Marv Albert

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Marv Albert (born Marvin Philip Aufrichtig; June 12, 1941) is an American television and radio sportscaster, honored for his work as a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame and is commonly referred to as "the voice of basketball". From 1967 - 2004, he was also known as "the voice of the New York Knicks". In 2006, he was inducted into the Nassau County Sports Hall of Fame.

[edit] Broadcasting career

[edit] National Basketball Association

For over 30 years beginning in 1967, Albert was the voice of the New York Knicks on radio and television (getting his start by being a ball boy for the Knicks before getting his first break on New York radio by sportscaster Marty Glickman) before being let go by the chairman of the MSG Network and Cablevision after Albert criticized the Knicks' poor play on-air in 2004.

Albert continues to be the lead play-by-play announcer for National Basketball Association games on TNT, a position he assumed in 1999. Indeed, TNT has become his primary commitment ever since his longtime employer NBC lost the NBA broadcasting rights in 2002, and may have played a role in his departure from the Knicks' broadcast booth. The Knicks reportedly wanted Albert to accept a salary commensurate with his reduced Knicks schedule, but also weren't happy about Albert making what Knicks management felt to be overly critical comments about their team in spite of their losing record. Albert also called Wimbledon tennis coverage with Jim Courier and Mary Carillo for TNT.

In basketball, his most famous call is his simple "Yesssss!" for a basket, rendered in many variations of volume and length depending on the situation; and a catch-word that he began using in his youth when playing pickup games with friends.

In 2005, Albert officially became the lead play-by-play man for the New Jersey Nets franchise and started calling their games in the 2005-2006 basketball season on the YES Network, often teaming with Brooklyn legend and NBA veteran, Mark Jackson. He will reportedly call about 50 games a season, with his focus remaining on duties for Westwood One and TNT. He also hosts a basketball-focused interview show on NBA TV, which also airs later on YES.

[edit] New York Rangers

In addition to the Knicks, Albert had a lengthy tenure (beginning in 1965) calling the games of another Madison Square Garden tenant, the New York Rangers. He handled the radio call of the Rangers' Stanley Cup-clinching victory in 1994.

He also famously coined the phrase "Red Light" for radio analyst Sal Messina, a former Rangers goaltender. His signature play-by-play phrase was "kick save and a beauty."

Over his years as the Rangers broadcaster, Albert would miss a large number of games for other commitments. Many other broadcasters filled in, including several who would serve long stints for other NHL teams, including Howie Rose, Mike Emrick and John Kelly, as well as brothers Al and Steve. It was Albert's absence from Game 7 of the Rangers - Devils Conference Championship game that led to Rose's famed Matteau, Matteau, Matteau call.

Albert left the Rangers after the 1994-95 season at the same time Rose took the job as play-by-play announcer of the New York Islanders. Albert's son, Kenny replaced him, and has been the radio voice of the Rangers ever since.

[edit] Monday Night Football

He is also the lead play-by-play voice of the Westwood One radio network's National Football League coverage, calling Monday Night Football as well as numerous playoff games and every Super Bowl since 2002. Albert previously did NFL play-by-play for NBC from 1979 to 1997.

See also: NFL on Westwood One and NFL on NBC

[edit] Championships

Including Super Bowl XLII, Marv has called the play-by-play of six Super Bowl, NBA Finals and seven Stanley Cup Finals. He has also called the Wimbledon Tennis Championships for TNT. He also worked as a reporter for two World Series.

[edit] Popularity

Marv has gained credibility and popularity among younger television viewers during his many guest appearances on David Letterman's late night talk shows. Each time Albert appears, he brings with him a group of clips featuring sports bloopers and outstanding plays, which he narrates and dubs the "Albert Achievement Awards."

In 1992, he appeared as himself on Roger Waters's rock album Amused to Death, giving a mock commentary on the destruction of an oil rig on the song "Perfect Sense, part II".

[edit] Family

Albert's son, Kenny, is also a sports commentator, as he calls baseball and football for FOX, New York Rangers games on the radio, and has been one of NBC's commentators for ice hockey at the Winter Olympics, as well as NBC's NHL coverage. His daughter, Denise, is a reporter for NBA TV.

Marv has two younger brothers who also are announcers. Steve Albert is the former play-by-play announcer for several teams, including the New Orleans Hornets, New Jersey Nets, New York Islanders, New York Mets, and Golden St. Warriors. Steve is best known for his work on Showtime Championship Boxing, notably the Holyfield-Tyson bouts. Al Albert was the former play-by-play announcer for the Indiana Pacers and Denver Nuggets.

