RIP Dick Enberg

Submitted by Boom Goes the … on
Dick Enberg apparently passed away tonight. One of the great announcers and people in sports and will be missed. No link just making the rounds on twitter right now

m1817

December 22nd, 2017 at 5:02 AM ^

"Enberg's daughter, Nicole, said the family became concerned when he didn't arrive on his flight to Boston on Thursday, and that he was found dead at his home in La Jolla, a San Diego neighborhood, with his bags packed. The family said it was awaiting official word on the cause of death but believed he had a heart attack."

SpinachAssassin

December 22nd, 2017 at 6:44 AM ^

Yet there's probably no better way to go. He was likely filled with excitement and anticipation to see family around the holidays. Heart attacks, as could reasonably be expected in this case, usually lead to unconsciousness before a patient even knows they are having a heart attack. So he probably felt little if any pain and his final moments were likely happy and hopeful.

RIP

SpinachAssassin

December 22nd, 2017 at 9:19 AM ^

Happened with my grandparents also (Alzheimer’s). It’s unlike anything else in its hopelessness and pain. My Mom (with other siblings) had spent years watching and taking care of them. It was heartbreaking for her. She was one of the lucky ones that also passed in her home of a likely heart attack, after having just walked he dog and preparing to move to her forever home. As painful as it was for me to lose her so suddenly, my gosh if only we could all be so lucky to go out that way.

ST3

December 22nd, 2017 at 1:32 PM ^

I shared an office with a guy who died at a movie theater. When the movie ended and the lights came on they found him dead in his seat. Other than dying in your sleep, I figure that is the best way to go.
He was an interesting guy. Korean War vet. His second wife was a younger Philipino woman who had kids and lived in Kansas. He lived in SoCal and would send money to her in Kansas. That's why he was still working at age 77 when he passed.

darkstar

December 22nd, 2017 at 2:00 PM ^

Just a solid classy announcer.  Seems like he just let the event speak for itself.  Wish there were more like him.

If I was going to go I think it would be like jam band singer/musician, Col. Bruce Hampton.  He was on stage at a concert celebrating his 70th birthday.  During the encore he collapsed but band & audience thought it was part of the show so they kept jamming for several minutes.

TESOE

December 23rd, 2017 at 11:38 AM ^

Your daughter is probably 50 years old...but she undoubtedly still feels something along these lines.  It's so much better than pumping out bodies full of toxic embalming agents.  "Modern" embalming chemicals are the epitome of macabre.

FuzzDodger

December 22nd, 2017 at 1:06 AM ^

They throw around legend a little too often. This guy was 1 of them on the mic. Cant think of NFL on NBC and Wimbledon when I was a kid without Dick Enberg. Godspeed

translator82

December 22nd, 2017 at 1:20 AM ^

When I think NBC Sports, I think first of Dick Enberg. Especially when the network had the Orange Bowl, Pre-SNF NFL, Wimbledon, and baseball. Also, he's a Michigan native--his family had a grocery store in Mount Clemens and he graduated from Central Michigan. I'll personally always remember him calling the Lions-Jets 1997 game where Barry Sanders hits 2,000 rushing yards for the season (ironically the game took place 20 years ago yesterday).

 

 

pryoo

December 22nd, 2017 at 1:18 AM ^

Agree he was a legend.. he was great at Wimbledon and calling games with Merlin Olsen and countless other sports including the olympics. Will not forget his signature "oh my!!". A chippewa and a class act

RobM_24

December 22nd, 2017 at 2:14 AM ^

I'm 33, so I don't go as far back as some, but he's on my Mount Rushmore of sports voices. Keith Jackson will always be #1 for me, but Enberg is up there.

RobM_24

December 22nd, 2017 at 3:29 AM ^

Maybe I was just too young to be critical, but I never recall being annoyed by Jackson or Enberg. It's hard to find anyone comparable these days. Nantz and Musberger didn't do it for me. Tirico isn't bad, but doesn't being much excitement. Al Michaels is good if he sticks to just calling a game -- he has a tendency to go off course. Jackson and Enberg were just damn good.

Sam1863

December 22nd, 2017 at 5:01 AM ^

I'm older, but I'm with you on this. Jackson and Enberg were like listening to your favorite uncles. (In Jackson's case, your favorite southern uncle, who had all kinds of folksy sayings to get his point across.)

Nantz is perfectly professional, but he blends into the background, like Tirico. Musberger's voice always reminded me of a pushy insurance salesman who keeps telling you why you need $25K more coverage.

Michaels may not be what he was, but his "YES!" in the Miracle game is still one of the best broadcasting moments I've ever heard.

gordify

December 22nd, 2017 at 6:04 AM ^

In the mid 80's it seemed like every Sunday 4pm game was Enberg and Merlin Olsen calling the Elway/three amigos Broncos on nbc. My favorite nfl broadcast team though will always be Summerall/Madden from their cbs days.

Don

December 22nd, 2017 at 9:08 AM ^

I think the decline and contraction of radio sports broadcasting makes the emergence of tremendous announcing talent like Enberg and Jackson less likely. They had to learn how to paint a picture with words early in their careers, and those who start their careers in TV announcing just don't know how to do that.