Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame 2020-21: Phyllis George, Trailblazing Sportscaster

18/11/2021

Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame 2020-21: Phyllis George, Trailblazing Sportscaster By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director

Thursday, November 18, 2021 - 7:00 am

Print This Story | Subscribe

Story Highlights

In a ceremony postponed by the pandemic, the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame Class of 2020 will be inducted on Dec. 14 at the New York Hilton. SVG is profiling the nine inductees in the weeks prior. For more information, CLICK HERE.

She was Miss America. She was a co-host on Candid Camera. But it wasn't until Phyllis George made the move to The NFL Today in 1975 that her popularity became apparent: her presence on the show made it appointment viewing,

In the East and Midwest, says Rich Podolsky in his book You Are Looking Live: The Story of The NFL Today, churchgoers rushed home in time to see it, and more attention meant more eyeballs watching and higher ratings.

The road to The NFL Today began in Denton, TX, a small town 42 miles north of Dallas. George's parents were hardworking Methodist people, and, as a young girl, she watched the Miss America pageant with her mom every year.

Back in the day, it was the biggest thing on television, George told the University of Texas in 2018.

She rose to fame as Miss America, winning the crown in 1970. But, the year before, she placed second in the Miss Texas pageant and almost swore off competing the following year. I came in second to a drummer from Longview, she told Texas Monthly. The local papers had to retrieve their original headline of Miss Denton Becomes Miss Texas.'

The Miss Dallas organization kept asking her to run for their title. She kept saying no but relented with the possibility of scholarship money as the carrot. Little did she know she would be named not only Miss Texas but also Miss America and be destined for a career in sports TV that ultimately would give her a chance to change the industry forever.

Being Miss America gave her a chance to be on arguably TV's biggest stage: The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson. When she told Carson, You'll remember me. I'm the klutzy Miss America (she dropped her crown while walking down the runway), viewers and the press were smitten, even though the concept of Miss America had its critics.

The women's libbers'- we didn't call them feminists'-would follow me around, she said. I was in DeKalb, IL. I kept saying, They're not picketing me; they're picketing what they think this program stands for.' So I went outside and said, It's really cold out here. Why don't you guys come in, and let's have some coffee and talk about this?'

They all came in, she continued. And I said, Look, I don't feel like I'm exploited. I'm from a small town in Texas. This is great for me. I won scholarship money. I've done something with my life, and I can show my talent. I want to be in broadcasting. This is going to help me, so I want you to look at it that way.' Did I like being in a swimsuit? Absolutely not. I hated it.

Phyllis George: I accepted [the NFL Today offer] partly because I needed a job and partly because something inside told me I could do it.

When she arrived in New York after her year as Miss America, she hoped to land a job in broadcasting. Making the rounds, she ran into two young producers from CBS Sports, Tommy O'Neill and Bob Stenner, and that meeting would soon prove important.

When the Miss America pageant invited her back to cohost with Bert Parks, it gave her a chance to be seen on TV, and, in 1974, Allen Funt hired her as a cohost for his Candid Camera show in New York. But working as the second banana to Funt wasn't exactly what George had in mind when she sought a job in broadcasting.

Changes at CBS Sports at the end of the year offered an opportunity. President Bill MacPhail was quietly retired. and 38-year-old Bob Wussler was brought in.

Casually, Bob Stenner and I went to Wussler, O'Neill said, and we told him about Phyllis. Wussler liked her right away.

A 13-week contract was drawn up with the promise that, if things worked out, it would become permanent.

I accepted Bob Wussler's offer, George said, partly because I needed a job - always a good incentive - and partly because something inside told me I could do it.

For one of her first assignments, she was sent to Boston to interview Celtics star Dave Cowens, who was never known for being glib. Cowens, who cherished his privacy and disliked interviews, had reluctantly agreed to the CBS request because the team management insisted it was good public relations. He also had no idea they were sending a woman. He took one look at her when she and her camera crew arrived at practice, according to George, and rolled his eyes.

Hey, Dave, how are you? she called out to him, but he didn't respond. She tried again, and again he ignored her.

As soon as practice was over, Cowens made a beeline for his Jeep, George wrote in her memoir, Never Say Never. I followed, and my producer urged me to hop in. I did.

Phyllis George's tenure at The NFL Today is chronicled in Rich Podolsky's book.

My career was on the line, and I had no intention of going back to New York without talking with him. I'm not going away, I thought to myself. I am getting this interview! So off we went to his log cabin on the outskirts of Boston.

She kept peppering him with questions on the 45-minute drive to his cabin, getting very few answers. When they got there, he took a beer out of the fridge, offered her one, which she declined, and they settled into a couple of rocking chairs on the porch. By the time the CBS crew arrived, she had slowly started to draw him out, and the interview turned into more of a conversation.

