Play-By-Play Master Scott Passes Away
Ray Scott, the voice of the Green Bay Packers during their dynasty years of the 1960s, died Monday in Minneapolis after a long illness. He was 78.
Scott’s resonating voice became synonymous with the NFL as its television popularity exploded in the ‘60s. He was the voice of the Packers from 1956-67.
He was paired with a young Pat Summerall as CBS’ No. 1 announcing team after the NFL merged with the AFL, and he broadcast four Super Bowls, including the first AFL-NFL title game in 1967.
After being fired by CBS in 1974, Scott did play-by-play for numerous teams, including the Minnesota Twins and Vikings, Penn State, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
He also anchored coverage of major college bowl games, golf tournaments, NCAA and NIT basketball, and the World Series.
He was voted by his peers as the National Sportscaster of the Year in 1968 and 1971. Scott was elected to the National Sportswriters and Sportscasters Hall of Fame in 1982, and named sportscaster of the year 12 times in Minnesota, Florida, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
New deal for Tagliabue
Commissioner Paul Tagliabue was rewarded for negotiating the NFL’s new multibillion-dollar television deal with a new contract that doubles his salary and extends his tenure through 2005.
Salary figures were not announced - they never are. But league sources and owners said Tagliabue’s salary will go from $2.5 million to $5 million. That would still leave him around $1 million behind the NBA’s David Stern, who remains the highest paid commissioner in sports.
Webster’s bid fails
Former pro football star George Webster failed Monday in a Supreme Court attempt to have his disability pension increased from $750 to $4,000 a month.
The court, without comment, let stand a finding by the NFL’s retirement board that Webster’s disability is not related to his football career.
Webster, an All-American defensive standout at Michigan State, was the Houston Oilers’ first draft pick in 1967. He was the NFL’s rookie of the year and an All-Pro selection his first four seasons despite numerous injuries.
Webster ended his pro career in 1976 after also playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots.
In 1989, Webster applied for benefits as totally and permanently disabled. He was found to have lost most use of a hand, foot, knee and ankle due to football-related injuries but did not meet the NFL’s definition of totally disabled.
The league’s pension plan reserves that designation for ex-players “unable to engage in any occupation or employment for remuneration or profit.”
In 1991, after Webster developed throat cancer, he applied for and received benefits for a non-football disability.
White remains undecided
Reggie White’s agent says it’s a mistake to assume he is heading for retirement just because he is auditioning for a studio analyst’s job at CBS.
Agent Jimmy Sexton said White, 36, hasn’t decided whether he’ll return to the Green Bay Packers next season and probably won’t make that decision for at least another month.
“CBS brought in a lot of players for interviews,” Sexton said. “He’s just one of the guys that they brought in. He has not made a decision on next year as far as that goes.”
Another big turnout
The NFL posted the second-highest regular-season attendance total in its 78-year history last season, the league said.
The 1997 paid attendance of 19,049,886 was topped only by the 19,202,757 fans who attended games in 1995. The 1996 attendance total was 18,648,981.
The Kansas City Chiefs led the league for the fourth straight season with a total of 629,763.