Jim Healy

Biography

James Patrick Healy (September 14, 1923 – July 22, 1994) was a longtime Los Angeles, California, sports commentator (KLAC, 1961–1965; KFWB, 1969; KABC-TV, 1969–1984; KLAC, 1973–1982; KMPC, 1984–1994), whose daily solo radio show featured a number of sound effects and audio clips ("drops") of famous sports personalities, which he played repeatedly to affect an acerbically humorous tone. Healy wrote for KMPC sportcaster Bob Kelley for 11 years, and hosted "Here's Healy" on KBIG and also worked at KFWB, KABC-TV and KLAC. Healy's shows (from the late 1970s onward) took the form of him reading headlines, with the clicking sound effect of a teleprinter in the background. In response to his own headlines or comments, Healy would then play one of his many favorite audio clips, such as "That's a bunch of bull," "That's just plain poppycock" (President Richard Nixon), or "Jim Healy, you've got a weak show" (by a Howard Cosell mimic), followed by the genuine Cosell drop "Who Goofed I've got to know." and "Jim Healy that's your lowest shot ever!" Among his sound effects was a high pitched smirking laughtrack, sounding like, "Mee-hee-hee-hee..." (Norm Sherry, then manager of the California Angels). Perhaps the most notorious—and among the most frequently played—clip in Healy's collection was a post-game tirade by then-Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda, after Dave Kingman, playing for the Chicago Cubs, hit three home runs to beat the Dodgers. Lasorda's rant started out: "What's my opinion of Kingman's performance!? What the &@*$% do you think is my opinion of it?" Among other Healy-isms: He used the term "zops" as slang for dollars. He referred to fellow L.A. sports broadcasting personality Stu Nahan (both appeared in "Rocky III") as "Silver-tipped Stu." He called Bill Dwyre, sports editor of the Los Angeles Times, "Journalist Bill." Ever dismissive of his arch-rivals, UCLA alum Healy referred to the USC Trojans as the "Brain Surgeons." He also flashed a distorted reco

Bio from Wikipedia