10-23-2026 8:02am

A Local Legacy

James Kenneth McManus (September 24, 1921 – June 7, 2008), known professionally as Jim McKay, loved horses and Monkton.

A legendary sportscaster (born James Kenneth McManus) lived for many years there, where he owned and operated his horse farm Bellefield Farm.

McKay was the driving force behind the creation of the Jim McKay Maryland Million Day in 1986, a premier racing series designed to showcase and support Maryland-bred horses.

McKay became one of the most respected sports broadcasters in American history as the longtime host of ABC's "Wide World of Sports" from 1961 to 1998. His iconic introduction, "Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sports," and the phrase "the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat," became part of television history. He covered 12 Olympic Games and is widely remembered for his reporting during the 1972 Munich Olympics hostage crisis, where he remained on air for hours providing calm, continuous coverage as events unfolded, earning widespread praise and multiple Emmy Awards.

McKay was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and raised largely in Baltimore, Maryland. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II before beginning his broadcasting career, making early television history as the first voice ever heard on Baltimore television and working across CBS and NBC before joining ABC in 1961. Throughout his career, he reported on major events including the Kentucky Derby, the British Open, the Indianapolis 500 and multiple World Cups.

McKay died of natural causes on June 7, 2008, at the age of 86, leaving behind a legacy as one of the most trusted and influential voices in sports broadcasting. ·His son Sean McManus later became president of both CBS Sports and CBS News