It Happened!: A Uniquely Lucky Life in Sports Television

Summary

From HBO’s ringside face and voice of boxing comes a first-person, blow-by-blow account of the evolution of sports television, chock-full of famous names, history-making events, and never-before-told stories from the world of sports.

Jim Lampley’s story is a 50-year travelogue of an unlikely career that showcases the evolution of sports television—from his emergence as the first sideline reporter, through hosting and covering 14 Olympic Games, to working with all the major sports networks.

It Happened! charts Jim’s notable career, with highlights including:

• Becoming the first live reporter on the sideline of a nationally televised college football game
• Following in the footsteps of Jim McKay as host on ABC’s Wide World of Sports and Howard Cosell as halftime host for ABC’s Monday Night Football
• Partnering with ABC, CBS, NBC, Turner, and HBO
• Ascending to host of HBO’s Wimbledon weekday telecasts
• Reaching “icon” status as the 30-year face and voice of HBO World Championship Boxing

Learn how Jim’s brilliance as an announcer and his revolutionary nature led to innovations in sportscasting, three sports Emmys, and induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Personal anecdotes and hard-earned lessons combine as Jim digs deep and shares stories from the upper echelons of superstar athletes and Hollywood hotshots, while also offering an introspective look at his personal life and trials.

“Jim Lampley’s book is an unforgettable ride down memory lane for serious and even casual sports fans. He not only saw the great games—he called them. He not only met the great athletes—he befriended them. For over 40 years he was here—on the sidelines, at ringside, in the locker rooms, in the press boxes, and he didn’t miss many of the post-game parties. A rollicking feast for sports fans.”—John Grisham, Bestselling Author and Novelist