 census.
http://wn.com/Salem_Illinois -
{{Infobox settlement
http://wn.com/Seoul -
Topeka ( or ; Kansa: Tó Ppí Kˀé) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is situated along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. The population was 122,377 at the 2000 census, and it was estimated to be 122,647 in the 2007 census. The Topeka Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Shawnee, Jackson, Jefferson, Osage, and Wabaunsee counties, had an estimated population of 226,268 in the year 2003. The city is well known for the landmark United States Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, which overturned Plessy vs. Ferguson and declared segregation in public schools on account of race to be unconstitutional. Three ships of the US Navy have been named USS Topeka in honor of the city.
http://wn.com/Topeka_Kansas -
The United States of America (also referred to as the United States, the U.S., the USA, or America) is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its forty-eight contiguous states and Washington, D.C., the capital district, lie between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. The state of Alaska is in the northwest of the continent, with Canada to the east and Russia to the west across the Bering Strait. The state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific. The country also possesses several territories in the Caribbean and Pacific.
http://wn.com/United_States -
The University of Denver (DU), founded in 1864, is the oldest private university in the Rocky Mountain Region of the United States. The University of Denver is a coeducational, four-year university in Denver, Colorado. DU currently enrolls approximately 11,400 students, divided between graduate and undergraduate programs. The main campus is a designated arboretum and is located primarily in the University Neighborhood, about seven miles (11 km) south of downtown Denver.
http://wn.com/University_of_Denver -
WABC (770 kHz), known as "NewsTalkRadio 77," is a radio station in New York City. Owned by the Citadel Broadcasting Corporation, the station broadcasts on a clear channel and is the flagship station of Citadel Media (formerly ABC Radio Networks). WABC shares studio facilities with sister station WPLJ (95.5 FM) and former sister stations WEPN and WQEW at 2 Penn Plaza (above Pennsylvania Station) in midtown Manhattan, and its transmitter is located in Lodi, New Jersey.
http://wn.com/WABC_(AM)
- 1964 in baseball
- 1965 in baseball
- 1980 Summer Olympics
- 1988 NFL season
- 1988 Summer Olympics
- Alex Hawkins
- American football
- Associate of Arts
- Atlanta
- Atlanta Braves
- Bachelor of Arts
- basketball
- Bill Grigsby
- Bob Uecker
- broadcasting
- Burt Reynolds
- By Saam
- CBS
- Charlie Finley
- Chris Schenkel
- college football
- Dallas
- Earl Gillespie
- ESPN on ABC
- feature film
- Fox Sports Southwest
- G.I. Bill
- George Plimpton
- Glory Road (film)
- Graceland University
- graduation
- Halsey Hall
- Heidi Game
- Herb Carneal
- Indianapolis Colts
- Jackie Robinson
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Kansas City Star
- KARE
- KCSP (AM)
- Keith Jackson
- KMBZ (AM)
- KXAS-TV
- Mark Holtz
- marketing
- McLean Stevenson
- Milo Hamilton
- Milwaukee Brewers
- Minnesota Twins
- Moscow
- NBC Sports
- New York Jets
- NFL on NBC
- Norm Hitzges
- Oakland Athletics
- Oakland Raiders
- Otto Graham
- Pacific War
- Philadelphia
- play-by-play
- radio
- resignation
- retirement
- Salem, Illinois
- Sam DeLuca
- Seoul
- sports director
- sportscaster
- Steve Busby
- Super Bowl
- Super Bowl III
- television
- Topeka, Kansas
- United States
- United States Navy
- University of Denver
- University of Kansas
- WABC (AM)
- WCCO (AM)
- WDAF-TV
- WITI (TV)
- WOR (AM)
- World War II
- WSSP
Harmon, Merle Filmography
- Glory Road (2006) (actor, plays NCAA Finals Anchor)
- 1980 World Series (1980) (actor, plays Himself - Field Reporter)
- Inside the NFL (1977) (actor, plays Himself - Host)
