If you had to put together a TV newscast, and could start with Tim Russert on news and Jim McKay on sports, you could pretty much add Spanky the Wonder Clown on the weather desk and still deliver top product.  So this was a rough week in the broadcasting world, with the death of both these standard bearers.

Anyone my age remembers the pre-ESPN days, when Wide World of Sports was this weekend sugar bomb of athletic events that you couldn’t get Monday-Friday.   Once cable took over, WWS lost its significance, but it was ESPN before ESPN was ESPN, and Jim McKay was its fearless leader. Plus, back in the day, Jim McKay was the voice of Olympic coverage, and I think even the current TV hosts would admit they have never quite filled his shoes.

Russert of course,  anchored the "Meet the Press" desk for the last 17 years, and was one of the few remaining level-headed, unbiased, voices of reason during the election coverage. Every eulogy I have heard over the last 3 days has proclaimed him to be a great mentor and family guy as well.  Hopefully those mentoring skills will pay off and one of his proteges will admirably take over his place at the desk.

Everyone who watches TV will feel the loss of these legends, especially when you consider the magnitutde of the upcoing 2008 Olymipcs in Beijing and November US Presidential Election.