Ian Eagle
Encyclopedia
Ian Eagle is an American sports announcer calling National Football League
(NFL) games on CBS
, New Jersey Nets
games on the YES Network
and hosts Full Court Press, a basketball
talk show
with former player Kenny Smith
on Sirius Satellite Radio
. Other announcing experience include NCAA men's basketball
, tennis
, the Army–Navy football games, the Army-Navy basketball games, boxing
, and NCAA track and field
for CBS. He is a graduate of Syracuse University
, where he was initiated into the Alpha Epsilon Pi
Fraternity. He is known as "Bird" or the "Birdman".
, a former "Catskills comedian" and commercial actor, was best known for portraying "Brother Domenic" and "Mr. Cholesterol" in television commercials in the 1970s. Monica was a singer.
for the Syracuse Orangemen on WAER a student run radio station. While at Syracuse, he was admitted to the AEPi fraternity. Following his graduation in 1990, Eagle began working for WFAN
Radio in New York City as a producer. In 1992, WFAN gave him his own show (Bagels and Baseball). In 1993
, Eagle was given pregame and postgame duties for the Jets. 1994 saw Eagle's first year as a Nets play-by-play radio announcer. A year later, he was made a TV announcer for SportsChannel
, which later became Fox Sports Net New York
(now MSG Plus
). In 1997
, WFAN made Eagle play-by-play announcer for Jets games.
, The Pilot Pen Tennis tournament
, the U.S. Open
(both the late night show and daytime studio host for 2008 U.S. Open
coverage), and the NCAA Track and Field Championships.
Prior to joining the YES Network as Nets announcer in 2002
, Ian Eagle served the same role for the Nets on the MSG Network
and Fox Sports Net New York. Since Marv Albert
joined the YES Network prior to the 2005-06 NBA season
, the games are split among the two broadcasters.
During the 2010 NBA Playoffs
, Eagle called two games on TNT, a likely move to promote him to calling national television broadcasts, similar to what Albert, former Minnesota Timberwolves
play-by-play man Kevin Harlan
and Knicks
play-by-play man Mike Breen
experienced. He was again called up by TNT for the 2011 NBA Playoffs
, pairing with his YES colleague Mike Fratello.
On Sirius, in addition to his daily talk show, Eagle did a weekly talk show, The Phil Jackson Show, with Los Angeles Lakers
coach Phil Jackson
. And Eagle retains his roots to WFAN, occasionally serving as a fill-in talk show host on his old station.
Eagle also serves as the voice-over host of NBA Action
and previously, NBA Jam
.
Other announcing:
He has been praised for his good commentary in games such as Boston College vs. Pacific in the 2006 NCAAB Tournament.
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) games on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
games on the YES Network
YES Network
The Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network is a New York City-based, regional cable television channel; it broadcasts a variety of sports events, with an emphasis on New York Yankees baseball games, and New Jersey Nets basketball games. YES made its debut on March 19, 2002...
and hosts Full Court Press, a basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
talk show
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
with former player Kenny Smith
Kenny Smith
Kenneth "The Jet" Smith is a retired National Basketball Association player and current TV basketball analyst, primarily for Inside the NBA on TNT.-Early life:...
on Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio is a satellite radio service operating in North America, owned by Sirius XM Radio.Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Sirius was officially launched on July 1, 2002 and currently provides 69 streams of music and 65 streams of...
. Other announcing experience include NCAA men's 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....
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, the Army–Navy football games, the Army-Navy basketball games, boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, and NCAA track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
for CBS. He is a graduate of Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
, where he was initiated into the Alpha Epsilon Pi
Alpha Epsilon Pi
Alpha Epsilon Pi , the Global Jewish college fraternity, has 155 active chapters in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Israel with a membership of over 9,000 undergraduates...
Fraternity. He is known as "Bird" or the "Birdman".
Parents
Ian was born to entertainers Jack and Monica Eagle. Jack EagleJack Eagle
Jack Eagle was an American actor. Eagle was best known for his work in television commercials, including his role as Brother Dominic in a Super Bowl X commercial for Xerox....
, a former "Catskills comedian" and commercial actor, was best known for portraying "Brother Domenic" and "Mr. Cholesterol" in television commercials in the 1970s. Monica was a singer.
