Dan Shulman
Encyclopedia
Daniel "Dan" Shulman is a Canadian
sportscaster
, currently employed with the American
network ESPN
as well as Canadian network TSN
.
Shulman serves as a play-by-play announcer for ESPN's NBA coverage (primarily teamed with Hubie Brown
), men's college basketball
(with Dick Vitale
), and Sunday Night Baseball (with Orel Hershiser
and Bobby Valentine
), as well as occasional baseball coverage on ESPN Radio
. Shulman also serves as a reporter and contributor TSN SportsCentre
and other Bell Media properties in Canada. Prior to rejoining TSN in Canada, he was a regular guest on Prime Time Sports
hosted by Bob McCown
on The Fan 590, an AM radio station in Toronto.
in actuarial science, but he eventually moved into a career in sports broadcasting.
, becoming a main voice of university football and basketball for the Western Mustangs
on CHRW radio
in London, Ontario
, and later at radio station CKBB in Barrie
. During the early 1990s, he was hired by the Fan 1430 (a sports radio
station in Toronto
, now known as the Sportsnet Radio The Fan 590) as the host of Prime Time Sports
. He worked for CTV
in its coverage of the 1994 Winter Olympics
from Lillehammer, Norway, covering hockey, and the 1994 World Championships of Basketball.
for their broadcasts of Toronto Blue Jays
baseball games, alongside former Blue Jays catcher Buck Martinez. Shulman remained with the network for seven years, during which time he also worked as the network's secondary play-by-play voice for NHL hockey
and lead announcer for NBA basketball. He also covers CHL games. He backed up host Dave Hodge
on TSN Inside Sports. Until 2007, Shulman continued to work with Buck Martinez for TSN during the World Series
, filing daily reports. In 2011 he returned to TSN as an analyst and contributor.
, college basketball, and occasionally hockey
. ESPN signed Shulman to a five-year contract extension in 2007 and assigned him to call NBA games for the network. Shulman remains the network's lead announcer for NCAA basketball.
On July 27, 2007, Shulman called Barry Bonds
' 754th home run for ESPN.
From 2002-2007, he served as the lead play-by-play announcer for ESPN Radio's MLB coverage, teaming with Dave Campbell to call the network's Sunday Night Baseball broadcasts as well as the All-Star Game
, Home Run Derby
, and select postseason games. In 2008, Gary Thorne
succeeded Shulman as the lead Sunday Night Baseball voice; however, Shulman once again teamed with Campbell to call that year's All-Star and postseason events and continued to fill in on occasional regular season broadcasts. Shulman also teamed with Orel Hershiser
to call Monday Night Baseball
for ESPN television from 2008-10.
On March 14, 2010, Duke
's Kyle Singler
saved a loose ball along the sideline, in turn, leaped over the ESPN announcer's table and crashed into Shulman who was sitting courtside broadcasting with Dick Vitale
during the first half of play at the Atlantic Coast Conference
Men's Basketball Championship game versus Georgia Tech. No serious injuries were reported.
On December 1, 2010, Shulman was named along with Hershiser and Bobby Valentine
as ESPN's new Sunday Night Baseball crew for the 2011 MLB season. During the Sunday Night Baseball telecast between the New York Mets
and Philadelphia Phillies
on May 1, 2011, Shulman announced live to the ESPN audience that Osama bin Laden had died
, a moment that has been compared to Howard Cosell
's report of John Lennon's passing on Monday Night Football
in 1980
. Shulman told USA Today
that he had learned of bin Laden's death from Valentine, who himself received the news via text. "I talked to the producer in the truck and asked if they knew what was going on. Or maybe they asked me," said Shulman. "I couldn't just say something on-air because of a text, I needed corroboration. It all happened in about 30 seconds."
Shulman also teamed with Orel Hershiser
and Bobby Valentine
for the ESPN radio
broadcast of the 2011 World Series
Championship won in 7 games by the Saint Louis Cardinals over the Texas Rangers
.
