Courtesy New York Post

(February 5, 2010) While it's neither in our DNA nor our souls to hurt for them, it has been a rough stretch for our brothers in Philadelphia. In April, they lost Harry Kalas, beloved voice of the Phillies. The next day, Les Keiter, radio character -- "ring-tailed howitzer!" -- who called Sixers' and Big Five hoops, died.

Last Friday, it was Tom Brookshier, 78. The Eagles' No. 40 -- retired -- became a voice of all things sports in Philly. And then he was shared with all beyond the Schuylkill, on CBS.

Brookshier was too historical and hysterical for his obit to be lifted from the AP and squeezed into a broadcast by a producer (likely named Dustin, Justin, Josh or Zach) who figures that the world and ESPN began the same day.

For openers, Brookshier was born and raised in Roswell, N.M., site of the 1947 UFO landing. If that was a hoax, it was the last time that Brookshier, 15 at the time, was not a suspect.

As a no-shot DB, a 1953 10th-rounder out of Colorado, Brookshier became an All-Pro, a starter on the Eagles' 1960 championship team. He played only seven years, missing 1954 and 1955 to Air Force service, then retired at 30, after fracturing his leg while tackling Bears' star Willie Galimore. (That last year, '61, Brookshier played in the same defensive backfield with a rookie, Irv Cross, who also would join CBS, on "The NFL Today.")

In '62, Brookshier became a regular on Philly's CBS TV/radio affiliate, WCAU, working with native son Jack Whitaker. Twenty-five years later, as part owner of WIP, he encouraged the start of all-sports radio; WIP and CBS sibling WFAN were the first.

An NFL analyst for CBS starting in 1965, Brookshier spoke country stuff -- "Barn burner!' -- then enjoyed and approved as different, irreverent. "He was Dandy Don [Meredith] before Dandy Don," said Ed Goren, Fox Sports' president, who began as a gofer at CBS.

But it was in 1975, when CBS teamed him with a former Giants opponent, Pat Summerall -- play-it-straight Ray Scott, Summerall's partner, was let go and Summerall would be moved to play-by-play -- that the Summerall-Brookshier team became nationally synonymous with CBS, the NFL and Sunday afternoons.

For six years, before Summerall-Madden, Summerall-Brookshier was spoken as one, like peanut butter and jelly, Lewis and Clark, Minneapolis-St. Paul. Summerall, always applauded for his brevity, may have been conditioned by Brookshier, who could fill it up, tackle to the next snap.

But while they worked together Sunday afternoons -- "We became brothers," said Summerall -- their other days together were treated like Saturday nights. CBS Sports, then, was known as a drinking brigade. Weekends began Wednesday; if you had business with CBS, schedule it before noon.

"I've been with CBS Sports 18 years," Bill Brendle, the late, legendary publicist was said to have said, "but if you take out the lunches, it's seven years."

"Alcohol," former CBS exec Terry O'Neil wrote in 1989, "was the lifeblood of the old CBS Sports."

And Summerall and Brookshier, inseparable, didn't miss a drop.

As a kid in Philadelphia, Rich Podolsky sold Brookshier in game programs at Franklin Field. Later, in New York, with CBS Sports publicity, he again sold Brookshier.

"He was a prince, a big-time guy who never big-timed anyone," Podolsky said. "But Brookie and Pat? Whenever they'd have to answer for something -- a monster bar bill, anything crazy -- they'd have the same out: 'Gee, I don't remember that.' "

Word ran that CBS unplugged Summerall-Brookshier only partly because John Madden had impressed as a B-teamer. The rest: Summerall and Brookshier needed to be in different places at the same time, all the time. Otherwise, as lead game producer Bob Stenner recalled in O'Neil's book, "Somebody was going to get hurt."

So, despite Summerall's protests, in 1981 he and Madden were teamed -- their first of 22 seasons. CBS "promoted" Brookshier to play-by-play, paired with Boy Scout Dick Vermeil. And Brookshier did well, made it work.

Brookshier had a lamentable knack for being in the wrong place at the worst time. After Dallas won Super Bowl VI -- Scott and Summerall called the game -- he was forced to interview the disagreeable Duane Thomas, the star RB who'd refused interviews all week. Brookshier tried flattery that ended, awkwardly, with, "Are you really that fast?" Thomas's get-lost answer: "Evidently." That discomforting scene was shared among only 68 million viewers.

Brookshier was assigned interviews after one of the three Mike Rossman-Mike Quarry light-heavyweight bouts. Rossman had dominated, winning this decision. But Brookshier thought the other Mike -- Quarry -- had won. Quarry, hang-dog, barely answered Brookshier's questions as Rossman, in the background, celebrated.

Finally informed that he had the wrong "winner," Brookshier said to Quarry that the winner is expected to fight Victor Galindez for the title, adding, "Do you think this loss will prevent you from doing that?"

Quarry, who hadn't lifted his head during the interview, shot Brookshier a look. "Whatta you think?" he said.

Brookshier then deftly walked over to interview the other winner.

blog comments powered by Disqus