Marv Albert
Encyclopedia
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 the play-by-play of six Super Bowls, NBA Finals and seven Stanley Cup Finals. He has also called the Wimbledon Tennis Championships
for TNT
with Jim Courier
and Mary Carillo
. He also worked as a co-host and reporter for two World Series (1986
and 1988
). He has also served as co-host of the Breeders Cup (1991–1996).
, where he went to Abraham Lincoln High School. While growing up, members of Albert's family owned a grocery store on Brighton Beach Avenue between 3rd and 4th streets known as Aufrichtig's. He then attended Syracuse University
's Newhouse School of Public Communications from 1960 through 1963. He then graduated from New York University
in 1965.
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.
His son Kenny Albert
also began to work as a part-time play-by-play announcer for the Knicks since 2009, whenever the older Albert's successor Mike Breen
(whom he later followed on the NBA on NBC broadcasts and now works on ESPN and ABC aside from his role at MSG) is unavailable.
, he called the Knicks' games when they were in the NBA Finals
, but on NBC with Matt Guokas
(Mike Breen
and Walt "Clyde" Frazier
provided the Knicks' play-by-play on radio; in 1999
, it was Bob Costas
and Doug Collins
who called the Knicks' games when they were in the Finals while Albert, who had left NBC (see below), was on Knicks radio with John Andariese
).
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 were overly critical comments about their team in spite of their losing record.
In basketball, his most famous call is his simple "Yes!" for a basket, rendered in many variations of volume and length depending on the situation; and a catchphrase that he began using in his youth when playing pickup games with friends.
franchise and started calling their games in the 2005–2006 basketball season on the YES Network
, often teaming with Brooklyn native and NBA veteran, Mark Jackson
. Beginning with the 2008-09 season, Albert was also paired with his TNT broadcast colleague Mike Fratello
on the YES Network. However with the Nets' struggles in the 2009-10 season, the Nets management relegated Albert to secondary play-by-play, to avoid a similar incident while Albert was with the Knicks. Since then Ian Eagle
has taken over the majority of the broadcasts, with Albert restricted only to calling weekend games, due to Albert's age and his continued role with TNT.
, which also airs later on YES.
Since 2003, Albert has also been providing the play-by-play voice on the NBA Live video-game series on EA Sports
, a role he fulfilled until NBA Live 10
.
In 2011, Albert was named an announcer for the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
, the result of longtime tournament broadcaster CBS
handing off some of its coverage to Turner Sports.
to 1976
Albert called radio broadcasts of New York Giants
football games, succeeding Marty Glickman
after the latter's defection to the New York Jets
.
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.
duties that Albert held were play-by-play announcing for the NFL
, college basketball
, horse racing
, boxing
, NHL All-Star Games
, and Major League Baseball, as well as hosting baseball studio and pre-game shows
. He also spent 13 years as the sports director of the network's flagship station, WNBC-TV in New York.
From 2000 to 2002, Albert helped call TNT's coverage of the Wimbledon Championships tennis tournament.
radio network's NFL coverage
for several years, calling Monday Night Football
as well as numerous playoff
games and every Super Bowl
beginning 2002
. On June 4, 2010, it was announced that Albert would not be continuing his NFL on Westwood One duties beyond the 2009 season
.
to call play-by-play for The NFL on CBS
.
's late night talk shows for NBC
and CBS
. 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." The music accompanying the bloopers is "12th Street Rag." Albert earlier did a similar segment for the Today Show, introduced by Don Pardo
and called "Spanning the Globe".
Albert was placed as number 14 on David J. Halberstam
's list of Top 50 All Time Network Television Sports Announcers on Yahoo! Sports.
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".
An "Albert Achievement Awards" video was released in 1993. It featured cameos by Charles Barkley
, David Letterman
, O. J. Simpson
, Bob Costas
, and Tom Brokaw
.
, 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 USA Tuesday Night Fights
, the Indiana Pacers
and the Denver Nuggets
.
