Thursday, December 24, 2009

Another D.C.-Area Icon Passes...

George Michael (the sportscaster, not the singer) passed away this morning at the age of 70 after his battle with cancer.

He was the man who gave us "George Michael's Sports Machine" late on Sunday nights, which was the forerunner to SportsCenter. He was a mainstay on NBC 4, and host of Redskins Report for many, many years. George brought a level of energy and enthusiasm that was combined with perfect timing, a very distinct voice, and credible reporting.

I remember when I was little, when cable was in it's more primitive stages and Pay-Per-View was not an option for us with so few funds, I would stay up late on the nights of Pro Wrestling PPV's, and wait for George to give the results and clips from the show.

When I think back to growing up in the glory days of the Redskins in the 80's and early 90's, two voices ring loudly to me...Frank Herzog's play-by-play (Touchdown! Washington Redskins!...so iconic), and George Michael hosting Redskins Report and interviewing players during the week on the 5 and 6 o'clock news.

My thoughts and prayers go out to George's family and friends. He will be truly missed by all of us who grew up in the D.C. area.

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