American TV producer, a former basketball player.
As a basketball guard, the 5’ 7″ Forte intensely aimed to be the best. He devised a fall-away jump that players a foot taller could not stop. His deadly two-handed set shot, he was called by some “one of the greatest shooters seen in college.” His accuracy and ingenuity led him to average 28.9 points during his senior year and to earn First Team All-American status on every major poll. He finished his career having re-written the Columbia record book, demolishing every school scoring record, not to mention the NCAA consecutive free throw mark. He still holds 12 records for the Lions, including season and career scoring, and his one-game scoring record of 45 points, set in 1957 against Penn, stood until Buck Jenkins scored 47 in 1991.
Forte’s academic lack caused him to miss part of his junior season and to miss breaking more career records.
Post-college, Forte joined ABC Sports in 1963. He was probably best known for producing and directing Monday Night Football from 1971 through 1986, along with directing the network coverage of two Olympic games and winning 11 Emmys along the way. Forte also directed ABC news specials, including Cape Kennedy space shuttle
launches, the return of the American hostages from Iran, Ronald Reagan’s Presidential inauguration and Democratic and Republican national conventions.
He also became known for stepping on people and compiling a credible list of enemies. According to Howard Cosell, he was a “crude, volatile, and emotional man.” He ended his days on TV by declaring bankruptcy brought about by a disastrous gambling addiction. In September 1990 he pled guilty to mail and wire fraud and income tax charges, stemming from efforts to support his habit. The judge sentenced him to five years probation.
He joined Gamblers Anonymous and hosted a sports talk show on radio station XTRA since May 1991. At age 60, he suffered a fatal heart attack on 5/18/1996 in San Diego. He was survived by his wife, Patricia, and daughter, Jacqueline.
Link to Wikipedia biography