Broadcaster Jack Whitaker Dies at Age 95

Jack Whitaker, the iconic sports broadcaster whose coverage of Thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown earned him many accolades, died Aug. 18 at his home in Devon, Pa. He died of natural causes at age 95, according to CBS Sports.

Whitaker, a Philadelphia native and graduate of Saint Joseph's University, began his broadcasting career in radio before entering network television sports at CBS in 1961. In 1982 he joined the ABC Network, covering news and sports.

"There will never be another Jack Whitaker in sports broadcasting," CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus said in a statement. "His amazing writing ability, on-air presence and humanity are unmatched. His unique perspective on sports ranging from horse racing to golf to NFL football was extraordinary."

Enshrined in the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame in 2001, Whitaker won an Eclipse Award for National Television Achievement in 1977 and was honored with the Maryland Jockey Club's Old Hilltop Award for outstanding coverage of Thoroughbred racing in 1983. In 2013, Whitaker was presented the Jim McKay Award for excellence in broadcasting by the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters.

Whitaker was portrayed in the 2007 ESPN film "Ruffian," based upon the match race between Ruffian and Foolish Pleasure at Belmont Park. When Ruffian broke down in the race, Whitaker said: "A false step here and the years of planning and breeding and training and loving came to an end. A horse with the speed and stamina and heart ... a horse, like the Bible says, 'whose neck is clothed in thunder.'"

In 2017, Whitaker was selected to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame's Joe Hirsch Media Roll of Honor. 

"I often think of Jack Whitaker as a poet," said Edward L. Bowen, chairman of the Joe Hirsch Media Roll of Honor Selection Committee. "His ability to summarize a situation in a way that is both informative and highly moving is a special gift I admire very much."