. A 42-year-old woman named Vanessa Perhach accused Albert of throwing her on a bed, biting her, and forcing her to perform oral sex after a February 12, 1997 argument in his Pentagon City hotel room. DNA testing linked Albert to genetic material taken from the bite marks and from semen in Perhach's underwear. During the trial, testimony was presented from another woman, Patricia Masden, who told the jury that Albert had bitten her on two different occasions in 1993 and 1994 in Miami and Dallas hotels, which she viewed as unwanted sexual advances. Masden claimed that in Dallas, Albert called her to his hotel room to help him send a fax, only for her to find him wearing "white panties and garter belt", where he then asked her to "serve him up a facial". Albert maintained that Perhach had requested that he bite her, and that she only pressed charges as revenge for his asking her to bring another man
into their sexual affair. He described the recorded conversation of hers with the police on the night of the incident "an Academy Award performance". After tests proved that the bite marks were his, he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault and battery charges, while the sodomy charge was dropped. Albert was given a 12-month suspended sentence
, and that charge was dropped after a year. In another case, Perhach had been accused of making phone threats, but with defense by David Benowitz, the prosecution dropped the case and the Superior Court judge dismissed the charges.
- for whom Albert worked for over 20 years - fired him shortly before the 1997-98 NBA season
began on The NBA on NBC. Bob Costas
took over for Albert on the basketball side in the 1997-98 season before stepping down after the 2000 NBA Finals
for Albert's return. In addition, Tom Hammond
spelled his football duties. 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
.
and 2001-02
NBA seasons, including the finals. NBC lost the rights to the NBA to ABC following the 2001-02 season.
Television in the United States
Television is one of the major mass media of the United States. Ninety-nine percent of American households have at least one television and the majority of households have more than one...
and radio 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...
. Honored for his work as a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame
Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...
, 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
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...
."
Including Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII was an American football game on February 3, 2008 that featured the National Football Conference champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League champion for the 2007 season...
, Marv has called the play-by-play of six Super Bowls, NBA Finals and seven Stanley Cup Finals. He has also called the Wimbledon Tennis Championships
The Championships, Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...
for TNT
Turner Sports
Turner Sports is the division of Turner Broadcasting System responsible for sports broadcasts on Turner channels including TBS, TNT, and TruTV, and for operating the interactive properties , , , and...
with Jim Courier
Jim Courier
James Spencer "Jim" Courier, Jr. is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won four Grand Slam singles titles, two at the French Open and two at the Australian Open...
and Mary Carillo
Mary Carillo
Mary Carillo is an American sportscaster and former professional tennis player.-Tennis career:Carillo played on the women's professional tennis circuit from 1977 to 1980. She was ranked as high as number 33, in the WTA Rankings, from January through March 1980, then retired due to knee injuries...
. He also worked as a co-host and reporter for two World Series (1986
1986 World Series
The 1986 World Series pitted the New York Mets against the Boston Red Sox. It was cited in the legend of the "Curse of the Bambino" to explain the error by Bill Buckner in Game 6 that allowed the Mets to extend the series to a seventh game...
and 1988
1988 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 15, 1988 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaBecause of using ace Orel Hershiser in Game 7 of the NLCS, the Dodgers had to open with rookie Tim Belcher in Game 1. Meanwhile, Oakland sent a well-rested Dave Stewart to the mound. Both pitchers, however, would have...
). He has also served as co-host of the Breeders Cup (1991–1996).
Early life
Albert was born to a Jewish family in BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, where he went to Abraham Lincoln High School. While growing up, members of Albert's family owned a grocery store on Brighton Beach Avenue between 3rd and 4th streets known as Aufrichtig's. He then attended 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...
's Newhouse School of Public Communications from 1960 through 1963. He then graduated from New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
in 1965.
New York Knicks (MSG)
For 37 years beginning in 1967, Albert was the voice of the New York KnicksNew 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...
on radio and television (getting his start by being a ball boy
Ball Boy
Ball Boy is a comic strip in the UK comic The Beano and also the name of the main character. It first appeared in issue 1735, dated 18 October 1975. It features a five-a-side football team that includes:* Ball Boy - the captain of the team, Ball Boy bears resemblances to The Dandy's Owen Goal...
for the Knicks before getting his first break on New York radio by sportscaster Marty Glickman
Marty Glickman
Martin "Marty" Glickman was a Jewish American track and field athlete and sports announcer, born in The Bronx, New York. His parents, Harry and Molly Glickmann, immigrated to the United States from Jassy, Romania....
