One of the busiest broadcasters out there is Kenny Albert, the only play-by-play commentator currently doing NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL work (the first two for Fox, plus Knicks and Rangers work for MSG and NHL work for NBC) and a guy who’s also done Olympics, boxing, horse racing, soccer and lacrosse.
The latest
- Singular focus on Caitlin Clark brings risk, reward for ESPN and women’s basketball
- Explosive lawsuit alleges sabotage and union-busting in Sports Illustrated-Arena Group divorce
- Sage Steele: The devil knocked out my teeth with a golf ball for suing ESPN and speaking out
- Rece Davis downplays ‘risk-free investment’ gambling comment on The Pat McAfee Show, insists he didn’t apologize
FOOTBALL: Ron Pitts, Anthony Munoz, Tim Green, Brian Baldinger, Sean Jones, Daryl Johnston, Tony Siragusa, Bill Maas, Matt Robinson, Kellen Winslow, Joe Namath, Ron Jaworski, Mike Mayock, Terrell Davis, Dan Fouts, Todd Blackledge, Matt Millen, Marty Lyons, John Riggins, Howie Long, Terry Bradshaw, Barry Alvarez, Troy Aikman, Tim Ryan, Joe Theismann, Michael Strahan, Jimmy Johnson, Gino Torretta, Boomer Esiason, Pam Oliver, Jay Glazer, John Lynch, Charles Davis, Charissa Thompson, James Lofton, Irving Fryar, Toi Cook, D.J. Johnson, Amy Van Dyken, Dan Jiggetts, Beasley Reece, Carl Reuter, Chris Myers, Antwan Randle-El, Clinton Portis, Pat Summerall, Lindsay Czarniak, Dave Spadaro, Mike Quick, Brad Sham, Ken Harvey, Mike Pereira, Walt Coleman, Byron Boston, Hugh Millen, Jack Ham, Laura Okmin.
Other interesting broadcasters he’s worked with include Bobby Nystrom and Glenn Anderson (NHL), Wally Szczerbiak and Bill Raftery (basketball), Paul Molitor and Duane Kuiper (MLB), Suzy Kolber (horse racing) and Sugar Ray Leonard (boxing). There are some interesting stories in the piece about how Albert works with all those different analysts, too:
No matter the scale of the event or celebrity status of the analyst, Albert knows his job.
“The play-by-play man has many roles: the first is obvious — calling the play,” Albert said. “Also weaving in anecdotes, statistics, historical information, rules explanations, stories from meetings with players and coaches, while also serving as somewhat of a conversation ‘traffic cop.’”
And every bit as important is setting up the color analyst.
“I have been fortunate in that I have gotten along with — and ‘clicked’ with — just about all of the partners I have worked with,” Albert said. “You certainly develop a rhythm and flow with the partners you work with on a consistent basis; you learn each other’s cadence and tendencies from years and years of working together.”
…“I remember working a Green Bay Packers game in 1995 with Anthony Munoz,” Albert said. “Reggie White stopped practicing and walked off the field to chat with Anthony. I could sense the immense amount of respect they had for each other. Also, I noticed a common thread working with icons such as Walt Frazier, Joe Namath and ‘Sugar Ray’ Leonard — how nice they were to the fans. I never witnessed any of the three turn down an autograph or photo request while I was with them.
“It has been an honor to work with so many superstars and Hall of Famers in the various sports,” Albert added. “Their anecdotes and personal stories from the big games they have played in have only enhanced the broadcasts. It brings viewers/listeners closer to the field, court or ice when they share these moments. And it makes my job a lot more fun.”
Albert’s shown great adaptability and great skill in calling a wide variety of sports, earning a Sports Emmy nomination this year. and he’s only 48, so it looks like this list’s going to keep growing for some time to come. The full list can be found here.
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