![September 11, 1988 NFL Live (NFL on NBC Pregame Show) Part 2 with commercials.wmv September 11, 1988 NFL Live (NFL on NBC Pregame Show) Part 2 with commercials.wmv](http://web.archive.org./web/20111209085254im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/RnZPVKnTNqY/0.jpg)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 13:43
- Published: 16 Oct 2010
- Uploaded: 15 Sep 2011
- Author: HamptonRoadsTVFan
![The Doug Russell Show, April 16, 2009 The Doug Russell Show, April 16, 2009](http://web.archive.org./web/20111209085254im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ESmQ5NFKjOc/0.jpg)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:49
- Published: 16 Apr 2009
- Uploaded: 20 Apr 2009
- Author: kfizwtmjsnr
![The Harmon Family The Harmon Family](http://web.archive.org./web/20111209085254im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/fk3pn1_xHq8/0.jpg)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 6:18
- Published: 14 May 2009
- Uploaded: 17 Jul 2010
- Author: kjtaylor79
![The Harmon Family 2 The Harmon Family 2](http://web.archive.org./web/20111209085254im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/NslyxMafoHo/0.jpg)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 6:12
- Published: 14 May 2009
- Uploaded: 18 Mar 2010
- Author: kjtaylor79
![Enloe Varsity Cheerleading 08-09 Enloe Varsity Cheerleading 08-09](http://web.archive.org./web/20111209085254im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/rPKhK0c4XGc/0.jpg)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:26
- Published: 16 Jun 2010
- Uploaded: 27 Aug 2010
- Author: willthacheerleader18
![ELVIS AND ME (1988) part 1 of 18 ELVIS AND ME (1988) part 1 of 18](http://web.archive.org./web/20111209085254im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/QwYXLRO8tsc/0.jpg)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 10:16
- Published: 14 Jun 2011
- Uploaded: 20 Nov 2011
- Author: AboutElvis
![ELVIS AND ME (1988) part 2 of 18 ELVIS AND ME (1988) part 2 of 18](http://web.archive.org./web/20111209085254im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/hx501hjEVXw/0.jpg)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 10:16
- Published: 14 Jun 2011
- Uploaded: 27 Sep 2011
- Author: AboutElvis
![ELVIS AND ME (1988) part 3 of 18 ELVIS AND ME (1988) part 3 of 18](http://web.archive.org./web/20111209085254im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/de6b6gtqKUc/0.jpg)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 10:16
- Published: 14 Jun 2011
- Uploaded: 13 Oct 2011
- Author: AboutElvis
![ELVIS AND ME (1988) part 4 of 18 ELVIS AND ME (1988) part 4 of 18](http://web.archive.org./web/20111209085254im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/wkJ4DUjSvIY/0.jpg)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 10:16
- Published: 14 Jun 2011
- Uploaded: 31 Aug 2011
- Author: AboutElvis
![ELVIS AND ME (1988) part 5 of 18 ELVIS AND ME (1988) part 5 of 18](http://web.archive.org./web/20111209085254im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/WskczvwAaHU/0.jpg)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 10:15
- Published: 14 Jun 2011
- Uploaded: 28 Oct 2011
- Author: AboutElvis
![ELVIS AND ME (1988) part 6 of 18 ELVIS AND ME (1988) part 6 of 18](http://web.archive.org./web/20111209085254im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/cprWOyrSgJ4/0.jpg)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 10:16
- Published: 14 Jun 2011
- Uploaded: 21 Sep 2011
- Author: AboutElvis
![ELVIS AND ME (1988) part 7 of 18 ELVIS AND ME (1988) part 7 of 18](http://web.archive.org./web/20111209085254im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/5LTO3CCBAFw/0.jpg)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 10:16
- Published: 14 Jun 2011
- Uploaded: 21 Nov 2011
- Author: AboutElvis
![ELVIS AND ME (1988) part 8 of 18 ELVIS AND ME (1988) part 8 of 18](http://web.archive.org./web/20111209085254im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/btIs8a7h3W4/0.jpg)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 10:16
