Chet Simmons

At his core, he was a huge sports fan. But Chet Simmons, who died March 25 at 81, was also a gifted visionary and leader. He ultimately wanted to do what was right for his fellow fans--the TV viewers of America.

Instrumental in developing Wide World of Sports in the nascent years of ABC Sports, Chet later headed NBC Sports and had a guiding hand in numerous technical innovations, such as the use of instant replay. And, again with the fan in mind and at heart, he hired a Koufax, a Kubek, and several other great sports names as commentators. With...

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