Randy Smith
I felt a bit of sadness when it was reported Friday morning that Lee Corso, the likeable, quick witted broadcaster on ESPN's College Gameday, is retiring. Corso has been a part of College Gameday for 34 years, though in the past few seasons, he's been absent from time to time because of illness. He'll be 90 years old when he makes his final appearance on Gameday Aug. 30.
At the Smith house in the fall, Saturdays begin with breakfast as we watch College Gameday.
Although there are always a few chores to be done, most of those days are spent in front of the television watching college football. I don't watch pro football on Sundays that much because two straight days of doing nothing but watching football is too much. I figure that I allow myself to spend my Saturdays glued to the TV set because when I was a teenager, there was only one game televised each week. Then when I got older I started to work on Saturdays broadcasting or covering games and never had the opportunity to watch a lot of games. Now that I'm retired, one of the most enjoyable things to me is being able to sit in my recliner, eat a few snacks and watch football.
Lee Corso has always gotten Saturdays started and I seldom miss his " headgear " antics at the end of each broadcast. His catch phrase, "not so fast my friend," is something he uses each and every Saturday. In case you're wondering how accurate his picks have been through the years....he's 286-144 which means he's picked 67 percent correctly and that's not bad at all. Also, he's placed the Ohio State mascot head on more than any other school. He's donned " Brutus " 45 times, with Alabama's "Big Al " coming in second with 38 picks.
He hasn't always been a broadcaster. After finishing his college career at Florida State, he went into coaching. He became head coach at Louisville, Indiana and Northern Illinois before joining ESPN in 1987 and becoming one of the game's most beloved figures. "Coach Corso has had an iconic run in broadcasting and we're all lucky to have been around to witness it, " said his partner Kirk Herbstreit. "He has taught me so much through our time together and he's been like a second father to me."
His retirement brings to a close a true " Golden Era " for college footbal ESPN gave me an opportunity and provided me with the support to ensure success. I am genuinely grateful."
And your fans, especially this one, is genuinely grateful to have his Saturdays started by you for many, many years. Enjoy your retirement, Coach. You deserve it.