Chris Myers
Encyclopedia
Christopher Patrick "Chris" Myers (b 28 March 1959) ) is an American sportscaster
.
, World Series
, NBA Finals
, NCAA Final Four
, The Masters and U.S. Open (golf)
, Triple Crown
, the Olympics and the Daytona 500
.
Chris Myers, a native of Miami and a Southern California
resident, garnered his first major break in broadcasting as a 16-year-old high school student when he hosted his own show on Miami’s WKAT-AM radio, interviewing such sports heavy hitters as Muhammad Ali
and Don Shula
. Myers graduated from Chaminade High School, Hollywood, Florida, May, 1977. He joined Fox Sports Net
as an anchor in December 1998 where he hosted the National Sports Report
, among other hosting duties. Prior to joining FOX, Myers spent nine years at ESPN
reporting and anchoring SportsCenter
and Baseball Tonight
, as well as hosting “Up Close
” from 1994 to 1998, which included the first live interview with O.J. Simpson after his acquittal. With more than 20 years in broadcasting, Myers has covered all of the sports world’s premiere events, including the Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals, NCAA Final Four, The Masters and U.S. Open golf, Triple Crown, the Olympics and the Daytona 500. In 1990, Myers received an Emmy Award
in the Sports Features category as an anchor/reporter.
He has also hosted shows and events on the Discovery Channel
, Tennis Channel, and the Military Channel
. He has appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live
numerous times.
Myers also serves as the play-by-play commentator for Tampa Bay Buccaneers
preseason games that air locally on WTSP-TV, after having the same role for WFLA-TV
from 2003-2010. Myers was also named as the host in 2010, for Showtime's weekly series Inside NASCAR
.
Myers conducted the last public interview with the late John Wooden in April 2010 on CMI (Chris Myers Interview) Radio Show. The legendary ninety-nine year-old coach told Myers he did not fear death saying "The next life will be even better, and this one hasn't been too bad."
hosting SportsCenter
, Baseball Tonight
, and other various shows including the interview program Up Close
, where Myers was honored as one of TV's best interviewers. He also received an emmy for his work.
As host of Up Close, Myers was the first to conduct a live interview with O.J. Simpson after both his criminal trial and civil lawsuit.
Myers earned acclaim for his live reporting during the San Francisco Earthquake that took place during the world series. Myers was also the only on scene reporter who stayed on the air through the night broadcasting from Atlanta during the Centennial Olympic Park bombing
.
where he was one of the original anchors of The National Sports Report and the weekly sports magazine program Goin' Deep. In 2005, he debuted The Chris Myers Interview on FSN
. In 2000, Myers joined Fox Sports Radio
where he currently hosts his own interview show, CMI, which can be heard on over 200 affiliates.
Myers is also currently the studio host for NASCAR
coverage on Fox
, and a reporter for the NFL on Fox
and Major League Baseball on Fox. Myers was also a reporter for Bowl Championship Series
coverage on Fox.
Myers presented the New Orleans Saints
with their first ever NFC championship trophy after narrowly defeating the Minnesota Vikings
31-28 on January 24, 2010.
During a Detroit Lions
and New Orleans Saints
game, on September 13, 2009, Myers made a remark while talking about linebacker Larry Foote
's decision to leave the perennially strong Pittsburgh Steelers
to play for Detroit, he said, "That's like going from dating Beyoncé
to Whoopi Goldberg
!" Frank Caliendo
later impersonated Myers on the NFL pre-game show.
Myers also visited the American armed forces in Qatar on behalf of FOX Sports and gave a live broadcast with the armed forces that was shown on the fox pre-game show before the New Orleans Saints played the Dallas Cowboys on November 25, Thanksgiving Day.
On a May 17, 2010 appearance on The Dan Patrick Show
, Myers made comments regarding the May 2010 Tennessee floods that were interpreted by some as disparaging toward the city of New Orleans and the victims of Hurricane Katrina
: "We have disasters issues when people pull together and help themselves and I thought the people in Tennessee
, unlike -- I'm not going to name names -- when a natural disaster hits people weren't standing on a rooftop trying to blame the government, okay. They helped each other out through this. And Mike Helton, president of NASCAR
, Tony Stewart, among some drivers went from the race over to the middle Tennessee area where still a lot of hardworking, tax-paying, legal American citizens have been affected by the floods and are trying to rebuild their lives and they are helping out. And I think that other people around the country, of course the music industry in and around Nashville helping, without making a big deal out of it and I think that's a good thing."
On May 20, 2010, New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu wrote a letter to FOX Sports "demanding an apology." On the same day, Myers issued an official apology for his comments, calling them "inappropriate and insensitive."
Sportscaster
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
.
Biography
With more than 20 years in broadcasting, Chris Myers has covered premiere events, including the Super BowlSuper Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
, World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
, NBA Finals
NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association . The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986....
, NCAA Final Four
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
, The Masters and U.S. Open (golf)
U.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...
, Triple Crown
United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
In the United States, the "Triple Crown" is usually the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, a series of three Thoroughbred horse races for three-year-old horses run in May and early June of each year consisting of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes.While Daily Racing Form...