) before being let go by the chairman of 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 Cablevision after Albert criticized the Knicks' poor play on-air in 2004.
His son Kenny Albert
Kenny Albert
Kenny Albert , is an American sportscaster, and the son of sportscaster Marv Albert and the nephew of sportscasters Al Albert and Steve Albert...
also began to work as a part-time play-by-play announcer for the Knicks since 2009, whenever the older Albert's successor 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...
(whom he later followed on the NBA on NBC broadcasts and now works on ESPN and ABC aside from his role at MSG) is unavailable.
NBC Sports
In 19941993-94 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets*Rookie of the Year: Chris Webber, Golden State Warriors*Defensive Player of the Year: Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets...
, he called the Knicks' games when they were in the NBA Finals
1994 NBA Finals
The 1994 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1993–94 National Basketball Association season, featuring the Western Conference's Houston Rockets defeating the Eastern Conference's New York Knicks....
, but on NBC with Matt Guokas
Matt Guokas
Matthew George "Matt" Guokas, Jr. is a former American professional basketball player and coach.-Playing career:...
(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...
and Walt "Clyde" Frazier
Walt Frazier
Walter "Clyde" Frazier is a retired American basketball player in the National Basketball Association . He was blessed with a unique combination of court vision, quickness, and size for a guard...
provided the Knicks' play-by-play on radio; in 1999
1999 NBA Finals
The 1999 NBA Finals was the championship round of the shortened 1998–99 NBA season or the 1999 season. The San Antonio Spurs of the Western Conference took on the New York Knicks of the Eastern Conference for the title, with the Spurs holding home court advantage...
, it was Bob Costas
Bob Costas
Robert Quinlan "Bob" Costas is an American sportscaster, on the air for the NBC network since the early 1980s.-Early life:...
and Doug Collins
Doug Collins
Paul Douglas "Doug" Collins is a retired American basketball player, a former four-time NBA All-Star and currently the head coach of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers.-High school and college:...
who called the Knicks' games when they were in the Finals while Albert, who had left NBC (see below), was on Knicks radio with John Andariese
John Andariese
John Andariese is a color commentator for the New York Knicks and NBA TV and a former college basketball player. He also hosts NBA Legends with Johnny Hoops on NBA TV.-Playing career:...
).
TNT
Albert continues to be the lead play-by-play announcer for National Basketball AssociationNational 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...
games on TNT, a position he assumed in 1999. Indeed, TNT
Turner Sports
Turner Sports is the division of Turner Broadcasting System responsible for sports broadcasts on Turner channels including TBS, TNT, and TruTV, and for operating the interactive properties , , , and...
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 were overly critical comments about their team in spite of their losing record.
In basketball, his most famous call is his simple "Yes!" for a basket, rendered in many variations of volume and length depending on the situation; and a catchphrase that he began using in his youth when playing pickup games with friends.
New Jersey Nets (YES)
In 2005, Albert officially became the lead play-by-play man for the New Jersey NetsNew 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...
franchise and started calling their games in the 2005–2006 basketball season 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...
, often teaming with Brooklyn native and NBA veteran, Mark Jackson
Mark Jackson (basketball)
Mark A. Jackson is a retired American professional basketball player and the current head coach of the Golden State Warriors. He played point guard for the New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz, and Houston Rockets in the NBA in a career...
. Beginning with the 2008-09 season, Albert was also paired with his TNT broadcast colleague Mike Fratello
Mike Fratello
Michael Robert "Mike" Fratello is an American color analyst and a professional basketball coach. He previously coached the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA, and is currently the head coach of the Ukraine national basketball team.-Background:Fratello was born in...
on the YES Network. However with the Nets' struggles in the 2009-10 season, the Nets management relegated Albert to secondary play-by-play, to avoid a similar incident while Albert was with the Knicks. Since then Ian Eagle
Ian Eagle
Ian Eagle is an American sports announcer calling National Football League 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...
has taken over the majority of the broadcasts, with Albert restricted only to calling weekend games, due to Albert's age and his continued role with TNT.
