Tim Brant
Encyclopedia
Tim Brant is an American sportscaster
and Vice President and Director of Sports for ABC 7 / WJLA-TV
in Washington DC. He has spent nearly thirty years covering sports nationally for CBS
and ABC
.
gridiron. At UMD, he was a star linebacker and defensive captain. After signing with the Washington Redskins, Brant suffered a career ending knee injury.
commentator in 1982. Brant is often best known for his coverage of college football with Keith Jackson
. While with ABC, Brant announced three National Championship games. Brant also teamed with Keith Jackson as the voice of the PlayStation
video game NCAA Gamebreaker for 989 Sports. While working with Keith Jackson, he was listed as college football's top analyst by numerous publications, including USA Today
.
In addition to his college football duties, Brant has also done play-by-play for college basketball
, Wide World of Sports, 1984 Winter
and Summer Olympics
, the Pro Bowl, USFL and the Pro Bowlers Tour
. Brant also had a sideline stint on ABC's Monday Night Football
.
He spent more than a decade was the morning co-host for ABC-owned WMAL Radio in Washington, DC. Tim has also covered the World Series, NBA, speed skating, skiing, boxing, and NASCAR
.
Brant has worked alongside Mike Tirico
, Brent Musburger
, Keith Jackson
, Dan Fouts
, James Brown, Hank Stram
, Jim Nantz
, Mark Jones, Terry Bowden
, Terry Gannon
, Jack Arute
, Ed Cunningham
, Todd Harris
, Al Michaels
and Lynn Swann
, to name a few.
, the NBA and the NCAA Basketball Tournament
. He served as host of CBS Sports Saturday, "Winter-Fest," the "NCAA Basketball Tournament Selection Show" and the Emmy Award-winning Tour de France coverage. Tim also mentored and worked with childhood friend James Brown. Tim and James grew up together in the Washington, DC area.
In 1988
, Brant was paired by analyst Hank Stram
on NFL broadcasts. He also teamed with Jim Nantz
. In Nantz's 2008
best seller book, Jim says that he never forged a friendship as quickly with anyone as he did with Tim Brant.
games back when ABC hosted NFL games.
Brant is the voice of ACC Basketball on the Raycom-Jefferson Pilot Television Network. He is a veteran announcer of the ACC tournament.
Brant is a dynamic public speaker, giving motivational speeches to various organizations and corporations. His many honors include Sportscaster of the Year in 1996 by the Touchdown Club of Washington, and Champion Sportscaster by the Black United Fund. He was honored by the Touchdown Club as the Top Analyst in 1986, and won the March of Dimes
A.I.R. Award for achievement in radio for Best Sports Play-by-Play in 2001. He has been honored with The Distinguished Alumnus Award by the University of Maryland
, Distinguished Professional Achievement by the Phillip Merrill College of Journalism in 2002, and in 1999 was inducted into the St. John's College High School Hall of Fame.
Tim hosted the Brant & Parks morning show on WMAL radio in Washington, DC for over ten years. The show was political in nature, and co-hosts included late White House press secretary
Tony Snow
. Tim has volunteered at several White House
events under the Reagan and both Bush administrations. Events have included the Easter egg roll and announcing little league softball on the South Lawn. Tim was criticized by some media outlets for casually referring to President
George W. Bush
as "partner" while speaking during a little league softball game at the White House. Tim has had President George Herbert Walker Bush in the booth with him while announcing college football games in the state of Texas.
with his wife Janet. Brant is very active in local charitable programs. He has four grown children, Jason, Kevin, Lindsay and Julie. His son, Kevin Brant, was a high school All American football player who went on to play at UCLA, where he played safety from 1999–2003.
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...
and Vice President and Director of Sports for ABC 7 / WJLA-TV
WJLA-TV
WJLA-TV, channel 7, is the ABC affiliated television station in Washington, D.C.. It is the flagship station of the Allbritton Communications Company, which also operates local cable station NewsChannel 8. The two stations share broadcast facilities in the Rosslyn section of Arlington, Virginia...
in Washington DC. He has spent nearly thirty years covering sports nationally for CBS
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...
and ABC
ESPN on ABC
ESPN on ABC is the brand used for sports programming on the ABC television network. Officially the broadcast network retains its own sports division; however, for all practical purposes, ABC's sports division has been merged with ESPN, a sports cable network majority-owned by ABC's parent, The...
.
Broadcasting career
His sports analysis has dated back to when he was on the University of MarylandUniversity of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
gridiron. At UMD, he was a star linebacker and defensive captain. After signing with the Washington Redskins, Brant suffered a career ending knee injury.
ABC Sports
The multi-faceted Brant has served many roles at ABC Sports, including host, sideline reporter, expert analyst and play-by-play. He joined ABC Sports as a college footballCollege Football on ABC
ESPN College Football on ABC presented by Kay Jewelers is a presentation of the American Broadcasting Company's regular season American college football television package...
commentator in 1982. Brant is often best known for his coverage of college football with Keith Jackson
Keith Jackson
Keith Jackson is an American sportscaster, known for his long career with ABC Sports , his coverage of college football , his style of folksy, down-to-earth commentary, and his distinctive voice, with its deep cadence, and operatic tone considered "like Edward R...
. While with ABC, Brant announced three National Championship games. Brant also teamed with Keith Jackson as the voice of the PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
video game NCAA Gamebreaker for 989 Sports. While working with Keith Jackson, he was listed as college football's top analyst by numerous publications, including USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
.
