Sid Collins

Sid Collins (born Sidney Cahn) (July 17, 1922 – May 2, 1977) was an American broadcaster best known as the radio voice of the Indianapolis 500 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network from 1952-1976. He made famous the term "the greatest spectacle in racing."

Background

Born into a Jewish family who owned a convenience store in Indianapolis, Indiana, Cahn changed his professional name to Collins for fear of anti-semitism and discrimination in his chosen field of broadcasting.

Announcing

Collins worked for WIBC in Indianapolis. One year after he started at WIBC, he became the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) track announcer for the south turn. [http://www.depauw.edu/library/archives/ijhof/inductees/collinss.htm Sid Collins] ; Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame; 1980; Jani Lange; Retrieved May 5 2008] He became an radio announcer for the track after Bill Slater became ill. He was named the chief announcer in 1952. That year he introduced his "full coverage concept", which replaced a five minute rundown each hour. He sent letters to all of the radio stations on their network, but only 26 stations participated. The next year 110 stations participated and the number grew until it became 1200 by 1980. His announcing became synonymous with the race itself. He told the world the deaths, accidents, incidents and crashes during the race. Collins received over 30,000 letters asking for a copy of the eulogy that he gave to Eddie Sachs after Sachs died in a crash on the second lap of the 1964 Indianapolis 500.

He anchored New York's TVS Network auto racing network broadcasting from Trenton, Milwaukee, Langhorne, Castle Rock, and Colorado for two years. He announced national television coverage of the the Indianapolis 500 festival parade with Garry Moore, Steve Allen and Bob Barker for Hughes Sports Network. He was the subject of stories in "Hot Rod Magazine" and "The Saturday Evening Post".

Collins always signed off by quoting a serious thought or some poetry.

Death

In April 1977, Collins visited the Mayo Clinic where he was diagnosed with ALS. On May 2, 1977, at the age of 54, Collins committed suicide by hanging himself in a closet with a necktie. [ [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F40D17F63B5D167493C1A9178ED85F438785F9&scp=1&sq=Sid+Collins&st=p Sid Collins, 'Voice of 500,' Apparent Suicide Victim] , "The New York Times", May 3, 1977] Collins had confided with friend and successor Paul Page that he was planning on taking his own life, after hearing of his terminal diagnosis. Collins had been scheduled to announce the 1977 Indianapolis 500.

Awards

Collins was awarded nine American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters awards as the best auto racing broadcaster in the nation. He was cited by Indiana University's Radio/TV School as an outstanding graduate and was named to the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame in 1979.

References