Posted on by bdamage1
Brian Damage
Grappling with Tragedy is a series of articles that deal with unfortunate, tragic incidents that have occurred throughout the history of professional wrestling. It is unlike the ‘Wrestling with Sin’ series that deals more with the seedier side of wrestling like arrests, murders and suicides. Grappling looks more at particular tragic incidents that have in some instances altered pro wrestling in some way.
Bailey Goss
George Bailey Goss was a beloved TV and radio sports announcer from the Baltimore, Maryland area. He announced Major League Baseball games for the Baltimore Orioles, football for the Baltimore Colts and professional wrestling in the Maryland / D.C. territory. Goss had the distinction of announcing the very first football game televised on network television. Fans gave him the nickname of “Mister TV” for all the different programs he worked on.
When Vince McMahon Sr took over the Maryland/ D.C. territory where Goss was doing the wrestling announcing…McMahon fired Goss and replaced him with his personal choice for an announcer in Bill Malone. While his wrestling broadcasting career came to an end, Goss continued working several other sporting events.
On May 1, 1962…after attending an awards dinner for the Baltimore Colts, Goss was tragically killed in a car crash. He was just 49 years old at the time of his death. Ironically, Goss’ replacement as a wrestling announcer in Bill Malone also died in a car crash.