It was sad this past week to hear of the passing of longtime CBS and Fox broadcaster Pat Summerall. While he did great work regardless of sport, including manning the booth at the Masters, for a generation of NFL fans my age, a little older and a little younger, Summerall on the call meant it was a big game.

The play-by-play aspect of sports broadcasting has always fascinated me, and every broadcaster has their own style. As many of his contemporaries and those influenced by him have stated this week, Summerall's play-by-play brilliance was in its simplicity.

You weren't going to get five facts about the left tackle's college career before the snap.

You weren't going to hear any over-the-top enthusiasm.

It would be something like this:

As simplistic as it might seem today, it worked very well.

Rest in peace, Pat, and thank you for a wonderful catalog of work.

- Chris Lillstrung | @CLillstrungNH