.gif)
Gus Johnson (sportscaster)
Encyclopedia
Augustus Cornelius "Gus" Johnson, Jr. (born August 10, 1967) is an American
sportscaster
. Formerly employed by CBS Sports
, he currently calls play-by-play for Fox Sports
, Showtime, the Big Ten Network and EA Sports
.
. He graduated in 1985. That same year, according to the winter 1997 edition of University of Detroit Jesuit's alumni magazine, Highlights, Johnson was all-league quarterback for the school's football team, an all-league shooting guard on the basketball team, and first baseman and catcher on the baseball team. The 1984-1985 University of Detroit Jesuit yearbook also notes that Johnson was a co-captain of both the football and basketball teams and most valuable player on the latter.
Johnson subsequently graduated from Howard University
with a degree in political science in 1990 and was a four-year letter winner on Howard's baseball team.
's Minnesota Timberwolves
(1996–97), Big East
Basketball on the Big East Network, college hockey
and college basketball
on ESPN, and Canadian Football League
games for ESPN2
. He also does some NFL games for CBS.
Johnson hosted ESPN
's Black College Sports Today in 1991. After brief stints as an on-air personality with KXXV-TV in Waco, Texas, WAAY-TV
in Huntsville, Alabama
, and WXII-TV
in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
, he served as the weekend anchor for WTTG-TV in Washington, D.C.
, from 1991 to 1992. Gus also had a small cameo
, as an announcer, in the 1998 film He Got Game
.
, with his most recognized role as a play-by-play announcer for CBS' March Madness
, which he worked each year from 1996 to 2011. Johnson is particularly known for his calls at the end of several close NCAA Tournament games including the double-overtime Xavier vs Kansas State game on March 25, 2010.
Johnson worked for the Madison Square Garden Network (MSG) from 1994–2010, where he was the radio play-by-play and backup television play-by-play announcer of the NBA's New York Knicks
, in addition to providing television play-by-play for MSG's coverage of the WNBA's New York Liberty
. With the Knicks, he was well known for some of his calls. For example, one famous Gus line occurs after Knicks forward Al Harrington scores: "My name is Al Harrington... And I get Buckets!" Perhaps Johnson's most famous Knicks call was his yelling and screaming during Allan Houston
's last second shot to knock off the top-seeded Miami Heat
in the first round of the 1999 playoffs, en route to an unlikely NBA Finals appearance. Johnson has also provided commentary for MSG's coverage of the Golden Gloves Tournament
and served as host of the "Yankees ScoreCard" and "SportsDesk", as well as the New York Rangers
and Knicks "GameNight." Beginning in 2006, Johnson served as the pre-season TV voice for the Buffalo Bills
and Philadelphia Eagles
. Johnson also provided play-by-play commentary for the Arena Football League's defunct New York Dragons
.
In 2008, Johnson handled play-by-play duties for Detroit Lions
pre-season games on The Detroit Lions Television Network.
Johnson became lead blow-by-blow caller for Showtime Championship Boxing
on CBS-owned Showtime, replacing longtime voice Steve Albert
. Johnson is also a sports announcer for Strikeforce
mixed martial arts alongside Mauro Ranallo
. Johnson was widely derided for his commentary during the Kimbo Slice vs Seth Petruzelli fight, where he announced that the fight was "The most incredible victory in the history of mixed martial arts".
Johnson was also the play-by-play man alongside Bill Raftery
in EA Sports NCAA Basketball 10
.
In May 2010, it was announced that Johnson will be the play-by-play announcer in EA Sports Madden NFL 11
.He is also the play-by-play announcer in Madden NFL 12
.
Johnson is also the play-by-play announcer for the fictional football games seen in commercials for Buffalo Wild Wings
, in which games are rigged and sent into overtime to allow patrons to stay longer and enjoy the experience.
Johnson has also been an announcer for the Big Ten Network's Sunday Night basketball games since the 2008-2009 season, and is slated to announce 23 games for the network in the 2010-2011 season.
Before the 2010–11 NBA season
, it was announced that Gus Johnson was let go by MSG Network
, the television flagship station for the New York Knicks
.
CBS released Johnson on May 5, 2011 following a contract dispute. He was still scheduled to call a boxing match between Shane Mosley
and Manny Pacquiao
for Showtime two days later. On May 9, 2011, Johnson finalized a deal to call college football and NFL telecasts for Fox Sports
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
. Formerly employed by CBS Sports
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
, he currently calls play-by-play for Fox Sports
Fox Sports (USA)
Fox Sports is a division of the Fox Broadcasting Company . It was formed in 1994 with Fox's acquisition of broadcast rights to National Football League games...
, Showtime, the Big Ten Network and EA Sports
EA Sports
EA Sports is a brand of Electronic Arts that creates and develops sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they tried to mimic real-life sports networks by calling themselves "EA Sports Network" with pictures or endorsements of real commentators such as John...