- Published: 14 Jun 2011
- Uploaded: 29 Sep 2011
- Author: AboutElvis
![ELVIS AND ME (1988) part 9 of 18 ELVIS AND ME (1988) part 9 of 18](http://web.archive.org./web/20111209085254im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/NmO00_I8u9I/0.jpg)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 10:16
- Published: 14 Jun 2011
- Uploaded: 31 Aug 2011
- Author: AboutElvis
![ELVIS AND ME (1988) part 10 of 18 ELVIS AND ME (1988) part 10 of 18](http://web.archive.org./web/20111209085254im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/BtIH_MS64ZQ/0.jpg)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 10:16
- Published: 14 Jun 2011
- Uploaded: 12 Nov 2011
- Author: AboutElvis
![ELVIS AND ME (1988) part 11 of 18 ELVIS AND ME (1988) part 11 of 18](http://web.archive.org./web/20111209085254im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/C3cClDQjzWY/0.jpg)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 10:16
- Published: 14 Jun 2011
- Uploaded: 21 Sep 2011
- Author: AboutElvis
![ELVIS AND ME (1988) part 12 of 18 ELVIS AND ME (1988) part 12 of 18](http://web.archive.org./web/20111209085254im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/5ED3d-JCtyk/0.jpg)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 10:16
- Published: 14 Jun 2011
- Uploaded: 25 Oct 2011
- Author: AboutElvis
![ELVIS AND ME (1988) part 13 of 18 ELVIS AND ME (1988) part 13 of 18](http://web.archive.org./web/20111209085254im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/sA3R9L-WTdc/0.jpg)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 10:16
- Published: 14 Jun 2011
- Uploaded: 08 Nov 2011
- Author: AboutElvis
![ELVIS AND ME (1988) part 14 of 18 ELVIS AND ME (1988) part 14 of 18](http://web.archive.org./web/20111209085254im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/HfJkZdmNXZo/0.jpg)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 10:15
- Published: 15 Jun 2011
- Uploaded: 24 Oct 2011
- Author: AboutElvis
![ELVIS AND ME (1988) part 15 of 18 ELVIS AND ME (1988) part 15 of 18](http://web.archive.org./web/20111209085254im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/IfSj094OVXs/0.jpg)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 10:16
- Published: 15 Jun 2011
- Uploaded: 21 Sep 2011
- Author: AboutElvis
![ELVIS AND ME (1988) part 16 of 18 ELVIS AND ME (1988) part 16 of 18](http://web.archive.org./web/20111209085254im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/zqjhUSs9sMo/0.jpg)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 10:16
- Published: 15 Jun 2011
- Uploaded: 13 Oct 2011
- Author: AboutElvis
![ELVIS AND ME (1988) part 17 of 18 ELVIS AND ME (1988) part 17 of 18](http://web.archive.org./web/20111209085254im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/OmUhqgbN49s/0.jpg)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 10:16
- Published: 15 Jun 2011
- Uploaded: 19 Nov 2011
- Author: AboutElvis
![ELVIS AND ME (1988) part 18 of 18 ELVIS AND ME (1988) part 18 of 18](http://web.archive.org./web/20111209085254im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4vMzs6b9lKk/0.jpg)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 10:15
- Published: 15 Jun 2011
- Uploaded: 30 Oct 2011
- Author: AboutElvis
![](http://web.archive.org./web/20111209085254im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/RnZPVKnTNqY/0.jpg)
![](http://web.archive.org./web/20111209085254im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/QwYXLRO8tsc/0.jpg)
![](http://web.archive.org./web/20111209085254im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/hx501hjEVXw/0.jpg)
![](http://web.archive.org./web/20111209085254im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/de6b6gtqKUc/0.jpg)
![](http://web.archive.org./web/20111209085254im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/wkJ4DUjSvIY/0.jpg)
![](http://web.archive.org./web/20111209085254im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/WskczvwAaHU/0.jpg)
