Phyllis George, former Miss America and former co-host of “The NFL Today”.
Hired as a co-host of CBS Sports’s weekly pregame football show — which featured the high-profile hosts Brent Musburger and Irv Cross and the gambling commentator Jimmy Snyder, or Jimmy the Greek, as he was known — Ms. George immediately became the most prominent woman in sportscasting.
But with her beauty-queen background and her modest television résumé, she was criticized for lacking the traditional sportscaster credentials. She was not a former sportswriter, like Mr. Musburger, and she was obviously not a retired football player, like Mr. Cross.
She responded to her critics by saying that she knew enough about sports, especially football, to get by.
“I’m from Texas,” she told People magazine in 1976, “and down there you follow the Texas Longhorns and the Dallas Cowboys or you don’t belong.”
Excuse me?
She was married twice: to John Y. Brown Jr., former Governor of Kentucky, and Robert Evans.
Captain Jenn Casey, Royal Canadian Air Force. She was a public affairs officer with the Snowbirds demonstration team: the plane she was in crashed during a demo in Kamloops yesterday. The pilot, Captain Richard MacDougall, ejected but suffered serious injuries.
I read a comment on the post at McThag’s blog, that used the word horrifying. I can’t think of a better word. RIP to Capt. Casey, and prayers to Capt. MacDougall, and his family and friends, on a full and complete recovery.
Now that we have had female pilots for a number of decades in our military, I for one, am proud of the job that they have done, and the skill and bravery that they have shown, in protecting our nation and the warriors on the ground. I am certain that they are grateful to have them as well.
Nevertheless, I long for a day when war will be no more.
Pigpen51