, Shulman retains his Canadian citizenship and resides in Thornhill, Ontario
with his wife and three sons.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
sportscaster
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...
, currently employed with the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
network 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....
as well as Canadian network TSN
The Sports Network
The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
.
Shulman serves as a play-by-play announcer for ESPN's NBA coverage (primarily teamed with Hubie Brown
Hubie Brown
Hubert Jude "Hubie" Brown is a retired American basketball coach and a current television analyst. Brown is a two-time NBA Coach of the Year, the honors being separated by 26 years...
), men's college basketball
College Basketball on ESPN
College Basketball on ESPN is a presentation of the college basketball television package on the ESPN family of networks. The television network broadcasts games of all the major conferences and many mid-major conferences of Division I NCAA basketball....
(with Dick Vitale
Dick Vitale
Richard J. "Dick" Vitale , also known as "Dickie V", is an American basketball sportscaster. A former head coach in the college and professional ranks, he is well-known as a college basketball broadcaster and for the enthusiastic and colorful remarks he makes during games. He is known for his...
), and Sunday Night Baseball (with Orel Hershiser
Orel Hershiser
Orel Leonard Hershiser IV is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He is currently an analyst for Baseball Tonight and Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN and a professional poker player for...
and Bobby Valentine
Bobby Valentine
Robert John "Bobby V" Valentine is an American professional baseball manager and former player who is currently the manager of the Boston Red Sox. He previously managed the Texas Rangers and New York Mets as well as the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan...
), as well as occasional baseball coverage on ESPN Radio
MLB on ESPN Radio
Major League Baseball on ESPN Radio is the brand name for exclusive play-by-play broadcast presentation of Major League Baseball on ESPN Radio...
. Shulman also serves as a reporter and contributor TSN SportsCentre
SportsCentre
SportsCentre is a sports news program airing on the Canadian network TSN. As TSN's flagship program, it airs several times daily, and beginning in the 2008 season it also began to be aired on sister network CTV as its post-game program for early NFL games....
and other Bell Media properties in Canada. Prior to rejoining TSN in Canada, he was a regular guest on Prime Time Sports
Prime Time Sports
Prime Time Sports is a sports radio talk show produced from the studios of The FAN 590 in Toronto, Canada. The show is hosted by Bob McCown.The program is broadcast weekdays from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET on The FAN 590...
hosted by Bob McCown
Bob McCown
Robert "Bob" McCown is a Canadian sports talk show personality and the host of a late afternoon/early evening radio talk show called Prime Time Sports. The program is broadcast from the Toronto-based studio of the Fan 590 and is syndicated nationally in Canada...
on The Fan 590, an AM radio station in Toronto.
Education
Shulman graduated from the University of Western OntarioUniversity of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...
in actuarial science, but he eventually moved into a career in sports broadcasting.
Early career
Shulman began his broadcasting career at the University of Western OntarioUniversity of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...
, becoming a main voice of university football and basketball for the Western Mustangs
Western Ontario Mustangs
The Western Ontario Mustangs are the athletic teams that represent the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Canada...
on CHRW radio
CHRW-FM
CHRW-FM is a Canadian radio station, broadcasting at 94.9 FM in London, Ontario. It is licensed as a community-based campus radio station by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission...
in London, Ontario
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
, and later at radio station CKBB in Barrie
Barrie
Barrie may refer to:* Barrie, city in Ontario, Canada* Barrie , Canadian federal electoral district* Barrie , provincial electoral district* Barrie—Simcoe—Bradford, former Canadian electoral district...
. During the early 1990s, he was hired by the Fan 1430 (a sports radio
Sports radio
Sports radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A popular format with an almost exclusively male demographic in most areas, sports radio is characterized by an often-boisterous on-air style and extensive debate and analysis by both hosts and...
station in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, now known as the Sportsnet Radio The Fan 590) as the host of Prime Time Sports
Prime Time Sports
Prime Time Sports is a sports radio talk show produced from the studios of The FAN 590 in Toronto, Canada. The show is hosted by Bob McCown.The program is broadcast weekdays from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET on The FAN 590...
