Philly sports announcer of more than 70 years
PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia radio and TV sports announcer Bill Campbell, whose career spanned more than seven decades, has died.
Editor and anchor Robin Culverwell at KYW radio station, where Mr. Campbell once worked, confirmed Mr. Campbell died Oct. 6 at Cooper Hospital in Camden, New Jersey. He was 91. She said he died from complications from a fall.
Mr. Campbell began his career in 1940 and continued well into his 80s. His accounts gave sports fans front- row seats at the games of all their favorites: the Philadelphia Eagles, the Phillies, the 76ers, the Warriors or Big Five basketball teams.
Mr. Campbell is remembered particularly for his play- by- play of the Eagles game when they won the 1960 NFL Championship over the Green Bay Packers. On the team website, the Eagles recount his warm introduction.
“‘ Ladies and gentlemen, the Green Bay Packers and the Philadelphia Eagles are about to play the biggest game of their lives,’ Campbell said during his WCAUAM broadcast . . . ‘ And there will be bedlam coming out of your loudspeakers for the next several hours. We hope you’ll enjoy the play. We hope we can make it enjoyable for you. Here is ( Paul) Hornung booting off, a deep one . . . and the championship of the world is underway.’ ”
At game’s end, he caps it off with the ecstatic announcement: “‘ The game’s over! The game’s over! The Eagles are the champions of the world! LISTEN!’ Mr. Campbell said as linebacker Chuck Bednarik sat on Packers running back Jimmy Taylor while the seconds drained off the clock.’ ”