Other basketball related duties
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 TVNBA TV
NBA 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...
, which also airs later on YES.
Since 2003, Albert has also been providing the play-by-play voice on the NBA Live video-game series on 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...
, a role he fulfilled until NBA Live 10
NBA Live 10
NBA Live 10 is the 2009 installment in the NBA Live series, developed and published by Electronic Arts. Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic is the cover athlete. It was released on October 6, 2009. This is the final game to be known as NBA Live...
.
In 2011, Albert was named an announcer for the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
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 result of longtime tournament broadcaster 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...
handing off some of its coverage to Turner Sports.
New York Giants
From 19731973 New York Giants season
The 1973 New York Giants season was the 49th season for the club in the National Football League.-NFL Draft:-Regular season:On September 23, the Giants played their final game at Yankee Stadium. The game was played against the Philadelphia Eagles and resulted in a 23–23 tie. The Giants played the...
to 1976
1976 New York Giants season
The 1976 New York Giants season was the 52nd season for the club in the National Football League. The Giants had a 3–11 record in 1976 and finished in last place in the National Football Conference East Division. The season was highlighted by the opening of the new Giants Stadium at the New Jersey...
Albert called radio broadcasts of New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
football games, succeeding Marty Glickman
Marty Glickman
Martin "Marty" Glickman was a Jewish American track and field athlete and sports announcer, born in The Bronx, New York. His parents, Harry and Molly Glickmann, immigrated to the United States from Jassy, Romania....
after the latter's defection to the New York Jets
New York Jets
The 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...
.
New York Rangers
In addition to the Knicks, Albert had a lengthy tenure (beginning in 1965) calling the games of another Madison Square GardenMadison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
tenant, 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...
. He handled the radio call of the Rangers' Stanley Cup–clinching victory in 1994
1994 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1994 Stanley Cup Final was a best-of-seven playoff series contested between the Eastern Conference champion New York Rangers and Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League...
.
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
Howie Rose
Howie Rose is an American sportscaster. He is currently the radio voice of the New York Mets on WFAN, and the television announcer for the New York Islanders on MSG Plus.-Early life and career:...
, Mike Emrick
Mike Emrick
Michael "Doc" Emrick, is an American sports commentator noted mostly for his work in ice hockey. Emrick is currently the lead announcer for NHL national telecasts on both NBC and Versus...
and John Kelly, as well as brothers Al and Steve
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...
. It was Albert's absence from Game 7 of the 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...
–Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
Conference Championship game that led to Rose's famed Matteau, Matteau, Matteau
Stephane Matteau
Stéphane Matteau is a former National Hockey League player.As a member of the New York Rangers 1994 Stanley Cup Championship team, Matteau is most remembered for scoring two overtime goals in the Eastern Conference Finals against the New Jersey Devils...
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
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. Albert's son, Kenny
Kenny Albert
Kenny Albert , is an American sportscaster, and the son of sportscaster Marv Albert and the nephew of sportscasters Al Albert and Steve Albert...
, replaced him, and has been the radio voice of the Rangers ever since.
Non-NBA-related NBC and TNT duties
Other NBC SportsNBC Sports
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
duties that Albert held were play-by-play announcing for the NFL
NFL on NBC
NFL on NBC is the brand given to NBC Sports coverage of National Football League games until 1998, when NBC lost the NFL American Football Conference rights to CBS...
, college basketball
College Basketball on NBC
College Basketball on NBC is a former television program created and produced by NBC Sports that broadcast NCAA Division I men's basketball games. The program existed in some shape or form from 1969–1998. From 1969–1981, NBC covered the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament...
, horse racing
Thoroughbred Racing on NBC
Thoroughbred Racing on NBC is the de facto title for a series of horse races produced and broadcast by NBC Sports. Among its current personalites are hosts Tom Hammond and Bob Costas, along with analyst Gary L...
, boxing
Boxing on NBC
-Gillette Cavalcade of Sports:The earliest incarnation of NBC's boxing telecasts could be traced back to 1944. Although technically, an anthology program, the Cavalcade of Sports was best known for Friday night boxing on NBC from 1944 through 1960, and...
