George Finkel

{{Short description|American television director and producer (1936–2019)}} {{Use American English|date=April 2019}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2019}} '''George Finkel''' (July 29, 1936 – April 17, 2019) was an American television sports producer and director. He was the son of architect Maurice Herman Finkel. He graduated from University of Michigan in 1958.<ref name="Lee Funeral Home">{{cite web |title=Obituary George Finkel |url=https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/little-river-sc/george-finkel-8253192 |access-date=April 28, 2019 |publisher=Dignity Memorial}}</ref>

Finkel worked for NBC Sports from August 1971 to February 1990 and won three Emmys, for producing Super Bowl XIII,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4aIfAAAAIBAJ&pg=1382,777542&dq=emmy+george-finkel&hl=en|title=ABC captures four Emmys|date=March 5, 1980|work=The Gadsden Times|publisher=AP|page=30|access-date=July 12, 2010}}</ref> for 1982 World Series, and for producing gymnastics at the 1988 Olympics.<ref name="Lee Funeral Home" />

He also produced the highest-rated basketball game in television history: the 1979 NCAA men's championship game, featuring Magic Johnson's Michigan State defeating Larry Bird's Indiana State.<ref name="wsj.com">{{cite news |author= |date=March 20, 2009 |title=When March Went Mad |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB123749586919888349 |access-date=April 17, 2019 |newspaper=Wall Street Journal}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author= |date= |title=The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia |url=http://www.broadcastpioneers.com/bp3/1-16-2002.html |access-date=April 17, 2019 |website=BroadcastPioneers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last= |date=December 2, 2014 |title=Pioneers of Philadelphia Broadcasting George Finkel |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeC9Ibn_WJY |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201229071958/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeC9Ibn_WJY |archive-date=December 29, 2020 |access-date=April 17, 2019 |publisher=Broadcast Pioneers |via=YouTube }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1982/05/16/ohlmeyer-nbc-wont-be-the-same-without-its-expert-at-excess/56b9fd16-c449-413f-8931-614cc4c9d490/ |title=Ohlmeyer: NBC Won't Be the Same Without Its Expert at Excess |date=1982-05-16 |author1=William Taafe |newspaper=The Washington Post |place=Washington, D.C. |issn=0190-8286 |oclc=1330888409}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qjQTsmTJbX0C&q=%22george+finkel%22+sports&pg=PA277|title=When March Went Mad: The Game That Transformed Basketball|first=Seth|last=Davis|date=March 3, 2009|publisher=Macmillan|isbn=9780805088106|access-date=April 17, 2019|via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Live TV: an inside look at directing and producing|first1=Tony|last1=Verna|first2=William T|last2=Bode|date=April 17, 1987|publisher=Focal Press|oclc=14357417}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NEpYAAAAMAAJ&q=%22george+finkel%22+sports&pg=RA14-PA29|title=The Michigan Alumnus|author=|date=April 17, 1974|publisher=UM Libraries|access-date=April 17, 2019|via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=1980 Emmy nominations |url=http://emmyonline.com/download/1980-Nomination_Winners.pdf |date=July 28, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180728150557/http://emmyonline.com/download/1980-Nomination_Winners.pdf |archive-date=July 28, 2018}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Finkel, George}} Category:1936 births Category:2019 deaths Category:University of Michigan alumni Category:American people of Moldovan-Jewish descent Category:American television producers Category:American television directors