![](http://web.archive.org./web/20111209085254im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/cprWOyrSgJ4/0.jpg)
![](http://web.archive.org./web/20111209085254im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/5LTO3CCBAFw/0.jpg)
![](http://web.archive.org./web/20111209085254im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/btIs8a7h3W4/0.jpg)
![](http://web.archive.org./web/20111209085254im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/NmO00_I8u9I/0.jpg)
![](http://web.archive.org./web/20111209085254im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/BtIH_MS64ZQ/0.jpg)
![](http://web.archive.org./web/20111209085254im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/C3cClDQjzWY/0.jpg)
![](http://web.archive.org./web/20111209085254im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/5ED3d-JCtyk/0.jpg)
![](http://web.archive.org./web/20111209085254im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/sA3R9L-WTdc/0.jpg)
![](http://web.archive.org./web/20111209085254im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/HfJkZdmNXZo/0.jpg)
![](http://web.archive.org./web/20111209085254im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/IfSj094OVXs/0.jpg)
![](http://web.archive.org./web/20111209085254im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/zqjhUSs9sMo/0.jpg)
![](http://web.archive.org./web/20111209085254im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/OmUhqgbN49s/0.jpg)
![](http://web.archive.org./web/20111209085254im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4vMzs6b9lKk/0.jpg)
- 1961 in baseball
- 1964 in baseball
- 1965 in baseball
- 1980 Summer Olympics
- 1988 NFL season
- 1988 Summer Olympics
- Alex Hawkins
- American football
- Associate of Arts
- Atlanta
- Atlanta Braves
- Bachelor of Arts
- basketball
- Bill Grigsby
- Bob Uecker
- broadcasting
- Burt Reynolds
- By Saam
- CBS
- Charlie Finley
- Chris Schenkel
- college football
- Dallas
- Earl Gillespie
- ESPN on ABC
- feature film
- Fox Sports Southwest
- G.I. Bill
- George Plimpton
- Glory Road (film)
- Graceland University
- graduation
- Halsey Hall
- Heidi Game
- Herb Carneal
- Indianapolis Colts
- Jackie Robinson
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Kansas City Star
- KARE
- KCSP (AM)
- Keith Jackson
- KMBZ (AM)
- KXAS-TV
- Mark Holtz
- marketing
- McLean Stevenson
- Milo Hamilton
- Milwaukee Brewers
- Minnesota Twins
- Moscow
- NBC Sports
- New York Jets
- NFL on NBC
- Norm Hitzges
- Oakland Athletics
- Oakland Raiders
- Otto Graham
- Pacific War
- Philadelphia
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Early life and career
Born and raised in Salem, Illinois, Harmon served with the United States Navy in the Pacific during World War II. After the conflict ended, he attended Graceland College on the G.I. Bill, earning an Associate of Arts degree in 1947. He graduated from the University of Denver with a Bachelor of Arts degree in radio & television broadcasting and marketing in 1949. He began his broadcasting career later that same year with the Topeka Owls, a minor league baseball team in the Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League.
Broadcasting career
1950s
For two years beginning in 1953, Harmon broadcast University of Kansas football and basketball games as the first-ever voice of the KU Radio Network. In 1954, he called baseball for the Kansas City Blues of the American Association, moving to the major league Kansas City Athletics the following year after that franchise's relocation from Philadelphia. He replaced By Saam, who returned to being the Phillies' main voice. Harmon first did Athletics play-by-play on KMBC-AM with Larry Ray (1955–56) and Ed Edwards (1957–58), then later on WDAF radio and television with Bill Grigsby (1959–61). He was fired after the 1961 season by Charlie Finley, who had purchased the ballclub the previous year, for refusing to participate in a campaign intended to spite the sports editor of the Kansas City Star.
