Richard Totten “Dick” Button (born July 18, 1929) is an American former figure skater and skating analyst ….who is a two-time Olympic champion in 1948 and 1952….and five-time World champion from 1948 to 1952. He is also the only non-European man to have become European champion. Button is credited as having been the first skater to successfully land the double axel jump in competition in 1948….as well as the first triple jump of any kind….a triple loop in 1952…..plus he also invented the flying camel spin ….which was originally known as the “Button camel”.
During ABC’s Wide World of Sports coverage of figure skating events with Jim McKay in the 1960’s, 1970’s and 1980’s, Button became the sport’s best-known analyst….well known for his frank and often caustic appraisal of skaters’ performances. …as seen in this video herewith. He won an Emmy Award in 1981 for Outstanding Sports Personality – Analyst. Although other U.S. television networks aired the Winter Olympics from the 1990’s onward…. Button still appeared on ABC’s broadcasts of the U.S. and World Figure Skating Championships until ABC removed them from its broadcast schedule in 2008.
James Kenneth McManus (September 24, 1921 – June 7, 2008), better known by his professional name of Jim McKay….was an American television sports journalist best known for hosting ABC’s Olympic Games coverage and Wide World of Sports from 1961 to 1998. His introduction for that program has passed into American pop culture with “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat”.
Jim McKay is who Olympic sports fans remember most for his television coverage of 12 Olympic Games….and is universally respected for his memorable reporting on the Munich massacre at the 1972 Summer Olympics…..another video we have in our ImaSportsphile library. McKay covered a wide variety of special events….including horse races such as the Kentucky Derby….golf events such as the British Open and Masters….auto racing like the Indianapolis 500…..plus World Championship and Olympic figure skating with Dick Button….as seen in this video herewith.
This lil ole chiweenie Sportsphile considers Jim McKay in a class of his own as a sportscaster…..for he was the most elegant and eloquent to ever man a mike…..as he had a wonderful ability to capture the romance that sports actually provides……and we are so blessed to be able to showcase so much of his work in our library.
And just another small tidbit of wonderful Sportsphile information from your favorite lil ole chiweenie Sportsphile….McKay’s son, Sean McManus….was privileged to be a protégé of the great Roone Arledge at ABC Sports…..in currently the president of CBS Sports and News divisions. Talk about what bloodline and mentoring can do for someone.
