Summerall Exits Broadcast Booth
NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) – Pat Summerall, who has been associated with pro football for 51 years — the past 41 as an announcer — is retiring, Fox Sports confirmed Thursday.
Summerall, who will be 73 on Saturday, told the Dallas Morning News that he decided to retire after he and Fox could not come to an agreement over his schedule for next season. He said he wanted to call only Dallas Cowboys games, while Fox reportedly preferred he work a full 17-week schedule.
Last season, Summerall worked the entire schedule, calling games alongside Brian Baldinger, including 10 involving the Cowboys, after Fox removed him from the network’s lead time following John Madden’s departure to ABC’s ‘Monday Night Football.’ Summerall was used to working on the No. 1 announcing team, having done so since 1981.
In a statement, Fox Sports president Ed Goren praised Summerall, saying his decision to join Fox when the network launched its NFL programming in 1994 ‘helped lead one of the most successful launches in the history of television. His legend gave us credibility with viewers the minute he stepped into our booth.’
Summerall, who worked a record 16 Super Bowls, was probably most noted for his 21-year partnership with analyst Madden, beginning at CBS in 1981 before the pair moved to Fox. Their final game together was Super Bowl XXXVI last year.
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