Vin Scully was turned down for CBS football role
A former CBS producer mentioned that he had to decide between Vin Scully and Pat Summerall to partner John Madden in CBS’ football coverage.
According to a report from the New York Times, former CBS producer Terry O’Neil revealed that in 1981, his first year as a CBS producer, he decided to pass over MLB broadcasting legend Vin Scully for a more veteran NFL voice in Pat Summerall.
When O’Neil was hired by CBS after losing his job with ABC, the then 31-year-old was given the task to rejuvenate the networks football broadcast in a year that they would host the Super Bowl.
That year, they already hired former Oakland Raiders coach John Madden and were looking for a partner to work with the loud and dedicated Madden. The choice came down to two men, Los Angeles Dodger broadcasting legend Vin Scully and former New York Giants kicker and football commentator Pat Summerall.
O’Neil mentioned that he and his boss, Van Gordon Sauter, argued between who they wanted. Sauter was dedicated to have Scully be Madden’s number two. While O’Neil thought Summerall’s voice was better suited to work with Madden’s demeanour.
The two would argue for some time, and they decided to pin the two together. In the article, O’Neil mentioned that putting these two broadcasting icons next to each other was wrong.
"“I knew it was no way to treat two guys on the way to the Broadcasting Hall of Fame,” O’Neil said. “We tried to camouflage it in the press — the new kid, being me, needs to see the personnel at work, that sort of thing. But it inevitably took on the feeling of a face-off for the role. I belatedly realized there was going to be a loser, and it would be awkward.”"
Summerall won the battle, which came down to a vote by other CBS executives. Scully would hear of the bad news by O’Neil via phone call, which the former CBS producer said he should’ve handled a lot better. O’Neil mentioned his recent memoir that one of the reasons why Scully left CBS for NBC in 1982 was because of that phone call.
Who know’s what would’ve happened if Scully was Madden’s number two. What we do know is that the partnership of Summerall and Madden is unforgettable. The two lead CBS in football coverage and did the same with FOX in the mid 90’s.
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