.
Education
Gus Johnson attended the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and AcademyUniversity of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy
The University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy, founded in 1877, is one of two Jesuit high schools in the city of Detroit, Michigan...
. He graduated in 1985. That same year, according to the winter 1997 edition of University of Detroit Jesuit's alumni magazine, Highlights, Johnson was all-league quarterback for the school's football team, an all-league shooting guard on the basketball team, and first baseman and catcher on the baseball team. The 1984-1985 University of Detroit Jesuit yearbook also notes that Johnson was a co-captain of both the football and basketball teams and most valuable player on the latter.
Johnson subsequently graduated from Howard University
Howard University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
with a degree in political science in 1990 and was a four-year letter winner on Howard's baseball team.
Early career
Johnson called play-by-play for the NBANational Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
's Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor...
(1996–97), Big East
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
Basketball on the Big East Network, college hockey
College hockey
College hockey refers to ice hockey played between colleges with their teams composed of enrolled students. College hockey is played in Canada and the United States, though leagues outside of North America exist....
and college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
on ESPN, and Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
games for ESPN2
ESPN2
ESPN2 is an American sports cable television network owned by ESPN. The channel debuted on October 1, 1993.Originally nicknamed "the deuce," ESPN2 was initially branded as a network for a younger generation of sports fans featuring edgier graphics as well as extreme sports like motocross,...
. He also does some NFL games for CBS.
Johnson hosted 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....
's Black College Sports Today in 1991. After brief stints as an on-air personality with KXXV-TV in Waco, Texas, WAAY-TV
WAAY-TV
WAAY-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for the Tennessee Valley area of North Alabama that is licensed to Huntsville. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 32 from a transmitter at its Monte Sano Boulevard studios on top of Monte Sano Mountain. Calkins Media owns...
in Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
, and WXII-TV
WXII-TV
WXII-TV is the NBC television station licensed for the Greensboro–High Point–Winston-Salem, North Carolina designated market area with Parts of SWVA. It is licensed to Winston-Salem and is currently owned by the Hearst Corporation. Its transmitter is located on Sauratown Mountain in...
in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina, with a 2010 population of 229,617. Winston-Salem is the county seat and largest city of Forsyth County and the fourth-largest city in the state. Winston-Salem is the second largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region and is home to...
, he served as the weekend anchor for WTTG-TV in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, from 1991 to 1992. Gus also had a small cameo
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
, as an announcer, in the 1998 film He Got Game
He Got Game
He Got Game is a 1998 American sports-drama film written and directed by Spike Lee. It stars Denzel Washington as Jake Shuttlesworth, a prison inmate convicted for killing his wife...
.
Style
Johnson is known primarily for his enthusiasm and excitement that he shares with the game. His style incites viewers to watch regardless of interest to either team. He often uses signature phrases "Oh my goodness!", "Rise and fire... Count it!", "From the parking lot!", "And the Runner....Bang","Pure!", "BAM!", "Cold-Blooded!", and "HA-HAAA". ESPN's Bill Simmons frequently cites Johnson to be the "cause" of the many exciting finishes to the games he calls, calling it "the Law of Gus."Roles
Johnson called numerous sports for CBS SportsCBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
, with his most recognized role as a play-by-play announcer for CBS' March Madness
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...
, which he worked each year from 1996 to 2011. Johnson is particularly known for his calls at the end of several close NCAA Tournament games including the double-overtime Xavier vs Kansas State game on March 25, 2010.
Johnson worked for the Madison Square Garden Network (MSG) from 1994–2010, where he was the radio play-by-play and backup television play-by-play announcer of the NBA's New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, in addition to providing television play-by-play for MSG's coverage of the WNBA's New York Liberty
New York Liberty
The New York Liberty is a professional basketball team based in New York City, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league...
. With the Knicks, he was well known for some of his calls. For example, one famous Gus line occurs after Knicks forward Al Harrington scores: "My name is Al Harrington... And I get Buckets!" Perhaps Johnson's most famous Knicks call was his yelling and screaming during Allan Houston
Allan Houston
Allan Wade Houston is a retired American professional basketball player for the NBA, and currently the Assistant General Manager for the New York Knicks. He was one of the top 3-point shooters in the NBA until a knee injury forced him to retire...
's last second shot to knock off the top-seeded Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
in the first round of the 1999 playoffs, en route to an unlikely NBA Finals appearance. Johnson has also provided commentary for MSG's coverage of the Golden Gloves Tournament
Golden Gloves
The Golden Gloves is the name given to annual competitions for amateur boxing in the United States. The Golden Gloves is often the term used to refer to the National Golden Gloves competition, but it also can represent several other amateur tournaments, including regional golden gloves...
and served as host of the "Yankees ScoreCard" and "SportsDesk", as well as the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
and Knicks "GameNight." Beginning in 2006, Johnson served as the pre-season TV voice for the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Johnson also provided play-by-play commentary for the Arena Football League's defunct New York Dragons
New York Dragons
The New York Dragons were an Arena Football League team based in the New York metropolitan area. The team was founded in as the original incarnation of the Iowa Barnstormers, and relocated to New York in . They played in New York until 2008, when the league folded...