Early career
Eagle began his career by announcing football, basketball, and lacrosseLacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
for the Syracuse Orangemen on WAER a student run radio station. While at Syracuse, he was admitted to the AEPi fraternity. Following his graduation in 1990, Eagle began working for WFAN
WFAN
WFAN , also known as "Sports Radio 66" or "The FAN", is a radio station in New York City. The station broadcasts on a clear channel and is owned by CBS Radio...
Radio in New York City as a producer. In 1992, WFAN gave him his own show (Bagels and Baseball). In 1993
1993 NFL season
The 1993 NFL season was the 74th regular season of the National Football League. For the first time in league history, all NFL teams played their 16-game schedule over a span of 18 weeks. After the success of expanding the regular season to a period of 17 weeks in 1990, the league hoped this new...
, Eagle was given pregame and postgame duties for the Jets. 1994 saw Eagle's first year as a Nets play-by-play radio announcer. A year later, he was made a TV announcer for SportsChannel
SportsChannel America
SportsChannel America was a cable television network operated by Cablevision. It was the country's first regional sports network, and thus an important ancestor to many of the United States' regional sports outlets, especially Fox Sports Net and Comcast SportsNet. SportsChannel New York was the...
, which later became Fox Sports Net New York
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 :...
(now MSG Plus
MSG Plus
MSG Plus is a regional sports network in the New York City metropolitan area, whose reach expands to cover the entire state of New York, Northern New Jersey, Southwestern Connecticut, and Northeastern Pennsylvania. The network was rebranded on March 10, 2008.Like its sister network, MSG, it is...
). In 1997
1997 NFL season
The 1997 NFL season was the 78th regular season of the National Football League. The Oilers relocated from Houston, Texas to Nashville, Tennessee...
, WFAN made Eagle play-by-play announcer for Jets games.
Later television and radio career
Eagle joined CBS in 1998 doing announcing work for NFL and NCAA basketball. He continues to serve these roles today. In 2010, he was promoted to the number 3 announce team on CBS for NFL, pairing with Dan Fouts. Other CBS work includes boxingBoxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, The Pilot Pen Tennis tournament
Pilot Pen Tennis
This article is about the former New Haven joint tennis event. It is now a women's-only event. For the New Haven men's tennis event known as Volvo International , click here....
, the U.S. Open
U.S. Open (tennis)
The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881...
(both the late night show and daytime studio host for 2008 U.S. Open
2008 U.S. Open (tennis)
The 2008 US Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was the 128th edition of the US Open, and the fourth and final Grand Slam event of the year...
coverage), and the NCAA Track and Field Championships.
Prior to joining the YES Network as Nets announcer in 2002
2002-03 NBA season
The 2002–03 NBA season was the 57th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the San Antonio Spurs beating the New Jersey Nets 4-2 in the 2003 NBA Finals.-Notable occurrences:...
, Ian Eagle served the same role for the Nets on the 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...
and Fox Sports Net New York. Since Marv Albert
Marv Albert
Marv Albert is an American television and radio sportscaster. Honored for his work as a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, he is commonly referred to as "the voice of basketball." From 1967–2004, he was also known as "the voice of the New York Knicks."Including Super Bowl XLII, Marv has called...
joined the YES Network prior to the 2005-06 NBA season
2005-06 NBA season
The 2005–06 NBA season was the 60th season of the National Basketball Association. It began on November 1, 2005 and ran through April 19, 2006...
, the games are split among the two broadcasters.
During the 2010 NBA Playoffs
2010 NBA Playoffs
The 2010 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2009–10 season. The playoffs started on April 17, 2010 with ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, and NBA TV broadcasting the games in the United States...
, Eagle called two games on TNT, a likely move to promote him to calling national television broadcasts, similar to what Albert, former 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...
play-by-play man Kevin Harlan
Kevin Harlan
Kevin Harlan is an American television sports announcer. The son of former Green Bay Packers executive Bob Harlan, he currently broadcasts NFL and college basketball games on CBS. Harlan is also a play-by-play announcer for the NBA on TNT...
and 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...
play-by-play man Mike Breen
Mike Breen
Michael "Mike" Breen is a play-by-play commentator for the NBA on ABC and the lead commentator for New York Knicks games on the MSG network...
experienced. He was again called up by TNT for the 2011 NBA Playoffs
2011 NBA Playoffs
The 2011 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2010–11 season. Eight teams from each of the league's two conferences qualified for the playoffs, all seeded 1 to 8 in a tournament bracket, with all rounds in a best-of-seven format. The 2011 NBA Playoffs began on...
