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Thread: TV pioneer Phyllis George, co-host of 'The NFL Today,' dies at 70

  1. #1
    Administrator fuego's Avatar
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    TV pioneer Phyllis George, co-host of 'The NFL Today,' dies at 70

    Those of you my age will remember her if you watched NFL football.
    _____________

    Phyllis George, the former Miss America who became a female sportscasting pioneer on CBS' "The NFL Today" and served as the first lady of Kentucky, has died. She was 70.

    A family spokeswoman said George died Thursday at a Lexington, Kentucky, hospital after a long fight with a blood disorder.

    Her children, Lincoln Tyler George Brown and CNN White House correspondent Pamela Ashley Brown, remembered George as "the most incredible mother we could ever ask for."

    "For many, Mom was known by her incredible accomplishments as the pioneering female sportscaster, 50th Miss America and first lady," they said in a joint statement. "But this was all before we were born and never how we viewed Mom. To us, she was the most incredible mother we could ever ask for, and it is all of the defining qualities the public never saw, especially against the winds of adversity, that symbolize how extraordinary she is more than anything else. The beauty so many recognized on the outside was a mere fraction of her internal beauty, only to be outdone by an unwavering spirit that allowed her to persevere against all the odds."

    Miss America in 1971, George joined Brent Musburger and Irv Cross in 1975 on "The NFL Today." Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder later was added to the cast.

    "Phyllis George was special. Her smile lit up millions of homes for the NFL Today," Musburger tweeted. "Phyllis didn't receive nearly enough credit for opening the sports broadcasting door for the dozens of talented women who took her lead and soared.''

    Each Sunday afternoon, "The NFL Today" aired three live versions of the half-hour pregame show -- one at 12:30 p.m. ET for the East, another at 1:30 ET for Midwest stations and again at 3:30 ET for the West Coast -- in addition to brief halftime breaks during the long afternoon. Until then, pregame shows had little cachet; it was the postgame program with highlights from the Sunday games that held sway.

    "The CBS Sports family is deeply saddened by the passing of Phyllis George, an icon in the sports broadcasting industry who contributed greatly to the rich history and tradition of CBS Sports," Sean McManus, chairman of CBS Sports, said in a statement. "Phyllis was not only a key member of a show that remains the gold standard of NFL pregame shows, the NFL Today with Brent, Irv and 'The Greek,' but also a pioneer for all women in broadcasting."

    "In my gut, I thought Phyllis was pretty special," the late Bob Wussler, who hired George at CBS, once told USA Today. "I thought there was a role for her, as somebody who could talk to guys who knew something about sports."

    But George said she was bombarded with hate mail...

    TV pioneer Phyllis George, co-host of 'The NFL Today,' dies at 70

  2. #2
    Senior Member Romans828's Avatar
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    I remember Phyllis well, since I've been a fan of the NFL for a very long time - She was knowledgeable, gracious and showed a lot of poise - And if I recall, she didn't play on her "sex appeal" to get attention, like some of these current female personalities on the sports networks.

    I'm not 100% sure, but I vaguely recall seeing her on either the 700 Club or TBN, and that she was a professing Christian as well.

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  4. #3
    She was a brave woman, right up there with the likes of Cha Cha Muldowney of that same era.

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