Gowdy's Wyoming drawl was the soundtrack to countless baseball and football games at my boyhood house, and he was terrific. But I remember him best as the host -- and eager participant -- on the "American Sportsman" television show that showed on weekend afternoons.
Gowdy and some celebrity guest would jet off to the Bahamas to fish for bonefish, Wyoming for trout or some other exotic location. I liked listening to Gowdy call a football or baseball game -- although Vin Scully was and is the ultimate baseball announcer -- but I loved watching him go on outdoor adventures.
Gowdy always talked about how great it was to just be outdoors, and you could tell he'd rather be wading the Madison River in Montana than covering the Super Bowl.
I remember watching an "American Sportsman" in the 1980s where Gowdy and some forgotten celebrity were fishing for bonefish in the Bahamas.
Gowdy hooked and landed a small permit, which are the toughest fish on the planet to catch on a fly.
Gowdy was as excited as a little kid. Come to think of it, he was always as excited as a little kid on those shows.
I'm glad he had a good long run on this watery planet.