, NHL All-Star Games
National Hockey League All-Star Game
The National Hockey League All-Star Game is an exhibition ice hockey game that is traditionally held at the midway point of the regular season of the National Hockey League , with many of the league's star players playing against each other...
, and Major League Baseball, as well as hosting baseball studio and pre-game shows
Major League Baseball: An Inside Look
Major League Baseball: An Inside Look was a pregame show for NBC's Game of the Week telecasts. It featured one-on-one interviews with the players, and other on-going news and notes relating to Major League Baseball...
. He also spent 13 years as the sports director of the network's flagship station, WNBC-TV in New York.
From 2000 to 2002, Albert helped call TNT's coverage of the Wimbledon Championships tennis tournament.
Monday Night Football
Albert was also the lead play-by-play voice of the Westwood OneWestwood One
Westwood One was an American radio network and was based in New York City. At one time, it was managed by CBS Radio, the radio arm of CBS Corporation, and Viacom and was later purchased by the private equity firm The Gores Group...
radio network's NFL coverage
NFL on Westwood One
The 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...
for several years, calling 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...
as well as numerous playoff
NFL playoffs
The National Football League playoffs are a single-elimination tournament held at the end of the regular season to determine the NFL champion. Six teams from each of the league's two conferences qualify for the playoffs based on regular season records, and a tie-breaking procedure exists in the...
games and every Super Bowl
Super 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...
beginning 2002
2002 NFL season
The 2002 NFL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Football League.The league went back to an even number of teams, expanding to 32 teams with the addition of the Houston Texans. The clubs were then realigned into eight divisions, four teams in each...
. On June 4, 2010, it was announced that Albert would not be continuing his NFL on Westwood One duties beyond the 2009 season
2009 NFL season
The 2009 NFL season was the 90th regular season of the National Football League.The preseason started with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on August 9, 2009, and the regular season began September 10. The season ended with Super Bowl XLIV, the league's championship game, on February 7, 2010 at...
.
NFL on CBS
On June 6, 2011, it was announced that Albert was joining 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...
to call play-by-play for The NFL on CBS
NFL on CBS
The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:...
.
Popularity
Marv has gained credibility and popularity among younger television viewers during his many guest appearances on David LettermanDavid Letterman
David Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
's late night talk shows for NBC
Late Night with David Letterman
Late Night with David Letterman is a nightly hour-long comedy talk show on NBC that was created and hosted by David Letterman. It premiered in 1982 as the first incarnation of the Late Night franchise and went off the air in 1993, after Letterman left NBC and moved to Late Show on CBS. Late Night...
and CBS
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
. 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." The music accompanying the bloopers is "12th Street Rag." Albert earlier did a similar segment for the Today Show, introduced by Don Pardo
Don Pardo
Dominick George "Don" Pardo is an American radio and television announcer. He is best known as the voice of the long-running late night sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live....
and called "Spanning the Globe".
Albert was placed as number 14 on David J. Halberstam
David J. Halberstam
David J. Halberstam is the EVP/General Manager of Westwood One Sports. Previously, he was the play-by-play announcer for the Miami Heat and St...
's list of Top 50 All Time Network Television Sports Announcers on Yahoo! Sports.
In 1992, he appeared as himself on Roger Waters
Roger Waters
George Roger Waters is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. He was a founding member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, serving as bassist and co-lead vocalist. Following the departure of bandmate Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became the band's lyricist, principal songwriter...
's rock album Amused to Death
Amused to Death
Amused to Death is a concept album, and the third studio album by former Pink Floyd bassist Roger Waters. It was released in 1992.The album title was attached to material that Waters began working on during the Radio KAOS tour...
, giving a mock commentary on the destruction of an oil rig
Drilling rig
A drilling rig is a machine which creates holes or shafts in the ground. Drilling rigs can be massive structures housing equipment used to drill water wells, oil wells, or natural gas extraction wells, or they can be small enough to be moved manually by one person...
on the song "Perfect Sense, Part II".
