In this post, I comment on the recent retirement of two sports broadcasting legends and how we will always remember them our lives.

As I write this blog on September 4, 2025, legendary ESPN tennis broadcaster Cliff Drysdale has just one more match to call before he retires and has more time to golf with his good friend, Jack Nicklaus. The 84-year-old broadcaster started with ESPN on September 14, 1979, making him the network’s longest-tenured analyst.

“That was the day this voice of reason and source of endless entertainment became the voice of tennis in our country and all around the world. A gracious Hall of Famer, he is our friend and he is our North Star,” host Chris McKendry said of her friend and colleague.¹

Her comments were part of a lengthy tribute to Drysdale ESPN aired this week at the U.S. Open.

A top player in the 1960s and 1970s, Drysdale was ranked as high as number four in the world and was a U.S. Open finalist in 1965. He has long been known and respected for his tennis knowledge and insights. That, along with his South African accent and distinguished appearance, is next to impossible to replicate, and he will be long remembered and missed throughout tennis.

No matter who hoists the championship trophies at the U.S. Open this year, Cliff Drysdale is the overall winner.

Last Saturday marked the retirement of another all-time great sports broadcaster, as Lee Corso said farewell after a long career on ESPN’s College Football Gameday. The 90-year-old former coach was there for Gameday’s first broadcast in 1987 and began his custom of putting on the headgear of his predicted winning team on October 5, 1996, when he wore the Ohio State Buckeye. Ohio State beat Penn State handily that day 38-7.

All eyes were on Corso at his final broadcast on August 30, 2025, when ESPN celebrated his long career. He made six predictions for the day’s games and was a perfect 6-0, including his donning once again of the Buckeye to emphasize his preference for Ohio State over Texas. Ohio State won the game 14-7.

Tennis and college football coverage won’t be the same without these two legends. Their leaving reminds me of other broadcasters I have long missed over the years: Pat Summerall, John Madden, and Tom Brookshier covering the NFL; Harry Kalas and Richie Ashburn covering the Philadelphia Phillies; Keith Jackson on the call for college football; Gene Hart calling Philadelphia Flyers games, and Marv Albert doing NBA games, among others who also shared their talent and love of sports with us.

They all made the games and the matches better.

REMEMBER…

◊ Think about your favorite broadcasters from the past, either in sports, news, or entertainment. After all these years, there is still just one Walter Cronkite, but I liked Peter Jennings, too. For late night, I miss Johnny Carson and Jay Leno.

◊ It’s hard to do better than listening to baseball games called by Ernie Harwell or Vin Scully.

◊ Visit www.davidajolley.com for additional blog posts, other interesting content, and updates on future book releases and appearances.

1. Terranova, Justin, “Cliff Drysdale, ESPN’s longest-tenured voice, has emotional US Open retirement sendoff,” The New York Post, September 4, 2025. https://nypost.com/2025/09/04/sports/cliff-drysdale-espns-longest-tenured-analyst-has-emotional-us-open-retirement-sendoff/ ↩︎