, the Olympics and the Daytona 500
Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a -long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule....
.
Chris Myers, a native of Miami and a Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
resident, garnered his first major break in broadcasting as a 16-year-old high school student when he hosted his own show on Miami’s WKAT-AM radio, interviewing such sports heavy hitters as Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
and Don Shula
Don Shula
Donald Francis "Don" Shula is a former American football cornerback and coach.He is best known as coach of the Miami Dolphins, the team he led to two Super Bowl victories, and to the National Football League's only perfect season. Shula was named 1993 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated....
. Myers graduated from Chaminade High School, Hollywood, Florida, May, 1977. He joined Fox Sports Net
Fox Sports Net
The Fox Sports Regional Networks, or simply Fox Sports Net , are a collection of cable TV regional sports networks in the United States owned and operated by News Corporation.- Beginnings :...
as an anchor in December 1998 where he hosted the National Sports Report
National Sports Report
The National Sports Report was a "sportscast" that aired on United States television channel Fox Sports Net.-Brief history:The program began in 1996, when FSN was launched, as Fox Sports News. The show aired twice a night, at 6 and 10 p.m. It was the national network's equivalent to SportsCenter...
, among other hosting duties. Prior to joining FOX, Myers spent nine years at ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
reporting and anchoring SportsCenter
SportsCenter
SportsCenter is a daily sports news television show, and the flagship program of American cable network ESPN since the network launched on September 7, 1979. Originally broadcast only daily, SportsCenter is now shown up to twelve times a day, replaying the day's scores and highlights from major...
and Baseball Tonight
Baseball Tonight
Baseball Tonight is a program that airs on ESPN. The show, which recapitulates the day's Major League Baseball action, has been on the air since 1990.-Air times:...
, as well as hosting “Up Close
Up Close
Up Close is a sports interview show that aired on ESPN for 20 years.-Early years:The program debuted in 1981 on USA Network and was created by the advertising agency Foote, Cone and Belding to advertise one of its clients, Mazda cars...
” from 1994 to 1998, which included the first live interview with O.J. Simpson after his acquittal. With more than 20 years in broadcasting, Myers has covered all of the sports world’s premiere events, including the Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals, NCAA Final Four, The Masters and U.S. Open golf, Triple Crown, the Olympics and the Daytona 500. In 1990, Myers received an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
in the Sports Features category as an anchor/reporter.
He has also hosted shows and events on the Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
, Tennis Channel, and the Military Channel
Military Channel
The Military Channel is a cable and satellite television network which broadcasts television programming related to the military, warfare and military history. It is part of the group of networks owned by Discovery Communications within the United States and Canada...
. He has appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Jimmy Kimmel Live! is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and broadcast on ABC.The nightly hour-long show made its debut on January 26, 2003, following Super Bowl XXXVII. Jimmy Kimmel Live! is produced by Jackhole Productions in association with ABC Studios...
numerous times.
Myers also serves as the play-by-play commentator for Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
preseason games that air locally on WTSP-TV, after having the same role for WFLA-TV
WFLA-TV
WFLA-TV, virtual channel 8, is the NBC-affiliated television station in Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida. The station is the flagship station of its owner and operator, Media General. Its transmitter is located in Riverview, Hillsborough County, Florida. WFLA is the only station in the market to be...
from 2003-2010. Myers was also named as the host in 2010, for Showtime's weekly series Inside NASCAR
Inside NASCAR
Inside NASCAR is a television show, broadcasted on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday during the NASCAR season on Showtime. The show is hosted by Chris Myers, while the analysts are Brad Daugherty, Michael Waltrip, and Randy Pemberton. Kyle Petty joins in 2011 as an analyst. The show is a 30...
.
Myers conducted the last public interview with the late John Wooden in April 2010 on CMI (Chris Myers Interview) Radio Show. The legendary ninety-nine year-old coach told Myers he did not fear death saying "The next life will be even better, and this one hasn't been too bad."
ESPN
Prior to joining FSN, Myers spent ten years at ESPNESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
hosting SportsCenter
SportsCenter
SportsCenter is a daily sports news television show, and the flagship program of American cable network ESPN since the network launched on September 7, 1979. Originally broadcast only daily, SportsCenter is now shown up to twelve times a day, replaying the day's scores and highlights from major...
, Baseball Tonight
Baseball Tonight
Baseball Tonight is a program that airs on ESPN. The show, which recapitulates the day's Major League Baseball action, has been on the air since 1990.-Air times:...
, and other various shows including the interview program Up Close
Up Close
Up Close is a sports interview show that aired on ESPN for 20 years.-Early years:The program debuted in 1981 on USA Network and was created by the advertising agency Foote, Cone and Belding to advertise one of its clients, Mazda cars...
, where Myers was honored as one of TV's best interviewers. He also received an emmy for his work.
As host of Up Close, Myers was the first to conduct a live interview with O.J. Simpson after both his criminal trial and civil lawsuit.
Myers earned acclaim for his live reporting during the San Francisco Earthquake that took place during the world series. Myers was also the only on scene reporter who stayed on the air through the night broadcasting from Atlanta during the Centennial Olympic Park bombing
Centennial Olympic Park bombing
The Centennial Olympic Park bombing was a terrorist bombing on July 27, 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States during the 1996 Summer Olympics, the first of four committed by Eric Robert Rudolph...