He rocked back and forth in his old chair, she wrote. And he talked a
LINK: https://www.sportsvideo.org/2021/11/18/sports-broadcasting-hall-of-fam...
See more stories from svg

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

04/08/2026

Dalet Announces Commercial Availability of Dalia, Bringing Media-Aware Agentic AI to Enterprise Productions

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

04/07/2026

Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in Dolby Cinemas Across Japan, Presented in Dolby Atmos and Dolby ...

April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

22/05/2026

Germanys Magenta TV Selects DMC to Provide FIFA World Cup Technical Support for Studios in Munich, New York City

Germany's Magenta TV, which will have 44 exclusive FIFA World Cup match broa...

22/05/2026

DAZN Grabs IFAF Flag Football Global Rights

DAZN, the world's leading sports entertainment platform, has acquired global broadcast rights to the International Federation of American Football's ( I...

22/05/2026

ATHLOS 2026 Season Set for October Debut in London; Aurora Media Worldwide Named Host Broadcast Partner

ATHLOS, the all-women's professional track and field league, has announced i...

22/05/2026

NATAS to Stream Sports, News, and Documentary Emmy Awards Live on YouTube

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) today announced that the 47th Annual Sports Emmy Awards and the 47th Annual News & Documentary Emmy A...

22/05/2026

Wooden Camera Rolls Out New Blackmagic URSA Accessories

Wooden Camera today announced the release of new accessories for the Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive. The new lineup includes a redesigned Top Plate and Side Rai...

22/05/2026

YES Network, OTT Advisors Extend Streaming Partnership for Sixth Season

YES Network and OTT Advisors have announced a sixth consecutive season of their streaming partnership, continuing their collaboration on the Gotham app. OTT Adv...

22/05/2026

NESN Monster Week' Returns With Full Red Sox Broadcast From Atop Green Monster

NESN, New England's premier sports network, will again turn its camera to Fe...

22/05/2026

Dale Pro Audio RF Over Fiber Webinar Set for May 28

Dale Pro Audio is hosting an RF over Fiber Livestream Webinar on May 28 from 1-2:30 pm EST. With major sporting events and large-scale productions putting incre...

22/05/2026

Audio-Technica Appoints Humrichouser, Schanz to New Roles

Audio-Technica has announced key leadership appointments designed to further strengthen its sales organization and drive continued growth across the Americas. M...

22/05/2026

Scott Coker Launches Global MMA League With $60 Million in Backing

After nearly four decades shaping the global combat sports landscape, Scott Coker has announced a powerful return as he looks to build a new international mixed...

22/05/2026

Skyline Launches xOps Vanguard Runway for Autonomous Era

Skyline Communications, the company behind the globally deployed DataMiner xOps platform, today announced the launch of xOps Vanguard Runway, a strategic accele...

22/05/2026

The American Rodeo Takes Over Globe Life Field for Championship Weekend

For the fully onsite production, 30 cameras - including a SkyCam and Megalodon - will capture the action in Texas One of the world's biggest rodeo producti...

22/05/2026

Argentinas Torneos Taps Imagine Versio for Playout Operations Upgrade

Leading Argentina-based sports media company Torneos y Competencias S.A. has modernized its playout operations, implementing a fully redundant, multichannel env...

22/05/2026

Owl AI and Major League Pickleball Go Live with First-Ever AI Officiating System Powered by Broadcast Cameras and the Cloud

As the 2026 Major League Pickleball season kicks off this weekend in Dallas, it ...

22/05/2026

Shure, Edge Sound Research Look to Innovate via Partnership

Shure has become a minority investor in Edge Sound Research, a start-up company that is developing new experiential audio technologies that redefine how many au...

22/05/2026

SVG Rewind: MLBs UmpCam AR System Puts Fans Inside the Strike Zone Like Never Before

In advance of this year's Sports Emmy Awards, SVG is taking a deep dive into...

22/05/2026

Jelly Roll Offers Up 2026 Stanley Cup Playoff Theme Song for NHL, Amazon Music

The National Hockey League (NHL) and Amazon Music announced that GRAMMY Award-winning superstar Jelly Roll will provide the official theme song of the 2026 Stan...

22/05/2026

David Pogue, Andy Beach Keynotes Highlight Silicon Valley Video Summer Camp, July 14 at De Anza College

David Pogue will keynote SVV Summer Camp and discuss Apple at 50: How the World...

22/05/2026

FOX Sports, IMS Productions Scale Up Indy 500 Production in Year Two With New In-Car Cameras, AR Graphics, and Cinematic Sets

In its second year as rightsholder, FOX Sports goes bigger across the board for ...

22/05/2026

FOX Sports' Indy 500 Director Mitch Riggin on the Tech and Storytelling for the Greatest Spectacle in Racing

Heading into FOX Sports' second Indianapolis 500, Lead Director Mitch Riggin...

22/05/2026

How Spotify's Rebuilt Ad Platform Is Delivering New Value for Brands

At our 2026 Investor Day, we shared an inside look at the rebuild of our advertising business. This pivot to our own purpose-built platform is already driving s...

