Football: NBC Sports studio hosts Peter Axthelm (L) and Bob Costas during NFL '85 televison show at NBC Studios.
New York, NY 11/17/1985
CREDIT: Manny Millan (Photo by Manny Millan /Sports Illustrated/Getty Images)
(Set Number: X32384 TK1 R5 F6 )
DOG ASIDE:
Pete Axthelm (August 27, 1943 – February 2, 1991) was a sportswriter and columnist for the New York Herald Tribune, Sports Illustrated, Newsweek and Inside Sports….when during the 1980’s, his knowledge of sports and journalistic skill aided him in becoming a sports commentator for The NFL on NBC….along with NFL Primetime and horse racing on ESPN.
Born in New York City and a 1965 graduate of Yale University….where Axthelm wrote The Modern Confessional Novel while a student there….when he went to work for Newsweek in 1968….and covered the Summer Olympics in Mexico City. In 1970 he wrote and published The City Game, Basketball In New York City…..which was a book that explored one season of the New York Knicks…..along with players who were legends in neighborhoods of New York….who never played professionally. He is perhaps best remembered for writing The Kid 1978 ….which was a biography of the 18 year old Triple Crown winning jockey Stevie Cauthen.
As seen in this video herewith….Pete Axthelm was a part of the NBC pregame telecasts of NFL ’85 with host Bob Costas….as he was NBC’s answer to CBS’ Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder on The NFL Today…by providing betting angles and predictions to the games….to which Axthelm was pretty good at….evidenced by his dramatic Crayola display of the Bears shutting out the Giants by his predicted score of 23 – 0…..in a game that ended up 21 – 0…..no bad for a writer.