1960s
Harmon's first experience on national television came in 1961 when he was hired by ABC Sports to anchor various studio shows and call college football games. He, along with Chris Schenkel and Keith Jackson, were the play-by-play announcers for the network's baseball Game of the Week in 1965. His broadcast partner was Jackie Robinson.He became the primary broadcaster for the Milwaukee Braves in 1964, succeeding Earl Gillespie who resigned to become the sports director at WITI-TV. After two years working alongside Tom Collins (1964) and Blaine Walsh (1964–65) on WEMP-AM, Harmon was not retained by the Braves, which moved to Atlanta and selected Milo Hamilton, a voice more recognized in the new market, instead.
Harmon joined Herb Carneal and Halsey Hall for Minnesota Twins broadcasts on WCCO-AM and WTCN-TV from 1967 to 1969. He had replaced Ray Scott, who was designated the lead National Football League announcer on CBS
Harmon also lent his talents to professional football, reteaming with Grigsby to call Kansas City Chiefs games in 1963, its first season after moving from Dallas. He became the voice of the New York Jets for the next nine years, first on WABC-AM (1964–70), then on WOR-AM (1971–72). His broadcast partners were Otto Graham (1964–65), Dick Young (1966–67) and Sam DeLuca (1968–1972). The highlight of Harmon's time with the Jets was the team's run to the Super Bowl Championship in 1968, which included the Heidi Game and victories over the Oakland Raiders and Baltimore Colts in the American Football League Championship Game and Super Bowl III respectively.
1970s
In 1970, Harmon became lead announcer for the Milwaukee Brewers and continued in that role through the remainder of the decade, teaming with Bob Uecker. He also went into business during this period with Merle Harmon's Fan Fair, a chain of retail stores devoted to licensed sports merchandise.Harmon was also the play-by-play voice for the World Football League's Thursday night Game of the Week telecasts on TVS in 1974, the circuit's only complete season. He was joined in the broadcast booth by regular game analyst Alex Hawkins and various guest commentators, who included George Plimpton, Burt Reynolds and McLean Stevenson.
1980s and beyond
From 1980-1982, Harmon worked for NBC Sports, calling regional NFL, MLB, and college basketball action and contributing to the weekly Sportsworld anthology series. He was also slated to work on the network's coverage of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, before the U.S. boycott of those Games. In 1988, Harmon returned to call several September NFL telecasts for NBC while the network's regular announcers were working that year's Summer Olympics in Seoul.Prior to his retirement from broadcasting, Harmon worked on Texas Rangers telecasts, first on KXAS-TV (1982–1984), then on Home Sports Entertainment (HSE) (1984–1989). During his eight seasons with the Rangers, he worked alongside Steve Busby (1982–85), Mark Holtz (1984), Norm Hitzges (1986–89), Bob Carpenter (1986–88) and Greg Lucas (1989).
Harmon made a cinematic appearance, playing one of the two NCAA Finals announcers in the 2006 feature film Glory Road.
References
External links
Category:1926 births Category:2009 deaths Category:American Football League announcers Category:American radio sports announcers Category:American television sports announcers Category:College basketball announcers in the United States Category:College football announcers Category:Graceland University alumni Category:Kansas City Athletics broadcasters Category:Kansas City Chiefs broadcasters Category:Major League Baseball announcers Category:Milwaukee Braves broadcasters Category:Milwaukee Brewers broadcasters Category:Minnesota Twins broadcasters Category:National Football League announcers Category:New York Jets broadcasters Category:People from Marion County, Illinois Category:Texas Rangers broadcasters Category:University of Denver alumni Category:World Football League announcers
This text is licensed under the Creative Commons CC-BY-SA License. This text was originally published on Wikipedia and was developed by the Wikipedia community.