And perhaps he most famous for being the last white guy in sports named Jackson... except, of course, there's Michael... doing his favorite sport.
Did he really retire or was he just forced out? If the executives made an offer they knew he wouldn't accept, it doesn't sound like they were really trying to keep Jackson around. I hate the spin being put on this that makes it look like it was all Jackson's idea. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12507602/ “When he expressed to us that he was considering retirement, we repeatedly tried to convince him otherwise, but completely respect his decision,” said Norby Williamson, the executive vice president of ESPN and ABC Sports. Williamson reportedly had offered Jackson a travel package that he was not interested in. The broadcasting legend preferred to remain on the West Coast but had been presented with a slate that included trips to East Lansing, Michigan and State College, Pennsylvania. .... “I don’t want to get back into the pressure-cooker of play-by-play and worry about travel. I don’t want to die in a stadium parking lot.”