Visionary TV Sports Pioneer Simmons Dies

To many casual sports fans, the name Chet Simmons means little, but the TV sports pioneer ranks as an accomplished visionary who forever changed the way sports fans view their games.

Simmons was part of the team that made "Wide World of Sports" a reality at ABC Sports, and he later helped revitalize NBC Sports. He also served as the first president of ESPN. And he was the first president of the USFL.

He was smart enough to contribute to and lead organizations that reshaped sports television (and sports in general) in the United States. He was also smart enough to know he did not know everything -- wisely estimating 30 years ago that "what lies ahead for cable television is incalculable at this point."

While Simmons was not as well known outside the industry as the late Roone Arledge, the driving force behind ABC's "Wide World of Sports" and that network's groundbreaking coverage of the Olympics, or even Dick Ebersol, the leader of NBC Sports, he was no less an important figure in shaping sports on TV during his lifetime.

Simmons died of natural causes Thursday in Atlanta. He was 81.

Where Simmons went, credibility followed. For example, sports on TV was in its infancy when he started his career in the late 1950s, but Sports Programs Inc. eventually became ABC Sports -- a division of an up-and-coming network that made sports personality driven and profitable, setting a template that would be followed for years to come.

At NBC Sports, the same thing happened with Simmons leading the team. When ABC's success set a standard, other networks worked to match that approach -- and NBC improved greatly with Simmons as president.

Then, in 1979, Simmons jumped to cable TV and served as president of a fledgling all-sports network, ESPN, at the time of its launch.

"Chet Simmons' leadership and vision in our first years were absolutely critical to ESPN's survival," George Bodenhiemer, president of ESPN and ABC Sports, told The Associated Press. "He was the only industry president to have pioneered both sports broadcasting in the late '50s and cable television in the late '70s."

While Simmons was in charge, ESPN brought fans early round coverage of the NCAA Tournament and NFL Draft. Of course, ESPN also introduced sports-specific studio programming, with "SportsCenter" becoming a daily fixture.

In addition, covering all his stops in sports TV, Simmons helped launch the careers of numerous commentators.

"Chet did so much more than take a chance on us young people 30 years ago," ESPN anchor Chris Berman told The Associated Press. "What you see today would have never been possible without him. We'll miss him as a mentor and as a friend. All of us will be forever indebted to Chet Simmons."

Credibility followed even after ESPN. As the first president of the USFL, Simmons helped the league secure a TV deal and, eventually, earn respect as a quality professional football league. Although the league did not survive, the talent on team rosters included many who became NFL standouts and even Hall of Fame selections -- among them quarterbacks Jim Kelly and Steve Young and defensive tackle Reggie White.

After the USFL, Simmons served as a media consultant for Madison Square Garden and taught as an adjunct faculty member at the University of South Carolina.

In 2005, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 26th annual Sports Emmy Awards.