About Sports Broadcasters

The vast majority of sports in this country is consumed on television and radio. More than the athletes themselves, it's the sports broadcaster who comes into your family room, bedroom or car to tell you the story of the game or the team that you are so passionately interested in. Some of the greatest sportscasters--Bob Costas, Al Michaels, Curt Gowdy, Howard Cosell, John Madden and Vin Scully--make an event bigger by their presence.

Benefits

The sportscaster adds to the ambience of the sporting event and gives you the information needed to get the most out of the game you are watching. You can watch a game with the sound turned down and keep up with what's happening and the score. But if you want to know the background of a particular player or coach or the history of a team or an event like the World Series, you would best be advised to listen to the game as well. A baseball game described by Vin Scully becomes a work of art. Scully, who has been announcing Dodger games since the team was in Brooklyn during the 1950s, is an encyclopedia of baseball knowledge who knows exactly what to say and exactly when to keep quiet. No announcer could capture the drama of the moment the way Howard Cosell could when he announced a boxing match or served as a commentator on "Monday Night Football." The clarity of Al Michaels announcing the U.S. Olympic Hockey team's victory in 1980 was as brilliant as the team's play itself.

Function

The announcer is there for the benefit of the listener, not to assuage his own ego by talking over the event. An announcer who makes a baseball game about himself is doing the game and the consumer a disservice. Sometimes a great announcer will turn his mic down at the key moment and let the roar of the crowd tell the story. Al Michaels' "Do you believe in miracles? Yes!" as the U.S. Olympic Hockey team beat the Soviets in 1980, followed by the unabated roar of the crowd in Lake Placid, N.Y., may be the classic sports broadcasting moment.

History of

Sportscasting on TV started as a byproduct of the first televised sporting events. When the first baseball games were televised, the television networks quickly realized that they needed to have announcers to tell those at home what was going on. For years, sports announcers worked alone and told the story of what was happening on the field--and nothing else. Colorful stories about teams or a player's background didn't become part of the regular broadcast until the 1950s and '60s. At about that time, networks would put at least two men in the broadcast booth and encourage them to banter during a game. More often than not, one professional broadcaster and one former player would man the booth and keep the listeners informed. Perhaps the most controversial and interesting broadcasting move came about when ABC started to broadcast "Monday Night Football" in 1970. That broadcast had three men in the booth, including the controversial Howard Cosell. Loved by a few, hated by many, Cosell is still considered to be the most interesting sportscaster in the history of broadcasting. A lawyer, Cosell could eviscerate an athlete or coach who lacked passion for his job. His distinct New York accent was unmistakable, as was his dislike for the print media.

Evolution

As sports has grown into a multibillion dollar business, sportscasting has changed dramatically. Instead of just telling the viewer or listener what is going on down on the field, sportscasters have more information available and try to make the listener part of the event by getting "up close and personal" with the athletes and then making the stories known on the air. This is positive and makes the broadcast better, but some announcers will also try to tell every anecdote with a smarmy, syrupy smile that is sickening. This makes the event about the broadcaster and lessens the value of the broadcast. At moments like this, a viewer might be well-advised to turn down the sound on the television and just watch the event.

Expert Insight

The presence of the ex-athlete or former manager in the booth has changed dramatically over the years. When the concept first came into practice in the 1950s and '60s, the athlete was there to tell stories about the old days and relive his highlights. Now, the position of ex-athlete in the booth is a highly competitive position and the former player won't last long unless he can relate stories about what an athlete goes through in a game and in practice to make it onto the field. He must tell the truth about a coach's methods, not sanitize the stories to make them palatable. Former athletes who can honestly tell stories of what a player or coach is really like and reveal the warts on their personalities are the ones who will be able to hold on to their position and build a long-lasting second career.