Longtime Sportscaster George Michael Dies

George Michael, the longtime NBC4 sports anchor and friend of Elliot in the Morning passed away early Thursday morning at Sibley Hospital in DC. George had been battling cancer. He was 70 years old.



Known for his boisterous, energetic storytelling and sense of humor, Michael served as sports director for WRC-TV, NBC's D.C. affiliate, for 27 years. Started as a local program in the early '80s, "The Sports Machine" was syndicated in 1984 and aired Sunday nights across the country for more than two decades.

"George Michael was our friend and colleague for more than 25 years,” NBC4 said in a statement released Thursday morning. “He was a dynamic force around our newsroom and in the entire Washington area. George was a pioneer in sports broadcasting. He was a gifted interviewer, a master storyteller and one of the hardest working journalists out there. Our hearts go out to his wife, Pat, and his daughter, Michelle, both of whom also worked with us for many years, as well as the rest of his family.”

Michael also created and hosted the popular "Redskins Report" and "Full Court Press," the former co-hosted by former Washington Redskins greats Sonny Jurgensen and John Riggins. He launched the television careers of numerous national sports personalities, including Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon.

And when it came to getting a Redskins coach to talk, Michael's access was unrivaled.

He brought unique life to his segments with coverage of sports like rodeo, professional wrestling and the terrier races.

A St. Louis native who graduated from Saint Louis University, Michael was a rock and roll disc jockey in Philadelphia in the late '60s and early '70s before moving to WABC in New York in 1974. He came to WRC-TV in 1980.

AUDIO:

George was last on Elliot in the Morning in April 2009, however, the following audio is from November, 17th, 2006 and is one of my favorites. George had just made his retirement announcement at WRC and Elliot called to talk with him about it.

As usual, Elliot and George spoke about everything else in between. Oddly enough, George commented about his November 2005 horseback riding accident in which he was severely injured. George said he, "Saw the other side and wasn't afraid."

R.I.P. George Michael

UPDATE:
EITMonline.com pays tribute to George Michael...