This is the Statt Mann Baby!!  Time to Scatt a little bit.

Jim McKay’s departure leaves a gaping hole in the broadcasting grid. He died Saturday of natural causes at 86.

He’s the only broadcaster in history to receive national Emmy recognition as a sportscaster, a newscaster and a writer.

Unmatched excellence from a one of a kind broadcaster.

Those who followed McKay like Keith Jackson, Brent Musburger, Jim Lampley and Keith Olberman all have excellence and intelligence that transcends the sports world like McKay. 

I worked personally with those men and maybe only one approached McKay’s humanity and grace.

Broadcast executives refuse to deal with the issues of excellence, intelligence and grace to explain the decline in the broadcast discipline and the disappearance of its audience.  Is it any wonder that the growth of unfounded, baseless attitude parallels the disappearance of the audience?

Jim McKay wasn’t educated and trained to be a broadcaster as much as he was educated to be a functioning, contributing citizen.  And an adult man. 

We should be thankful to have learned the constant variety of life, the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat from such a personality.

Truly, Jim McKay was one of a kind and maybe the definition of broadcaster, one we’ll never see again.  Sadly.

Peace.