Rudy Martzke, one of the innovators in the American sports media commentary space, has died at the age of 82.
This was confirmed by his son on social media.
Martzke was a pioneer in the sports media commentary space – launching one of the first columns on the topic for USA Today in 1982.
He continued to write that column until his retirement in 2005. In his last column, he famously ribbed some of his subjects.
‘While some at times have blistered me with complaints –- Gary Bender, Howard Cosell and even [Pat] Summerall –- my experiences have largely been positive while covering the TV sports business during a period of its greatest growth,’ he wrote.
‘The plaudits have come as the Sports on TV column became recognized. There have been features on me in Sports Illustrated and other magazines, a charity Rudy Roast in 2000 [in Biloxi, Mississippi] and a proclamation read to me at the men’s Final Four in St. Louis by NCAA President Myles Brand, who described me as an icon. Can’t do any better than that, I guess.’
In the aftermath of his passing, many sports media titans honored Martzke on social media.
Rudy Martzke, one of the pioneers in sports media commentary, has died at the age of 82
‘Very sad about the passing of the great Rudy Martzke,’ NBC Sports’ Greg Hughes wrote on…
