Who remembers the Agony of Defeat?

[milestogo]

They used it in the opening of ABC's Wide World of Sports. I must have seen that guy fall a few hundred times.

[hlthe2b]

1. Me too (at least a few hundred times). Mesmerizing every time.

I always liked ABC's coverage.

[blm]

2. Or, The Claudine Longet Ski Tournament.

For old-time SNL aficionados.

Yes, another censored Michael O’Donoghue sketch.

[ms liberty]

3. Imprinted on my brain. n/t

[Skittles]

4. I remember that

he's a really good painter now

[elias7]

5. The thrill of victory...

…Ba Ba Ba Ba Buuuummmm…..
and the agony of defeat….
Ba Ba, Ba Buuummm….

[USALiberal]

6. Great promo! Nt

[Tomconroy]

7. Absolutely remember that guy. But was there a different Agony

of Defeat before this guy went off course? That I don't remember.

[denbot]

9. Yeah, but after the Ski Jump.

[Tomconroy]

10. I found this far less dramatic one from 1969:

[milestogo]

12. I'm having flashbacks to Mutual of Omaha's "Wild Kingdom"

which we also used watch on weekends...

[denbot]

18. Loved that show.. (While the crew attempts to pull Jim out of the Anaconda's gullet..)

Back when even a kid on the outskirts of Los Angeles (Hacienda Heights) could experience nature both inside and outside of a glowing box.

[CentralMass]

20. Well in my mispent youth I had more epic wipeouts on the slopes then that one.

Including some head over heels dumps on steep terrain rivaling the other agony of defeat wipeout.

[milestogo]

22. If those had been filmed you could be making a fortune.

[denbot]

8. Every Sunday (I think) from Jr High on..

The original "Failure" video clip.

[milestogo]

11. He should have gotten royalties for having that played so many times.

But since it was a competition, probably not.

[Lars39]

14. iirc he didn't even know he was famous

for that intro for years.

[3catwoman3]

13. Some images are as clear decades later as when...

...first seen.

This is one of them.

[Earth-shine]

15. The Wide World of Sports was terrific television.

I remember it fondly from my childhood.

[RobinA]

19. Yes It Was

Best part of the winter weekend for me as a figure skating fan at a very young age. Coverage today is technically "better," but somehoe not the same.

[CentralMass]

21. It was awesome.

[Emile]

16. Every Sunday, yes I remember.

[Sogo]

17. I was just thinking about that opening

yesterday….”The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat….ABC’s Wide World of Sports.”

I’m glad to see from your post that the guy experienced a really good jump before his wipeout.

[Harker]

23. I think myself lucky to have grown up with Jim McKay...

Chris Schenkel, et al. introducing and commenting.

They added context, were smart, witty, and seemingly good people whose voices brought me a lot of comfort as a kid.

[ProfessorGAC]

24. Absolutely, Yes!

That was a great show in the era before live sports 24/7.