, pairing with his YES colleague Mike Fratello.
On Sirius, in addition to his daily talk show, Eagle did a weekly talk show, The Phil Jackson Show, with Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
coach Phil Jackson
Phil Jackson
Philip Douglas "Phil" Jackson is a retired American professional basketball coach and player. Jackson is widely considered one of the greatest coaches in the history of the National Basketball Association . His reputation was established as head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 1989 through 1998;...
. And Eagle retains his roots to WFAN, occasionally serving as a fill-in talk show host on his old station.
Eagle also serves as the voice-over host of NBA Action
NBA Action
NBA Action is a weekly show with news and highlights of the NBA. The show first premiered in 1990 on ESPN.-Features :* Western Conference Team of the Week* Instant Replay * Timeout...
and previously, NBA Jam
NBA Jam
NBA Jam is a basketball arcade game developed by Midway in 1993. It is the first entry in the NBA Jam series, and was written entirely in assembly language. The main designer and programmer for this game was Mark Turmell...
.
Other announcing:
- French Open for Tennis Channel
- Masters Online commentary of Amen corner 09
- Voice of the announcer for NBA 07, 08 and 09 for PSPPlayStation PortableThe is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
- NBA playoff announcing for NBA TVNBA TVNBA TV is a television specialty channel that is dedicated to showcasing the sport of basketball in the United States. The network is financially backed by the National Basketball Association , which also uses NBA TV as a way of advertising their out of market package NBA League Pass, and partner...
- Hosts NBA Action, a weekly highlights and features show for NBA TV
- Announces preseason New York JetsNew York JetsThe New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
telecasts on WCBS-TVWCBS-TVWCBS-TV, channel 2, is the flagship station of the CBS television network, located in New York City. The station's studios are located within the CBS Broadcast Center and its transmitter is atop the Empire State Building, both in Midtown Manhattan....
in New York - Host of Nets Magazine, a look inside the New Jersey Nets for the YES Network
- Voiceover for Modell'sModell'sModell's is a sporting goods retailer with locations in the Northeastern United States. Modell's carries both sporting goods and related apparel. Modell's currently has more than 140 retail locations in ten states and the District of Columbia as of 2008...
radio commercials and in-store voiceovers - Voice of NBA ActionNBA ActionNBA Action is a weekly show with news and highlights of the NBA. The show first premiered in 1990 on ESPN.-Features :* Western Conference Team of the Week* Instant Replay * Timeout...
from 1996 to 2006 - Co-hosts Power Performances presented by Courtyard by Marriott on CBS.Sportsline.com
- NFL Thursday Night games on Westwood OneNFL on Westwood OneThe NFL on Westwood One is the brand name given to weekly National Football League games carried on the radio over the Dial Global Radio Network...
, with Coach Dennis Green as his color man - Play-by-play fill-in in for Marv Albert on Westwood One's Monday Night FootballMonday Night FootballMonday 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...
broadcasts when Albert was not available - Lee Myles Commercials
- On the song Games by Dog Eat DogDog Eat Dog (band)Dog Eat Dog, an American band originally from Bergen County, New Jersey, began in 1990 as part of the hardcore music scenes of New York City and New Jersey. With members now scattered through New Jersey, Washington D.C. and Europe, the band now refers to themselves as being based out all three areas...
He has been praised for his good commentary in games such as Boston College vs. Pacific in the 2006 NCAAB Tournament.
Awards
- Bob CostasBob CostasRobert Quinlan "Bob" Costas is an American sportscaster, on the air for the NBC network since the early 1980s.-Early life:...
Award for Outstanding Sportscasting (while at Syracuse) - 2002 New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
Sports Emmy Award.
External links and references
- http://alumni.syr.edu/ArchiveStories2005/Issue6-05-16.htm SU Article
- http://www.nicindy.org/whos_greek/greeks_in_sports/other/Sportscasters%20and%20Sportswriters.php NIC Roll of Greeks in Sportscasting
- http://www.nba.com/nets/game_night_experience/broadcasterbios_011011.html NBA.com Profile
- http://www.nba.com/features/eagle_070301.html NBA.com Broadcaster of the Week