. He worked for CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
in its coverage of the 1994 Winter Olympics
1994 Winter Olympics
The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Lillehammer failed to win the bid for the 1992 event. Lillehammer was awarded the games in 1988, after having beat...
from Lillehammer, Norway, covering hockey, and the 1994 World Championships of Basketball.
TSN
In 1995, he became the play-by-play voice on TSNThe Sports Network
The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
for their broadcasts of Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
baseball games, alongside former Blue Jays catcher Buck Martinez. Shulman remained with the network for seven years, during which time he also worked as the network's secondary play-by-play voice for NHL hockey
NHL on TSN
The NHL on TSN is TSN's broadcast of National Hockey League games. The show's current incarnation debuted in 2002. The channel has exclusive local rights to the Montreal Canadiens and the Winnipeg Jets.-Coverage overview:...
and lead announcer for NBA basketball. He also covers CHL games. He backed up host Dave Hodge
Dave Hodge
Dave Hodge is a Canadian sports announcer who currently works for TSN, and has worked in the past for the CBC and CFRB 1010 radio in Toronto.-Broadcasting career:...
on TSN Inside Sports. Until 2007, Shulman continued to work with Buck Martinez for TSN during the 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...
, filing daily reports. In 2011 he returned to TSN as an analyst and contributor.
ESPN
Shulman began working part-time for ESPN while still employed by TSN. In 2001, he moved to ESPN full-time to cover sporting events like baseballESPN Major League Baseball
ESPN Major League Baseball is a promotion of Major League Baseball on ESPN and ESPN2, with simulcasts on ESPNHD or ESPN2HD. ESPN's MLB coverage debuted on April 9, 1990 with three Opening Day telecasts. ESPN Major League Baseball is guaranteed to remain on air until 2013.The title is derived from...
, college basketball, and occasionally hockey
ESPN National Hockey Night
ESPN National Hockey Night was ESPN's weekly television broadcasts of National Hockey League regular season games and coverage of playoff games, broadcast from 1992 to 2004...
. ESPN signed Shulman to a five-year contract extension in 2007 and assigned him to call NBA games for the network. Shulman remains the network's lead announcer for NCAA basketball.
On July 27, 2007, Shulman called Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds
Barry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds...
' 754th home run for ESPN.
From 2002-2007, he served as the lead play-by-play announcer for ESPN Radio's MLB coverage, teaming with Dave Campbell to call the network's Sunday Night Baseball broadcasts as well as the All-Star Game
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
, Home Run Derby
Home Run Derby
The Home Run Derby is an event played prior to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. It is a contest among the top home run hitters in Major League Baseball to determine who can hit the most home runs. The event is currently sponsored by State Farm Insurance...
, and select postseason games. In 2008, Gary Thorne
Gary Thorne
Gary Thorne is a play-by-play announcer for ESPN and ABC, working Major League Baseball, College football and Frozen Four hockey contests. He is also the television play-by-play voice of the Baltimore Orioles...
succeeded Shulman as the lead Sunday Night Baseball voice; however, Shulman once again teamed with Campbell to call that year's All-Star and postseason events and continued to fill in on occasional regular season broadcasts. Shulman also teamed with Orel Hershiser
Orel Hershiser
Orel Leonard Hershiser IV is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He is currently an analyst for Baseball Tonight and Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN and a professional poker player for...
to call Monday Night Baseball
Monday Night Baseball
Monday Night Baseball is a live game telecast of Major League Baseball that airs most Monday nights during the regular season on ESPN and is also available in high definition on ESPNHD. The official name of the game is Monday Night Baseball presented by Vonage. The game starts at 7 p.m...
for ESPN television from 2008-10.
On March 14, 2010, Duke
Duke
A duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...
