Anyone here remember ABC's Wide World of Sports?  Off hand, I'm really not sure what decade, to put this topic into.

Good old Jim McKay.


The thrill of victory and the agony of "da feet" http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:3FRAce5eRtw3pM:www.oceanplanet.com.au/images/SORE%2520FEET%25201.jpg



;D ;D ;D



Cat

;D

I watched this lots growing up, the beginning clip showing the ski jumper crashing for the 'agony of defeat' is burned in my memory :)

I watched this lots growing up, the beginning clip showing the ski jumper crashing for the 'agony of defeat' is burned in my memory :)


there's a blast from the past  8)

ABC's Wide World of Sports first aired in 1961. I liked the show but it always drove me nuts when they carried a race. You got to see the first ten laps, a wreck....  whatever else was on the show ... then come back and show the last ten laps...

NozmoKing

Back in the 70's, I remember watching this volunteer firefighters' competition on Wide World of Sports. It was where volunteer fire departments would build these souped-up fire trucks, and they'd take off from a dead stop and drive as fast as they could for about 400 yards (I really don't remember for sure exactly how far they had to go, this is just a guess), and the driver had to jam on the brakes to stop at a fire hydrant. There were about 3 or 4 firemen per truck, and all of them except for the driver would jump out, hook a hose up to the hydrant, and then aim the nozzle at a target about 50 feet away (again I'm just guessing). The object was to do all this in the fastest time, and the clock would stop as soon as the water hit the target.  Anyone else remember this? I always thought it was cool, and I wonder if they still have this competition somewhere.

Also, this was a little before my time, but wasn't Wide World of Sports where they showed all of Evel Knievel's jumps?

I watched this lots growing up, the beginning clip showing the ski jumper crashing for the 'agony of defeat' is burned in my memory :)



I believe that skier died in that accident.  :\'(  But don't quote me on that.




Cat

I believe that skier died in that accident.  :\'(   But don't quote me on that.




Cat


very likely, it was a bad crash.

I can't remember what any of the opening clips were for the 'thrill of victory' , just the ski jumper crash.

very likely, it was a bad crash.

I can't remember what any of the opening clips were for the 'thrill of victory' , just the ski jumper crash.



I remember they changed it in 1980 when the U.S. hockey team beat the U.S.S.R. in the Olympics.




Cat

i remember it in the 80's and is a shame is not on no more since they have NBA basketball and others

I believe that skier died in that accident.  :\'(   But don't quote me on that.




Cat
Nah, I think that's just an urban legend. Read on:



Vinko Bogataj

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Vinko Bogataj was a Slovenian ski jumper, who became noted on U.S. television in the 1970s for a moment of spectacular failure that was featured on ABC's Wide World of Sports as the infamous "Agony of Defeat".

Bogataj was competing as a Yugoslav entrant at the World Ski Flying Championships in Oberstdorf, West Germany (now Germany) on March 21, 1970. A light snow had begun falling at the start of the event, and by the time Bogataj was ready for his third jump, the snow had become quite heavy. Midway down the ramp for that jump, Bogataj realized that the conditions had made the ramp too fast. He attempted to lower his center of gravity and stop his jump, but instead lost his balance completely and rocketed out of control off the end of the ramp, tumbling and flipping wildly, and crashing through a light retaining fence near a crowd of stunned spectators before coming to a halt. Fortunately

good story, glad to hear he's still alive and doing well :)

Here's a treat for you:  The link below will take you to a clip of the intro for Wide World of Sports, circa 1978.

http://espn.go.com/media/2001/q1/classic-intor-78(2).avi

(I haven't heard the Wide World of Sports theme song in years, and it's cool how perfectly it goes along with Jim McKay saying "The thrill of victory...and the agony of defeat. It totally adds to the drama, and after hearing it again I have to say that in my opinion, it's some of the greatest TV theme music ever.)




"Every time I'm on ABC, I crash."