It Happened!: A Uniquely Lucky Life in Sports Television

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 travelog of an unlikely career that catalogs the evolution of sports television–from his emergence as the first sideline reporter, through hosting and covering 14 Olympics, to working with all 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 celebrity stories from the upper echelons of superstar athletes and Hollywood hotshots, but also offers an introspective look at his personal life and trials.

Author: Jim Lampley, Art Chansky
Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Matt Holt Books
Published: 04/15/2025
Pages: 272
Weight: 1lbs
Size: 9.10h x 6.30w x 1.00d
ISBN: 9781637746431
Language: English