NEW YORK (AP) -- Pioneering sportser Chester R. Simmons, who served as boss of ESPN during the company"s launch in 1979, has died. He was 81.
Simmons" family pronounced he died in Atlanta on Thursday. The means of genocide wasn"t disclosed.
Simmons began ining in 1957 with Sports Programs, Inc., that became ABC Sports. Simmons was concerned in building "Wide World of Sports" prior to apropos boss of NBC Sports and after ESPN. He was additionally initial government official of the USFL.
"Chet Simmons" care and prophesy in the initial years were positively vicious to ESPN"s survival," pronounced George Bodenheimer, boss of ESPN and ABC Sports. "He was the usually industry boss to have pioneered both sportsing in the late "50s and wire radio in the late "70s.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Harriet, and his children."
Simmons shabby or launched the careers of commentators such as Jim Simpson, Merlin Olsen, Greg and Bryant Gumbel, Dick Enberg, Curt Gowdy, Tony Kubek, Joe Gargiola, Sandy Koufax, Vin Scully, Donna de Varona, George Grande, Tom Mees, Dick Vitale, Cliff Drysdale, Tim Ryan and Jack Buck in between others.
"Chet did so majority some-more than take a possibility on us immature people thirty years ago," ESPN anchor Chris Berman said. "What you see currently would have never been probable but him. We"ll miss him as a coach and as a friend. All of us will be perpetually gladdened to Chet Simmons."
Before going to ESPN, Simmons outlayed fifteen years at NBC, where he was concerned in utilizing present replay and had a palm in attaining the network"s vital sports properties, together with the American Football League, NFL, Major League Baseball, NHL, college basketball, the Rose and Orange Bowls and Wimbledon.
He assimilated ESPN as boss and arch handling military officer on Jul 31, 1979, only prior to the network"s launch Sept. 7.
"There"s no subject that wire radio sports is at the same theatre right right away that network sports was fifteen or twenty years ago, I"ve lived by the expansion of sports on television, and what lies forward for wire radio is inestimable at this point," Simmons pronounced at the time.
"I was there during the pregnancy of ABC Sports and the change of heart of NBC Sports, and I see majority similarities in between those beginnings and the commencement of ESPN and 24-hours-a-day televised sports."
Among his majority important achievements were the bieing innate and citation of "SportsCenter" on day one of ESPN; television"s initial extensive coverage of the early rounds of the men"s NCAA basketball tournament; and the NFL breeze radio programme (both in 1980).
Simmons left ESPN in 1982 and assimilated the USFL, portion as the league"s government official until Jan 1985. Simmons went on to offer as a media expert to Madison Square Garden and the Marquis Group; as an accessory highbrow at the University of South Carolina.
Simmons perceived the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 26th annual Sports Emmy Awards in 2005.
Simmons was innate on Jul 11, 1928, in New York City, and was lifted in Ossining, N.Y., and Pawtucket, R.I. He warranted a bachelor of humanities grade ining from the University of Alabama.
Simmons had been vital in Atlanta, and Savannah, Ga., given 1986. He is survived by his wife, Harriet; 4 children, Pam, Jed, Pete and Nikki; and 9 grandchildren.
Funeral arrangements are being finished with the Gamble Funeral Service, Inc., in Savannah.
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