On football field, in the booth, Frank Gifford a winner

Written by acclaimed sports author and oral historian Harvey Frommer, with an intro by pro football Hall of Famer Frank Gifford, When It Was Just a Game tells the fascinating story of the ground-breaking AFL-NFL World Championship Football game played on January 15, 1967: Packers vs. Chiefs.

He is survived by his wife, Kathie Lee Gifford, and their children Cody and Cassidy.

Neither the NFL nor sports media would be the same today without Frank Gifford’s skill on the field and in the booth.

Sitting beside former first daughter Jenna Bush, who was filling in for Kathie Lee Gifford, Kotb began breaking up as she addressed her widowed friend, saying, “Kath, I don’t know if you’re watching, you’re probably not, but I miss you and I love you”. “All of a sudden we have a tremendous string of successful seasons in the late 1950s and he was the star of that team, the most recognizable player on that team, the matinee idol, the one player everybody idolized and wanted to be like”.

While he worked with others, including Dan Dierdorf, Al Michaels, Joe Namath and O.J. Simpson, Gifford was most known for the eight years he served as a calming influence between the folksy Meredith and acerbic Cosell.

Gifford spent 10 days in the hospital suffering from a fractured vertebrae and a concussion, not remembering the play that nearly ended his career.

But maybe more than anyone in the history of the game, Gifford’s career is something of a timeline for what football has become in America.

According to the New York Daily News, Kathie Lee has been more focused on celebrating Frank’s life than mourning his passing. Kathie Lee Gifford is now hosting the TODAY show. This is as close as I got, which I’ll sign up for anytime.

The pair’s special bond was on full display during a 2001 interview when Frank was asked about his family. Kathie Lee had texted Hoda and left a voicemail with the news, and Kotb headed straight to Gifford’s house even though Kathie Lee had said not to.

The rosy picture was shattered in 1997 by news that Gifford was having an affair. His USC classmate, author Frederick Exley, deftly captured Gifford’s celebrity aura in his 1968 memoir, “A Fan’s Notes”.

Their marriage endured to the end.

Kathie Lee thanked her friend for speaking out on Twitter. “Today of all days I can genuinely say I am humbled by the outpour of love and support my family has received”. “We are steadfast in our faith & finding comfort in knowing where Frank is”.