NEW YORK (Dec. 20, 2013) — Mickey Wittman, known as the father of sports aerial broadcasting for his work in developing the Goodyear blimp's role in sports television, was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame on Dec. 19.
Mr. Wittman helped to make the blimp shot a staple in many major sports broadcasts.
He joined the Akron-based tire manufacturer in 1968 and during his 28-year career provided aerial coverage for some of the biggest sporting events in history.
His resume includes more than 2,500 live events, 30 World Series, 24 Super Bowls, five Olympics, 17 Orange Bowls, over 200 PGA events, 22 years of Monday Night Football, 26 All-Star Games, eight Cotton Bowls, seven Rose Bowls, 28 Indianapolis 500s, 18 years of horse racing's Triple Crown events, 13 U.S. Open tennis tournaments, 20 heavyweight boxing championships, 300 college football games, 12 NCAA men's Final Four basketball tournaments, 240 NASCAR races and hundreds of other sporting events and sports-related entertainment shows in North America and Europe.
Mr. Wittman left Goodyear in 1974 but returned in 1978 as manager of broadcast and films in Goodyear's New York office. In 1991 he was named manager of airship promotion in 1991 and in 1997 manager of global airship public relations. He retired from Goodyear in 2001 and went on to work as director of broadcast service for another aerial camera provider.