[edit] Sexual assault charges

Albert became the focus of a media frenzy in 1997, when he went on trial for felony charges of forcible sodomy, which involved alleged repeated biting. A 42-year-old woman (who had had a 10-year sexual relationship with him, including phone sex, threesomes involving another male party (with Albert wearing women's underwear)^[1] accused Albert of throwing her on a bed in a Virginia hotel (the Ritz-Carlton in Pentagon City), biting her on the back 15 times, sodomizing her, forcing her to perform oral sex on him, and engaging in periods of facesitting as long as 35 minutes. The woman also claimed Albert forced her to use his mouth as a human toilet. Albert charged that the woman was seeking revenge as he was ending their relationship to marry another woman. After DNA tests proved that the bite marks were his, he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault and battery charges, while the sodomy charge was dropped.^[2][3] Albert was given a 12-month suspended sentence and ordered to continue undergoing counseling.^[4]

[edit] Ousted from NBC

Consequently, NBC — for whom Albert worked for over 20 years — fired him shortly after he did play-by-play for the 1997 NBA Finals on The NBA on NBC. Bob Costas took over for Albert on the basketball side in the 1997-1998 season before stepping down after the 2000 NBA Finals. It is also revealed on a Simpsons DVD commentary that he was to appear in the episode "Bart Star", but due to the scandal was replaced by Roy Firestone.

[edit] Non-NBA-related NBC duties

Other NBC Sports duties that Albert held were play-by-play announcing for the NFL, college basketball, boxing, NHL All-Star Games, and hosting Major League Baseball studio and pre-game shows. He also spent 13 years as the sports director of the network's flagship station, WNBC-TV.

[edit] Return to NBC

NBC brought Albert back less than two years later, and he was the network's main play-by-play man for the 2000-01 and 2001-02 NBA seasons, including the Finals. NBC lost the rights to the NBA to ABC following the 2001-02 season.

[edit] Quotations, calls and utterances

• The Czar of the Telestrator (mocking nickname for NBA partner Mike Fratello).
• Oh! A spec-TAC-ular move...by Michael...Jordan! (famous audio accompanying Michael Jordan's mid-air hand switch layup)
• Here's Jordan for three...YES!...Did you see that look? Michael indicating he can't believe it! (famous audio accompanying Michael Jordan's sixth three-pointer of the half and subsequent shrug)
• YES! (when a player makes a shot)
• <Player> is able to hit.
• ...and it counts! (when a player makes a shot while getting fouled)
• It counts, AND the foul!"
• From downtown! (When a player makes a long three point basket)
• What a shot!
• Ewing off to an atrocious start!
• <Player> has found the touch (when a player makes several shots in sequence)
• <Player> is on fire!
• <Player> goes glass!
• <Player> with the circus shot!
• <Player> has had the hot hand!
• <Player> serving up a facial!
• <Player> with the follow! (when a player grabs an offensive rebound off a missed shot and makes it)
• <Player> with the step! (when a player drives past his defender)
• <Player> putting the move on <player>
• <Player> puts the speed on...
• <Player> able to hustle it down...
• A sensational pass by <player>
• <Player> is called for steps. (referring to a player being called for traveling)
• <Player>, he's been off. (when a player cannot make any shots)
• And you know he'd like to have that one back.
• Re-Jected by <player>!
• That's some tenacious D! (This inspired the name for Jack Black's and Kyle Gass' band Tenacious D)
• <Team> are showing signs! (when a team begins a run or comeback)
• <Team> hearing it from the crowd! (can be said positively or negatively)
• <Team> have won the NBA championship for the <year> season!
• A very impressive stat line for <player>.
• <Coach> apparently not liking what he's seeing... (when a coach calls a time out to reorganize his team).
• Certainly not what <coach> had in mind!
• Kick-save, and a beauty! (first used by Fred Cusick)
• It is now Gar-bage time.
• Seven and two tenths seconds...remaining...in the fourth... (when referring to the time left, Marv always says it this way, instead of saying "seven 'point' two seconds")
• Time running out, throws up a prayer, it's good!!
• ...and that will do it.

[edit] See also

• List of NFL on NBC commentator pairings

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• St. James Encyclopedia of Pop Culture: Marv Albert
• Marv Albert at the Internet Movie Database
• Marv Albert at TV.com