The man who helped bring cable sports coverage into the mainstream passed away on Thursday. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, former ESPN president Chester "Chet" Simmons died of natural causes at the age of 81 in Atlanta.
Simmons joined ESPN as president and chief operating officer at the end of July in 1979 — less than two months prior to the network's launch on Sept. 7.
"There's no question that cable television sports is at the same stage right now that network sports was 15 or 20 years ago," Simmons said at the time. "I've lived through the evolution of sports on television, and what lies ahead for cable television is incalculable at this point."
Since the launch of ESPN, cable sports coverage has grown by leaps and bounds, with many regional and specialized networks launched nationwide. ESPN itself has expanded greatly and now has multiple networks and multimedia platforms.
Simmons left ESPN in 1982 to become the founding commissioner of the USFL, serving until 1985.
Prior to his time at ESPN, Simmons worked for ABS Sports and helped create the widely popular program, Wide World of Sports. He was also the president of NBC Sports before moving to the fledgling cable network.
For all his contributions to the community, Simmons was awarded with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2005 Sports Emmy Awards.
