Long-time sports broadcaster Charlie Jones passed away Thursday at the age of 77. He's best remembered for his work with old American Football League, as well as the NFL, but he also covered baseball, golf, tennis, the Olympics (mostly track-and-field) and soccer. He also called games for the Reds and the Rockies.

While he worked recently for ABC/ESPN, Jones spent most of his career calling events for NBC, particulary the bitter football rivalries in the AFC West involving games between the Raiders, Chiefs, Chargers and Broncos. Over the years, his broadcast partners included Len Dawson, Bob Griese, Merlin Olsen and Jimmy Cefelo.

Personally, I think his shining moment came in 1987. At that time, Jones was the voice of the Fiesta Bowl. But when Penn State and Miami agreed to play in the Fiesta Bowl for the national championship, there was talk that Jones and partners Cefalo and Griese would be pulled from the game and another broadcast team would be brought in. NBC correctly decided to keep Jones and his partners on the game. Jones brilliantly called Penn State's 14-10 upset of the Hurricanes.

In 1997, Jones was award the Pro Footbal Hall of Fame's Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award.

Dick Ebersol, Chairman, NBC Universal Sports & Olympics released a statement that said:
"All of us at NBC are saddened at the passing of one of the great pioneers of NBC Sports. His work in particular on the NFL, golf and the Olympics left a lasting legacy.''