Thursday, 07 May 2026

Jim Simpson

Contest: The US Athletic Hall of Fame - Commentators 2026
NBC Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sport(s): Football, Basketball, Baseball, Tennis, and Golf
Statistics & Accolades: National Sports Media Association Hall of Fame
Senior Bowl Hall of Fame
3x Sports Emmy Award Winner
Sports Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award
Jim Simpson is among the most versatile sports announcers that NBC ever had, and think what ground that covers.

Simpson joined NBC in the early 1960s, and before long, he was calling every sport that the network could get its hands on. His strength was his impeccable knowledge fused with the most unassuming approach. Throughout the 60s and 70s, viewers and listeners heard him dozens of times, and likely forgot Simpson’s name, as he always made the sport the primary, secondary, and tertiary stars of the show. While he may have enjoyed staying under the radar, the sports industry knew who he was, and when ESPN opened its doors, they hired Simpson, which was exactly what they needed.

With Simpson’s ability to cover anything, the early days of the fledgling network benefited greatly, as did many of the younger or less experienced broadcasters who learned under him.

We are proud to nominate Jim Simpson for the United States Athletic Hall of Fame.