's Kyle Singler
Kyle Singler
Kyle Edward Singler is a professional basketball player for the Real Madrid in Spain. He was a four-year starter for the Duke men's basketball team and was instrumental in their 2010 NCAA Championship run, earning MVP of the Final Four.-High school:Singler attended South Medford High School and...
saved a loose ball along the sideline, in turn, leaped over the ESPN announcer's table and crashed into Shulman who was sitting courtside broadcasting with Dick Vitale
Dick Vitale
Richard J. "Dick" Vitale , also known as "Dickie V", is an American basketball sportscaster. A former head coach in the college and professional ranks, he is well-known as a college basketball broadcaster and for the enthusiastic and colorful remarks he makes during games. He is known for his...
during the first half of play at the Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
Men's Basketball Championship game versus Georgia Tech. No serious injuries were reported.
On December 1, 2010, Shulman was named along with Hershiser and Bobby Valentine
Bobby Valentine
Robert John "Bobby V" Valentine is an American professional baseball manager and former player who is currently the manager of the Boston Red Sox. He previously managed the Texas Rangers and New York Mets as well as the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan...
as ESPN's new Sunday Night Baseball crew for the 2011 MLB season. During the Sunday Night Baseball telecast between the New York Mets
2011 New York Mets season
The New York Mets' 2011 season was the franchise's 50th season and its third at Citi Field. Following a poor 2010 season, the Mets attempted seek their first postseason appearance since 2006...
and Philadelphia Phillies
2011 Philadelphia Phillies season
The Philadelphia Phillies 2011 season was the 129th season in the history of the franchise. The Phillies won their fifth consecutive National League East championship, and also finished with the best record in baseball for the second straight year. The Phillies, at 3-1 odds, were the heavy-favorite...
on May 1, 2011, Shulman announced live to the ESPN audience that Osama bin Laden had died
Death of Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden, then head of the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda, was killed in Pakistan on May 2, 2011, shortly after 1 a.m. local time by a United States special forces military unit....
, a moment that has been compared to Howard Cosell
Howard Cosell
Howard William Cosell was an American sports journalist who was widely known for his blustery, cocksure personality. Cosell said of himself, "Arrogant, pompous, obnoxious, vain, cruel, verbose, a showoff. I have been called all of these...
's report of John Lennon's passing on Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
in 1980
1980 NFL season
The 1980 NFL season was the 61st regular season of the National Football League.After the league declined to approve the proposed move by the Raiders from Oakland, California to Los Angeles, the team along with the Los Angeles Coliseum sued the NFL for violating antitrust laws...
. Shulman told USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
that he had learned of bin Laden's death from Valentine, who himself received the news via text. "I talked to the producer in the truck and asked if they knew what was going on. Or maybe they asked me," said Shulman. "I couldn't just say something on-air because of a text, I needed corroboration. It all happened in about 30 seconds."
Shulman also teamed with Orel Hershiser
Orel Hershiser
Orel Leonard Hershiser IV is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He is currently an analyst for Baseball Tonight and Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN and a professional poker player for...
and Bobby Valentine
Bobby Valentine
Robert John "Bobby V" Valentine is an American professional baseball manager and former player who is currently the manager of the Boston Red Sox. He previously managed the Texas Rangers and New York Mets as well as the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan...
for the ESPN radio
ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
broadcast of the 2011 World Series
2011 World Series
The 2011 World Series was the 107th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff was played between the American League champion Texas Rangers and the National League champion St...
Championship won in 7 games by the Saint Louis Cardinals over the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
.
Personal
Despite working in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Shulman retains his Canadian citizenship and resides in Thornhill, Ontario
Thornhill, Ontario
Thornhill is a community in the Greater Toronto Area of Southern Ontario, Canada, located on the northern border of the city of Toronto. Once a municipal village, Thornhill is now a community and postal designation geographically split into two municipalities along Yonge Street, the city of...
with his wife and three sons.