.
In 2008, Johnson handled play-by-play duties for Detroit Lions
2008 Detroit Lions season
The 2008 Detroit Lions season was the 79th season for the franchise in the National Football League. Although the Lions had a flawless preseason with a 4-0 record, the Lions became the first team in NFL history to compile an 0-16 record in regular season play. They were mathematically eliminated...
pre-season games on The Detroit Lions Television Network.
Johnson became lead blow-by-blow caller for Showtime Championship Boxing
Showtime Championship Boxing
Showtime Championship Boxing is a television boxing program airing on Showtime. Debuting in March 1986, it is broadcast live on the first Saturday of every month...
on CBS-owned Showtime, replacing longtime voice Steve Albert
Steve Albert
Steve Albert is a sportscaster. He has served as a play-by-play announcer for the New Jersey Nets, New Orleans Hornets, Golden State Warriors, New York Mets, and Cleveland Cavaliers...
. Johnson is also a sports announcer for Strikeforce
Strikeforce
Strikeforce is a U.S.-based mixed martial arts and kickboxing organization based in San Jose, California. It is headed by CEO Scott Coker and owned by Zuffa, LLC...
mixed martial arts alongside Mauro Ranallo
Mauro Ranallo
Mauro Domenico Antonio Ranallo is a Canadian sports announcer and commentator, with experience in football, hockey, professional wrestling, and mixed martial arts events. He is best known for his work as a commentator for PRIDE FC and, more recently, Showtime for Elite XC and Strikeforce broadcasts...
. Johnson was widely derided for his commentary during the Kimbo Slice vs Seth Petruzelli fight, where he announced that the fight was "The most incredible victory in the history of mixed martial arts".
Johnson was also the play-by-play man alongside Bill Raftery
Bill Raftery
Bill Raftery is an American basketball analyst and play-by-play announcer and former college basketball coach.-High School:...
in EA Sports NCAA Basketball 10
NCAA Basketball 10
NCAA Basketball 10 is a basketball video game developed by EA Canada and published by EA Sports. It was released November 17, 2009 on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3...
.
In May 2010, it was announced that Johnson will be the play-by-play announcer in EA Sports Madden NFL 11
Madden NFL 11
Madden NFL 11 is an American football video game based on the National Football League published by EA Sports and developed by EA Tiburon. It is the 22nd annual installment in the bestselling Madden NFL video game franchise. It was released on August 10, 2010 in North America, and on August 13 in...
.He is also the play-by-play announcer in Madden NFL 12
Madden NFL 12
Madden NFL 12 is an American football video game based on the National Football League published by EA Sports and developed by EA Tiburon. It was released on August 30, 2011 in North America and September 2, 2011 in Europe...
.
Johnson is also the play-by-play announcer for the fictional football games seen in commercials for Buffalo Wild Wings
Buffalo Wild Wings
Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar is a casual dining restaurant and sports bar franchise in the United States that is known for its Buffalo wings.-History:...
, in which games are rigged and sent into overtime to allow patrons to stay longer and enjoy the experience.
Johnson has also been an announcer for the Big Ten Network's Sunday Night basketball games since the 2008-2009 season, and is slated to announce 23 games for the network in the 2010-2011 season.
Before the 2010–11 NBA season
2010–11 NBA season
The 2010–11 NBA season was the 65th season of the National Basketball Association . The 2011 NBA All-Star Game was played on February 20, 2011 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat in six games, 4 games to 2, to win their first NBA title, and...
, it was announced that Gus Johnson was let go by MSG Network
MSG Network
The MSG Network, now shortened to simply MSG, is a regional cable television and radio network serving the Mid-Atlantic United States. It is focused on New York City sports teams...
, the television flagship station for the New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
.
CBS released Johnson on May 5, 2011 following a contract dispute. He was still scheduled to call a boxing match between Shane Mosley
Shane Mosley
“Sugar” Shane Mosley is an American professional boxer from Pomona, California who has held world titles in three weight divisions.-Amateur career:Mosley was an amateur standout, capturing various amateur titles, including:...
and Manny Pacquiao
Manny Pacquiao
Emmanuel "Manny" Dapidran Pacquiao, PLH is a Filipino professional boxer and politician. He is the first eight-division world champion; having won six world titles, as well as the first to win the lineal championship in four different weight classes. He was named "Fighter of the Decade" for the...
for Showtime two days later. On May 9, 2011, Johnson finalized a deal to call college football and NFL telecasts for Fox Sports
Fox Sports (USA)
Fox Sports is a division of the Fox Broadcasting Company . It was formed in 1994 with Fox's acquisition of broadcast rights to National Football League games...
.