Curt Gowdy
Curt Gowdy on fly fishing and lessons in conservation and catch-and-release by his father Ed when growing up in Wyoming in the 1920s:“The daily limit for trout was 20 then, now it’s two. I was about to put a fish in my creel when my father said ‘Curtis, remember the buffalo. There used to be millions of them on these plains, and then they were gone.” I released that fish because we already had enough for food and my father’s words stuck with me the rest of my life. He worried about the future of game fish in this country and what could happen to them.” (From interview with Pete Johnson 11/2005)
Curt Gowdy on fly-fishing: “Whether I caught fish or not, just the thrill of rolling out that line and watching my fly turn over has been good enough for me. That and the hundreds of treasured memories I have of this wonderful sport.”
Curt Gowdy on Ted Williams: “Ted was not only the best hitter I’ve ever seen, but the best fisherman. In fact, whatever he went into, he excelled at. I think he’s an American hero. I don’t know why a movie hasn’t been made of his life. Most people don’t know he flew right wing for John Glenn in Korea when they were in the Air Marine Corps.” (From interview with Jim Baker, Boston Herald, 7/8/2002)
Curt Gowdy on his life: “Hey, I had a time, so wonderful. I can’t find words. I married the most beautiful girl in Oklahoma. Three wonderful kids, Yankees, Red Sox, Presidents, Olympics, champs and championships, movie stars, Bing Crosby, Fishing the Florida Keys, New Zealand, back home in Wyoming. What a time. Can’t beat it.” (From interview with Paul Reid, Palm Beach Post 1/2000)
Curt Gowdy on broadcasting: “I was never a ‘homer’, a broadcaster who cheers the home team. Some fans don’t like that. But my job wasn’t to cheer. My job was to broadcast the game. I love sports?..I did my best.” (From interview with Paul Reid, Palm Beach Post 1/2000)
Quotes by others on Gowdy:
“Doing his homework and being himself on the air have been the secrets to Curt’s success over the years. He is one of the great professionals of our field.” Quote by Jim McKay in 1985
“Curt Gowdy’s voice always meant the big event to me. He did play-by-play on more big events than anyone — the World Series, the Super Bowl, and the Final Four. He had a great distinctive sound at a time when most network broadcasters had that smooth, fluid sound.” Quote by Jon Miller, ESPN in 2003
“Curt Gowdy was not only the number one sports caster by far of his time, he was also one of sports broadcasting’s most distinctive and memorable voices. When he came back and worked a Red Sox game for ESPN’s Broadcast Legends a couple of years ago there was that same strong down home sound. His voice was like Ted Williams swing; sweet, powerful, one of a kind.” Quote by Jon Miller, ESPN in 2006
“What excites me the most is that I’ll be able to work for the first time with Curt Gowdy, who I’ve admired since my playing days. It will be a privilege to share the booth with one of the greatest broadcasters ever. As a player, I came to know him because he would broadcast games I was involved in. I had many conversations with him as a result, and I always thought of him as the voice of baseball during that era. He did the Game of the Week, and he was the man.” Quote by Joe Morgan in 2003, before ESPN game NY Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on excitement of the game.”
I’m not sure one line or, several books can synopsize Curt’s career or the relationship we enjoyed in and out of the broadcast booth. He was not only my mentor but, also, a great running mate before and after Baseball’s Game of the Week, All Star Games, World Series, et al. Curt has attained greatness in everything he has done in part because he was/is a maverick. He is his own man. Honest to his craft. True to himself. Unswerving when he knows he is right. The GAME is the thing…not HIM. I have met few who have his desire to constantly acquire knowledge. And not just in the realm of sports. His versatility speaks for itself. To be able to do a baseball game on a Saturday and a football game on Sunday, after flying coast to coast, and do them each flawlessly takes a special kind of dedication. His love of nature and the folksy, down to earth way he presented it on his outdoor shows is an important part of his legacy. His ability to communicate ideas to an audience clearly and concisely is an attribute partly developed and partly a special gift. Only the GREATS in any field have that indefinable, intangible quality that separates them from the rest of the pack. My buddy is a LEGEND! Quote by Tony Kubek, in 2006 on the partnership they shared as voices of NBC’s Game of the Week from 1966-1975
Curt became a friend of mine and I know that throughout his career he reached a lot of people and I was fortunate to be one of them. He’s a legend in his time and I was proud to be a part of his life because it meant so much to so many people. Quote by John Havlicek, 1/2006 — former Boston Celtic; Hall of Famer
Sometimes it’s awkward relating to a great friend who is also a great celebrity legend and American icon. I have a tendency to want to preface or end each communication with “sir”. His wonderful wife affectionately and somewhat jokingly refers to him often as “Sir Gowdy”. To the sporting world, sports broadcasting, fly fishing, the Florida Keys, The Redbone Celebrity Tournament Series and me, Curt Gowdy is royalty. Sir Gowdy has hosted the Mercury Cheeca Redbone Celebrity Tournament for all of its 18-year history raising money and awareness for cystic fibrosis research. The mere mention of his name has attracted anglers and celebrities to support our efforts. More than that, Curt Gowdy had brought a level of class and dignity to both fresh and saltwater fly fishing that has commanded a greater respect for our sport, the fishery and “catch and release” procedures. God bless you Sir Gowdy, my buddy, my idol, and my dear friend. Quote by Capt. Gary Ellis, 1/2006 Redbone celebrity tournaments for cystic fibrosis research
I was really in awe of Curt. The people that he had on the show and all the guys he fished with like Ted Williams, Presidents and others from all walks of life and in sports. It was great being with him in the (Florida) Keys for his show. I think the great thing about a guy like Curt is, he’s not just a great sportscaster but you look at his background; a guy from a comparatively small town in Wyoming, to have played sports, become a sportscaster, a fisherman and an author; this to me was a great role model. Sure he was a white collar guy but there was a lot of blue collar guy in him. He was always a gentleman and a great personality but always down to earth and that said a lot about his upbringing in Wyoming. Quote from Jonathon Winters, 2006
First of all in the broadcast booth Curt Gowdy’s play-by-play of baseball was second to none. I remember growing up and listening to Curt on “The Game of the Week.” Just the way he called the game you could hear the passion in his voice; that it was what he meant to do and truly loved. Another memory was during a Redbone tournament in 2002 when we laid the # 9 wreath in memory of Ted Williams on the waters of Florida Bay where they fished together. It was extremely touching and an event I’ll never forget. I feel very fortunate to have shared that moment with Curt. Quote by Wade Boggs, 2/2006 former Boston Red Sox and MLB Hall of Famer
Curt is one of the kindest men I’ve ever met. He was always a fun fishing teammate, excellent fly fisherman and a patient teacher. We were dubbed “the gentlemen fishermen.” He’s been a friend and a mentor to so many people in and outside of sportscasting. And like he described Jim Thorpe as the best of the 20th century on the playing field or Ted Williams as a hitter and fisherman, Curt showed tremendous range and depth of skills as a great sportscaster, a fly fisherman, a husband, a father and as a person. He has it all! Quote by Pete Johnson, 1/2006 family friend & fishing partner
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