Longtime Washington D.C.-based sports anchor George Michael, creator and host of “The George Michael Sports Machine” TV show, died at the age of 70 on Thursday morning, according to Michael’s family.
Michael died at Sibley Memorial Hospital after a long battle with lymphocytic leukemia.
His national show, which began airing in 1984, was groundbreaking in bringing a wide breadth of sports highlights to the general public before the days of modern day 24-hour sports channels.
“He waged his battle against cancer with the same drive and determination that made him a one-of-a-kind in the broadcasting industry,” Michael’s family said in a statement.
“Whether it was covering a sports story, working on his horse farm, or spending time with family and friends, he approached everything in life with passion.”
“Sports Machine” got its start on the NBC-owned station WRC-TV in Washington, D.C.
It focused on Sunday night recaps of the weekend’s sporting events—not just locally in D.C., but nationally and in some cases internationally—with a flair for covering uncommon sports such as NASCAR and even professional wrestling.
The show was picked up by other local NBC stations across the country until being aired on a larger syndication as the nation’s first sports highlights show, filling a niche market.
“Sports Machine” ran until 2007 when NBC budget cuts—combined with a long career—made Michael finally think about retirement. By that time it had reached more than 190 markets in the U.S. and 10 foreign countries.
For the next two years Michael appeared on TV in smaller roles as the host of local shows “Redskins Report” and “Full Court Press.”
A Pioneering Force
Michael got his start as a Philadelphia disk jockey in the late 1960s. He worked at WABC in New York before arriving at WRC-TV in 1980.
He is remembered by friends and colleagues as an energetic storyteller who strove for perfection and professionalism over his 27-year career.
“He was a dynamic force around our newsroom and in the entire Washington area,” NBC4 said in a statement on Thursday.
“George was a pioneer in sports broadcasting. He was a gifted interviewer, a master storyteller, and one of the hardest working journalists out there.”
He won over 40 Emmy Awards, and his “Sports Machine” cast combined for more than 100 Emmys.
“The use of videotape, flash, and drama marked Michael’s revolutionary, creative style of bringing sports news into our homes,” D.C. Council Chairman Vincent Gray told the Associated Press.
“George Michael will forever hold a special place in the hearts and minds of sports fans.”
Public comments about Michael’s death on WRC-TV’s Web site http://www.nbcwashington.com show the depth and breadth of the fan-base he cultivated.
“I grew up watching George Michael,” one comment read. “Every Sunday night was a ritual in my family to watch the “Sports Machine.” I would watch the 11 p.m. news waiting for his sports segment and when he wasn’t on it was a letdown. He was a part of the family.”
“The word sports and George Michael were interchangeable,” another comment reads. “He was sports, not only for Washington but for the nation with his “Sports Machine.”
Michael is survived by his wife of 31 years, Patricia Michael, and two children, daughter Michelle and son Brad.
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