.
Fox Sports
In 1998, Myers joined Fox Sports NetFox Sports Net
The Fox Sports Regional Networks, or simply Fox Sports Net , are a collection of cable TV regional sports networks in the United States owned and operated by News Corporation.- Beginnings :...
where he was one of the original anchors of The National Sports Report and the weekly sports magazine program Goin' Deep. In 2005, he debuted The Chris Myers Interview on FSN
Fox Sports Net
The Fox Sports Regional Networks, or simply Fox Sports Net , are a collection of cable TV regional sports networks in the United States owned and operated by News Corporation.- Beginnings :...
. In 2000, Myers joined Fox Sports Radio
Fox Sports Radio
Fox Sports Radio, abbreviated FSR, is an international radio network consisting of sports talk programming. The network is a service of Premiere Networks...
where he currently hosts his own interview show, CMI, which can be heard on over 200 affiliates.
Myers is also currently the studio host for NASCAR
NASCAR on Fox
NASCAR on Fox is the Emmy-winning branding used for Fox Sports's broadcasts of NASCAR races airing on the Fox network since 2001. The production has been in high-definition since 2005.-Background:...
coverage on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
, and a reporter for the NFL on Fox
NFL on FOX
NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
and Major League Baseball on Fox. Myers was also a reporter for Bowl Championship Series
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
coverage on Fox.
Myers presented the New Orleans Saints
2009 New Orleans Saints season
The 2009 New Orleans Saints season is the franchise's 43rd season in the National Football League and the most successful in franchise history in which they won Super Bowl XLIV. The Saints recorded a franchise record 13 victories, an improvement on their 8–8 record and fourth place finish in the...
with their first ever NFC championship trophy after narrowly defeating the Minnesota Vikings
2009 Minnesota Vikings season
The 2009 Minnesota Vikings season was the franchise's 49th season in the NFL. The Vikings improved upon their 10–6 record and defended their NFC North title from 2008; it was the first time that they had retained a divisional title since they won six NFC Central titles in a row between 1973 and 1978...
31-28 on January 24, 2010.
During a Detroit Lions
2009 Detroit Lions season
The 2009 Detroit Lions season was the franchise's 80th season overall in the National Football League. The Lions spent the whole season at the bottom of their division and finished at 2–14. The 2009 season was the first season with the Lions for new head coach Jim Schwartz, and most of his new...
and New Orleans Saints
2009 New Orleans Saints season
The 2009 New Orleans Saints season is the franchise's 43rd season in the National Football League and the most successful in franchise history in which they won Super Bowl XLIV. The Saints recorded a franchise record 13 victories, an improvement on their 8–8 record and fourth place finish in the...
game, on September 13, 2009, Myers made a remark while talking about linebacker Larry Foote
Larry Foote
Lawrence Edward Foote, Jr. is an American football linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan....
's decision to leave the perennially strong Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
to play for Detroit, he said, "That's like going from dating Beyoncé
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
to Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg is an American comedian, actress, singer-songwriter, political activist, author and talk show host.Goldberg made her film debut in The Color Purple playing Celie, a mistreated black woman in the Deep South. She received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won...
!" Frank Caliendo
Frank Caliendo
Frank Caliendo is an American comedian and impressionist, best known for his work on the Fox Network television series MADtv, and as the in-house prognosticator for Fox NFL Sunday. In 2007 and 2008, he performed his impersonations on his own show, Frank TV, which aired on TBS...
later impersonated Myers on the NFL pre-game show.
Myers also visited the American armed forces in Qatar on behalf of FOX Sports and gave a live broadcast with the armed forces that was shown on the fox pre-game show before the New Orleans Saints played the Dallas Cowboys on November 25, Thanksgiving Day.
On a May 17, 2010 appearance on The Dan Patrick Show
The Dan Patrick Show
The Dan Patrick Show is a syndicated sports talk show hosted by former ESPN personality Dan Patrick. It is currently produced by DirecTV Sports Group and is syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks. The three-hour program broadcasts live every day beginning at 9 a.m. Eastern/6 a.m. Pacific time on Fox...
, Myers made comments regarding the May 2010 Tennessee floods that were interpreted by some as disparaging toward the city of New Orleans and the victims of Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
: "We have disasters issues when people pull together and help themselves and I thought the people in Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, unlike -- I'm not going to name names -- when a natural disaster hits people weren't standing on a rooftop trying to blame the government, okay. They helped each other out through this. And Mike Helton, president of NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
, Tony Stewart, among some drivers went from the race over to the middle Tennessee area where still a lot of hardworking, tax-paying, legal American citizens have been affected by the floods and are trying to rebuild their lives and they are helping out. And I think that other people around the country, of course the music industry in and around Nashville helping, without making a big deal out of it and I think that's a good thing."
On May 20, 2010, New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu wrote a letter to FOX Sports "demanding an apology." On the same day, Myers issued an official apology for his comments, calling them "inappropriate and insensitive."