22/05/2026

Spotify Levels Up Our Podcast Experience With New Features for Fans and Creators

Podcasting on Spotify continues to grow, and so do the ways listeners engage with it. At Investor Day 2026, we shared how we're building the next chapter of...

22/05/2026

CEDAR Audio introduce Icons Bundles

Limited-time collections now available Restoration experts CEDAR Audio have recently launched a new line of Icons plug-ins that make their powerful processo...

22/05/2026

Boss expand PS-1 Plugout Pedal

Three new classics join Model Pass line-up Boss' PX-1 Plugout Pedal offers an innovative approach to guitar pedals, providing users with a hardware stom...

22/05/2026

SGL Carbon commissions photovoltaic system and lays the foundation for a new nitrogen plant at its Meitingen site

At its Meitingen site, SGL Carbon has implemented two key projects to further de...

22/05/2026

Statement regarding 2026 National NAIDOC Lifetime Achievement Award for the late Rhoda Roberts AO

Statement regarding 2026 National NAIDOC Lifetime Achievement Award for the late...

22/05/2026

Polsat Reclaims Second Place and ByteDance Enters Top 10 as Polish Viewing Moves Beyond the Living Room in April

Latest data reveals steady distributor rankings, a seasonal shift toward digital...

22/05/2026

FCC Votes to Update Disaster Information Reporting System

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

22/05/2026

Amagi delivers 30 per cent revenue growth in FY26 Adjuste...

Amagi Media Labs Limited (NSE: AMAGI, BSE: 544679), a cloud-native SaaS platform providing AI-enabled solutions to global media and entertainment companies, tod...

22/05/2026

Annima Post Relies on Cintel to Revive Classic Mexican Films

An nima Post Relies on Cintel to Revive Classic Mexican Films Brie Clayton May 22, 2026 0 Comments Film scanner and DaVinci Resolve Studio help manage...

22/05/2026

Boris FX Sapphire Adds Optical Beauty and Hypnotic Textures

Boris FX Sapphire Adds Optical Beauty and Hypnotic Textures Jessie Electa Petrov May 22, 2026 0 Comments The 2026.5 release introduces advanced defocu...

22/05/2026

Deployment Preserves Trusted Workflows While Enabling a P...

Deployment Preserves Trusted Workflows While Enabling a Path to UHD and SMPTE ST 2110 Leading Argentina-based sports media company Torneos y Competencias S.A....

22/05/2026

Study: AI Labeling Does Not Hurt Video Ad Performance

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

22/05/2026

NAB Show Makes 200+ Sessions Available on Demand

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

22/05/2026

Torneos Upgrades Multichannel Playout with Imagine's Versio

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

22/05/2026

Ex-Husband, Current Husband, One Wild Rescue: Korean Action Comedy Husbands in Action' Premieres June 19

Back to All News Ex-Husband, Current Husband, One Wild Rescue: Korean Action Co...

22/05/2026

Beta Da Silva hosts live performances from 20 new Irish artists in Sessions from Oblivion on 2FM's New Music Show

Catch the latest in Irish music live from venues such as Whelan's, R is n Du...

21/05/2026

CBS Sports Expands WNBA Tip-Off Show To Cover Half of 20-Game, Regular-Season Package

Game Creek Video Columbia and Celtic, NEP Supershooter 8 will house onsite produ...

21/05/2026

SVG Students To Watch: Christina Zelin, Rowan University

Freshly graduated, this upstart producer, director, and camera operator is already working as an AP on videoboard shows for the Philadelphia Phillies In the li...

21/05/2026

Media Links Announces Channel Partnership with Clearcast Asia Ahead of BroadcastAsia 2026

Media Links has announced a channel partnership with Clearcast Asia, a broadcast...

21/05/2026

SiriusXM and NASCAR Announce Multi-Year Broadcasting Agreement Renewal

SiriusXM and NASCAR have announced a multi-year renewal of their broadcasting agreement. SiriusXM will continue to carry live broadcasts of every NASCAR Cup Ser...

21/05/2026

Audio-Technica Hosts High-Density Wireless Microphone Demo at Technica House in New York City

Audio-Technica held a demonstration event at its Technica House location in New ...

21/05/2026

RTL Deutschland Selects Ateme Frame-Rate Conversion Technology for Live Event Workflows

Ateme has announced that RTL Deutschland has selected Ateme's software-based...

21/05/2026

BCC Live Deploys LiveU LU900Q for Record-Breaking IRONMAN Texas Broadcast

LiveU has announced that BCC Live deployed the LU900Q intelligent production unit for the first time during the 2026 Memorial Hermann IRONMAN Texas North Americ...

21/05/2026

Mark Aitken to Receive 2026 ATSC Mark Richer Industry Leadership Medal

ATSC has announced that Mark Aitken, President of ONE Media and Senior VP of Advanced Technology at Sinclair Broadcast Group, will receive the 2026 Mark Richer ...

21/05/2026

BBright Outlines MXL Integration Strategy for Software-Defined Broadcast Workflows

BBright has published a technical analysis of the Media eXchange Layer (MXL), de...