One of the greatest broadcasters, Curt Gowdy, passed away Monday at the age of 86. Gowdy was a true legend, someone that a young journalist like myself could look up to, and think about because of how much he contributed to sports.

One thing that made Gowdy stand out from other broadcasters was that he was friendly with sports figures, most notably Ted Williams, who was not at all known to be a nice guy with the media. But, Gowdy was another story.

In fact Gowdy, of all people, was one of the only people to be told that Williams was going to retire and not go back to New York for the final three games of the 1961 season. So, Gowdy knew about it before Williams homered in his final at-bat, and because of that, was able to proudly say that would truly be Williams' last at-bat.

Gowdy defined the world of sports, announcing 9 Super Bowls, 13 World Series and 24 NCAA Final Fours. He also did the MLB "Game of theWeek" with Tony Kubek from 1966-1976, and more importantly, he announced Boston Red Sox games from 1951 to 1965.

Prior to moving to Boston, Gowdy announced the New York Yankees games with Mel Allen in 1949. Allen claims that Gowdy taught him how to announce.

In addition, Gowdy had a critically acclaimed television show, "The American Sportsman," which ran from the early 1960s into the 1980s and featured many famous sports figures and Hollywood entertainers and movie stars.

He also is the only broadcaster ever to be inducted into the Hall of Fame of all three major sports -- Basketball, Baseball and Football, as well as the American Sportscasters Hall of Fame.

On a personal note, I am looking to eventually become a broadcaster, and I sure won’t forget to learn about Curt Gowdy, the true American Sportsman and one of the greatest broadcasters who ever lived.