An "Albert Achievement Awards" video was released in 1993. It featured cameos by Charles Barkley
Charles Barkley
Charles Wade Barkley is a former American professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Sir Charles" and "The Round Mound of Rebound", Barkley established himself as one of the National Basketball Association's most dominating power forwards...
, David Letterman
David Letterman
David Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
, O. J. Simpson
O. J. Simpson
Orenthal James "O. J." Simpson , nicknamed "The Juice", is a retired American collegiate and professional football player, football broadcaster, and actor...
, Bob Costas
Bob Costas
Robert Quinlan "Bob" Costas is an American sportscaster, on the air for the NBC network since the early 1980s.-Early life:...
, and Tom Brokaw
Tom Brokaw
Thomas John "Tom" Brokaw is an American television journalist and author best known as the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News from 1982 to 2004. He is the author of The Greatest Generation and other books and the recipient of numerous awards and honors...
.
Honors and awards
- Cable ACE Award - six times.
- Curt Gowdy Media AwardCurt Gowdy Media AwardThe Curt Gowdy Media Award is an annual award given by the Basketball Hall of Fame to outstanding basketball writers and broadcasters. It is named for American sportscaster Curt Gowdy, who was the Hall of Fame's president for seven years...
- awarded by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, 1994. - American Sportscasters AssociationAmerican Sportscasters AssociationAmerican Sportscasters Association was founded in 1979 by broadcaster Dick London and associate attorney Harold Foner as a non profit association to represent sportscasters by promoting and supporting the needs and interests of the professional sports broadcaster.-History:In 1980, Louis O...
Sportscaster of the Year (Play-by-Play) - 1996. Other honorees included Sportscaster of the Year (Studio Host) Chris Berman, Hall of Fame inductee Jack Whitaker, Sports Legend Joe FrazierJoe FrazierJoseph William "Joe" Frazier , also known as Smokin' Joe, was an Olympic and Undisputed World Heavyweight boxing champion, whose professional career lasted from 1965 to 1976, with a one-fight comeback in 1981....
and Honorary Sportscaster Dr. Henry Kissinger. - Emmy AwardEmmy AwardAn 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...
- for national sports: five times; for New York: three times. - Nassau County Sports Hall of FameNassau County Sports Hall of FameThe Nassau County Sports Hall of Fame honors elite athletes who have roots in Nassau County, New York. The Hall of Fame presentation takes places at the Nassau County Sports Commission "Salute to Champions" Awards Dinner annually every April.-Inductees:...
- inducted in 2006. - National Jewish Museum Sports Hall of FameNational Jewish Museum Sports Hall of FameThe National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and Museum, in Commack, New York, is dedicated to honoring American Jewish sports figures who have distinguished themselves in sports....
- inducted in 1992. - New York State Sportscaster of the Year - twenty times.
Family
As previously mentioned, Albert's son, KennyKenny Albert
Kenny Albert , is an American sportscaster, and the son of sportscaster Marv Albert and the nephew of sportscasters Al Albert and Steve Albert...
, is also a sports commentator, as he calls baseball and football
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...
for Fox
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...
, 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...
games on the radio, and has been one of NBC
Olympics on NBC
NBC Sports' coverage of the Olympic Games consists of broadcasts on the various networks of NBC Universal in the United States, including the NBC broadcast network, Spanish language network Telemundo, and many of the company's cable networks....
's commentators for ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
at the Winter Olympics, as well as NBC's NHL coverage. His daughter, Denise, is a reporter for NBA TV
NBA TV
NBA 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...
.
Marv has two younger brothers who also are announcers. 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...
is the former play-by-play announcer for several teams, including the New Orleans Hornets, 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...
, New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
, and Golden St. Warriors. Steve is best known for his work on 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...
, notably the Holyfield
Evander Holyfield
Evander Holyfield is a professional boxer from the United States. He is a former undisputed world champion in both the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions, earning him the nickname "The Real Deal"...
-Tyson
Mike Tyson
Michael Gerard "Mike" Tyson is a retired American boxer. Tyson is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles, he was 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old...
bouts. Al Albert was the former play-by-play announcer for USA Tuesday Night Fights
USA Tuesday Night Fights
USA Tuesday Night Fights is a television boxing show. It aired from October 1, 1982 through August 25, 1998 on the USA Network; at one time it was the longest continually-running boxing show on television....
