Sportscaster Jim Simpson Dies; Called Super Bowl I For NBC Radio

Simpson in 1985 (Photo: ESPN)

JIM SIMPSON, the sportscaster who called AFL and NFL games for NBC for many years before jumping to ESPN as one of the cable network's first big-name hires in 1979, died this morning (1/13) in SCOTTSDALE, AZ at 88.

Best known for his extensive television work calling football and other sports, including the WORLD SERIES, WIMBLEDON, and the OLYMPICS, SIMPSON's call of the first SUPER BOWL for NBC RADIO with GEORGE RATTERMAN is the surviving play-by-play of that game.  The audio will be used with NFL FILMS footage of all 145 plays of that game on FRIDAY's NFL NETWORK telecast of the game, the first complete telecast since NBC and CBS aired the game live on JANUARY 15, 1967; the tapes of the telecasts have long been presumed lost or recorded over in the days when videotape was reused due to cost.

SIMPSON also did work for CBS on radio and TV, ABC, and TNT and called BALTIMORE ORIOLES baseball on WMAR-TV/BALTIMORE in 1988 before retiring.

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