We resort to sports to take a break from the monotonousness of our everyday life. We watch the stars play, we smile at their success and cry at their failures, we idolize them and take inspiration from them. However, we often fail to recognize the voices that make the games more interesting.
The ones behind the mics, get all the name and fame they deserve, but don’t quite get the limelight as much as the sports stars. So, before you start watching another game on the TV or place a bet on your favourite sports betting software, let’s take a quick look at the finest sports commentators in the US.
Keith Olbermann
Keith is one of the most celebrated television personalities in the US, not just for his tenure as a sports commentator but also for being a political commentator, journalist, and writer. He spent the first two decades of his career as a sports journalist. Initially working for CNN, he switched to broadcasting for the local TV and radio stations throughout the 80s. His feats have earned him eleven Golden Mike Awards and three Best Sportscaster of the Year award. The 90s saw him co-hosting ESPN’s SportsCenter for five years and Fox Sports’ weekly The Keith Olbermann Evening News, besides covering Major League Baseball for the latter. He is currently enjoying his third tenure with ESPN, doing what he does the best – hosting SportsCenter and covering Major League Baseball.
Erin Andrews
Erin herself admitted that she was a tomboy in her youth and her life revolved around sports. It is not much of a surprise since she watched NBA games with her father Steven who was a journalist himself. Erin rose to prominence after joining ESPN in 2004, where she worked as a sideline reporter covering ESPN National Hockey Night, ESPN College Football Primetime, and Major League Baseball. She has been working for Fox Sports since 2012, hosting shows and covering almost all the major sports events for Fox, which includes Major League Baseball and National Football League.
Vin Scully
“It’s time for Dodger baseball! Hi, everybody, and a very pleasant good afternoon to you, wherever you may be.” – the signature introduction in his distinct voice is surely going to take his fans down memory lane and make them nostalgic, as there is one and only Vin Scully. Vin Scully, who breathed his last the previous month, has been one of the greatest baseball commentators including Bleacher Report and Fox Sports. His career as a play-by-play announcer for Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Dodgers, which spanned 67 years, is the longest tenure by any sports broadcaster for a single team. Although he did not work for sports broadcasting giants throughout his career, he covered baseball, football, and PGA Tour golf for CBS Sports and NBC sports for quite some time.
Al Michaels
Thursday Night Football viewers on Prime Video are probably familiar with Al Michael’s voice. Alan Michael is one of the most celebrated American sports broadcasters due to his three-decade-long tenure with ABC Sports, where he worked as the play-by-play announcer for National Football League games. Apart from football, he broadcasted some highly popular games like ‘Miracle on Ice’ in the 1980 Winter Olympics, the ice-hockey game that took place between the USA and the defending Champions USSR, and the baseball game 3 of the 1989 World Series which was interrupted by an earthquake. He switched to NBC Sports in 2006, where he notably covered Sunday Night Football and the 2010 Winter Olympics. As of now, he holds an emeritus role in NBC Sports besides working for Amazon Prime Video. He is also a popular face in media since he has featured in small roles in multiple movies and TV Shows, including Jerry Maguire and Family Guy.
Jim Nantz
James Nantz is quite a popular name among American sportscasters for his tenure with CBS Sports since 1985. Till now, he has covered a handful of significant sporting events for CBS, which includes College Basketball, NBA, NFL, and Winter Olympics. He is currently the main host of PGA Tour coverage for CBS and has been covering The Masters tournament since 1989.
Dick Vitale
Richard Vitale, popularly called Dickie V by his fans, is among the finest basketball commentators in America. The veteran, whose career progressed from being a high school basketball coach to coaching Detroit Pistons in the 1978-1979 season, switched to commentary after he was terminated from his job. He is still going strong in his 41-year-long broadcasting career with ESPN. Vitale’s colorful catchphrases like “This is awesome, baby!” and “Diaper Dandy” is loved by basketball fans around the world. He is also a popular voice in EA Sports’ video game series NCAA Basketball and other movies and TV shows.
The List is Quite Long
We can also include Fox Sports’ Clarissa Thompson and Joe Buck, ESPN’s Chris Berman and Hannah Storm, and NBC Sports Bob Costas for their outstanding contribution to sports broadcasting. These personalities mentioned above, have acted as an uncompromising bridge between the games and their fans. They have made the games more lucid and entertaining, alongside hyping us up all the way for our favorite teams and players.
