Jack Eaton has died at 86. He was for many years the sports director and sports anchor for WMC-TV Channel 5. He is perhaps best known for his work as play-by-play announcer for the University of Memphis football and basketball teams.
Eaton, who was known as “Big Jack,” was at Channel 5 from 1956 until his retirement in 1991. He was the voice of Tiger basketball from 1959-87, and handled football chores from 1964-1986. Eaton also broadcast local high school football and even did some professional wrestling broadcasts in the 1950s.
He was well-known for his two colorful go-to expressions during exciting or climactic plays: “Great Caesar’s Ghost!” and “Great Scott!” He also wrote dozens of poems, most of them with simple and clever rhymes. They were later collected into a book, Great Scott! I Rhyme a Lot.
Eaton was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.