, the Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
and the Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
.
Sexual assault charges
Albert became the focus of a media frenzy in 1997, when he went on trial for felony charges of forcible sodomySodomy
Sodomy is an anal or other copulation-like act, especially between male persons or between a man and animal, and one who practices sodomy is a "sodomite"...
. A 42-year-old woman named Vanessa Perhach accused Albert of throwing her on a bed, biting her, and forcing her to perform oral sex after a February 12, 1997 argument in his Pentagon City hotel room. DNA testing linked Albert to genetic material taken from the bite marks and from semen in Perhach's underwear. During the trial, testimony was presented from another woman, Patricia Masden, who told the jury that Albert had bitten her on two different occasions in 1993 and 1994 in Miami and Dallas hotels, which she viewed as unwanted sexual advances. Masden claimed that in Dallas, Albert called her to his hotel room to help him send a fax, only for her to find him wearing "white panties and garter belt", where he then asked her to "serve him up a facial". Albert maintained that Perhach had requested that he bite her, and that she only pressed charges as revenge for his asking her to bring another man
Ménage à trois
Ménage à trois is a French term which originally described a domestic arrangement in which three people having sexual relations occupy the same household – the phrase literally translates as "household of three"...
into their sexual affair. He described the recorded conversation of hers with the police on the night of the incident "an Academy Award performance". After tests proved that the bite marks were his, he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault and battery charges, while the sodomy charge was dropped. Albert was given a 12-month suspended sentence
Suspended sentence
A suspended sentence is a legal term for a judge's delaying of a defendant's serving of a sentence after they have been found guilty, in order to allow the defendant to perform a period of probation...
, and that charge was dropped after a year. In another case, Perhach had been accused of making phone threats, but with defense by David Benowitz, the prosecution dropped the case and the Superior Court judge dismissed the charges.
Ousted from NBC
Consequently, NBCNBC Sports
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
- for whom Albert worked for over 20 years - fired him shortly before the 1997-98 NBA season
1997-98 NBA season
The 1997–98 NBA season was the 52nd season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Chicago Bulls winning their third straight championship and sixth in the last eight years, beating the Utah Jazz 4 games to 2 in the 1998 NBA Finals...
began on The NBA on NBC. Bob Costas
Bob Costas
Robert Quinlan "Bob" Costas is an American sportscaster, on the air for the NBC network since the early 1980s.-Early life:...
took over for Albert on the basketball side in the 1997-98 season before stepping down after the 2000 NBA Finals
2000 NBA Finals
The 2000 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1999-2000 National Basketball Association season. The Los Angeles Lakers of the Western Conference took on the Indiana Pacers of the Eastern Conference for the title, with the Lakers holding home court advantage...
for Albert's return. In addition, Tom Hammond
Tom Hammond
Tom Hammond is an American sportscaster for NBC Sports television. Hammond is one of the network's staple on-air presenters, along with Bob Costas and Dan Hicks...
spelled his football duties. It is also revealed on a Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
DVD commentary that he was to appear in the episode "Bart Star
Bart Star
"Bart Star" is the sixth episode of the ninth season of the animated television series The Simpsons, which originally aired November 9, 1997. The title of this episode is a play on Bart Starr...
" but, due to the scandal, was replaced by Roy Firestone
Roy Firestone
Roy Firestone is an American sports commentator and journalist. Firestone is a graduate of Miami Beach High School and the University of Miami.-Television career:...
.
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 2000-012000-01 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-Yearly awards:*Most Valuable Player: Allen Iverson, Philadelphia 76ers*Rookie of the Year: Mike Miller, Orlando Magic*Defensive Player of the Year: Dikembe Mutombo, Philadelphia 76ers/Atlanta Hawks...
and 2001-02
2001-02 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-Yearly awards:*Most Valuable Player: Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs*Rookie of the Year: Pau Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies*Defensive Player of the Year: Ben Wallace, Detroit Pistons...
NBA seasons, including the finals. NBC lost the rights to the NBA to ABC following the 2001-02 season.