Curt Gowdy dead at 86

Curt Gowdy, one of the signature voices of sports for a generation and the longtime broadcaster for the Boston Red Sox, died Monday at 86.

He died in Palm Beach after a long battle with leukemia, Red Sox spokeswoman Pam Ganley said.

Gowdy made his broadcasting debut in 1944 and went on to call 13 World Series and 16 All-Star games.

In 1951 Gowdy became main play-by-play voice on the Red Sox broadcast team. He left the Red Sox in 1966 for a 10-year stint as "Game of the Week" announcer for NBC. He was also the longtime host of the "American Sportsman" series.

"He's certainly the greatest play-by-play person up to this point that NBC sports has ever had," NBC Universal Sports chairman Dick Ebersol said Monday. "He literally carried the sports division at NBC for so many year on his back. ... He was a remarkable talent and he was an even more remarkable human being."

How I loved watching The American Sportsman when I was growing up. He will be missed.

The American Sportsman came into our home in black & white. It didn't matter to us, I remember him fishing on the Madison and doing pretty good duty on some savy trout. Yes, he was a true American Sportsman and fly fisherman. He will be missed by me. Jonezee

I would watch his American Sportsman show every weekend when I was a kid. I will never forget the sound of his voice. If I was in another room and heard that voice I ran for the tv to see what he was hunting or fishing.
My prayers are with his family.

Rocky

Even Mr. Gowdy could not instill in us a desire to follow competitive sports. However, like Rocky, we were instantly drawn to the tube by his distinctive voice on the American Sportsman.
Our prayers too, for his family.
.....lee s.