In addition to his college football duties, Brant has also done play-by-play for college basketball
College Basketball on ABC
ESPN College Basketball on ABC presented by KFC was a television program on ABC that broadcast regular season NCAA Division I men's basketball games. In 1987, ABC began televising college basketball games on a regular basis. As CBS and NBC were also broadcasting college games at the time, this...
, Wide World of Sports, 1984 Winter
1984 Winter Olympics
The 1984 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIV Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated from 8–19 February 1984 in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. Other candidate cities were Sapporo, Japan; and Gothenburg, Sweden...
and Summer Olympics
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
, the Pro Bowl, USFL and the Pro Bowlers Tour
Pro Bowlers Tour
The Professional Bowlers Tour, also known as Pro Bowlers Tour, is a broadcast of the Professional Bowlers Association that aired on ABC from 1961 to 1997...
. Brant also had a sideline stint on ABC's 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...
.
He spent more than a decade was the morning co-host for ABC-owned WMAL Radio in Washington, DC. Tim has also covered the World Series, NBA, speed skating, skiing, boxing, and NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
.
Brant has worked alongside Mike Tirico
Mike Tirico
Michael Todd Tirico is an announcer for ESPN's presentation of Monday Night Football, and second lead broadcaster for ESPN's presentation of the NBA. In addition, Tirico hosts a multitude of programming on ESPN/ABC. He was the host of ABC's golf coverage from 1996 to 2007, and continues in that...
, Brent Musburger
Brent Musburger
Brent Woody Musburger is an American sportscaster for the ESPN and ABC television networks. Formerly with CBS Sports and one of the original members of their legendary program The NFL Today, Musburger has covered NASCAR, NBA, MLB, NCAA football and basketball games. Musburger has also served as a...
, Keith Jackson
Keith Jackson
Keith Jackson is an American sportscaster, known for his long career with ABC Sports , his coverage of college football , his style of folksy, down-to-earth commentary, and his distinctive voice, with its deep cadence, and operatic tone considered "like Edward R...
, Dan Fouts
Dan Fouts
Daniel Francis Fouts is a retired Hall of Fame American football quarterback in the National Football League. Fouts played his entire professional career with the San Diego Chargers from 1973 through 1987...
, James Brown, Hank Stram
Hank Stram
Henry Louis "Hank" Stram was an American football coach. He is best known for his 15-year tenure with the American Football League's Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs and the Chiefs of the NFL. Stram won three AFL Championships and Super Bowl IV with the Chiefs...
, Jim Nantz
Jim Nantz
James William Nantz, III is an American sportscaster, known primarily for his work with CBS Sports television.-Early life:...
, Mark Jones, Terry Bowden
Terry Bowden
Terry Bowden is an American football coach at the University of North Alabama. Bowden was previously the head coach at Salem University , Samford University , and Auburn University . Bowden is the son of former Florida State University head football coach Bobby Bowden...
, Terry Gannon
Terry Gannon
Terrance Patrick "Terry" Gannon , is a sportscaster for ABC Sports, ESPN and The Golf Channel. Gannon's work has included an extensive variety of sporting events, including college basketball, as well as figure skating, golf, college football, and the WNBA.-College basketball:Gannon began his...
, Jack Arute
Jack Arute
Jack Arute, Jr. currently covers the NFL and college sports for Sirius XM Radio. He is the president of the Stafford Motor Speedway in Connecticut...
, Ed Cunningham
Ed Cunningham
Ed Cunningham is a former professional American football player who played center for five seasons for the Arizona Cardinals and the Seattle Seahawks. Prior to his professional career, Cunningham played center for the University of Washington Huskies, helping them win a National Championship in 1991...
, Todd Harris
Todd Harris
Todd Harris is a play-by-play announcer for ESPNU college football coverage and Ultimate Fighting Championship airing on Versus.Prior to those duties, he was the lead play-by-play announcer for ABC and ESPN's coverage of the Indy Racing League's IndyCar Series...
, Al Michaels
Al Michaels
Alan Richard "Al" Michaels is an American television sportscaster. Now employed by NBC Sports after nearly three decades with ABC Sports, Michaels is one of the most prominent members of his profession...
and Lynn Swann
Lynn Swann
-Collegiate:Swann attended the University of Southern California, where he was an All-American on the Trojans football team. He played under legendary coach John McKay, including the 1972 undefeated and national championship season. McKay said of Swann, "He has speed, soft hands, and grace." He...
, to name a few.
CBS Sports
Brant spent four years at CBS Sports (1987–90) and worked a variety of broadcasts, including the NFLNFL 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:...
, the NBA and the NCAA Basketball Tournament
College Basketball on CBS
College Basketball on CBS presented by State Farm is a presentation of men's NCAA Division I basketball games on CBS...
. He served as host of CBS Sports Saturday, "Winter-Fest," the "NCAA Basketball Tournament Selection Show" and the Emmy Award-winning Tour de France coverage. Tim also mentored and worked with childhood friend James Brown. Tim and James grew up together in the Washington, DC area.
In 1988
1988 NFL season
The 1988 NFL season was the 69th regular season of the National Football League. The Cardinals relocated from St. Louis, Missouri to the Phoenix, Arizona area becoming the Phoenix Cardinals but remained in the NFC East division....
, Brant was paired by analyst Hank Stram
Hank Stram
Henry Louis "Hank" Stram was an American football coach. He is best known for his 15-year tenure with the American Football League's Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs and the Chiefs of the NFL. Stram won three AFL Championships and Super Bowl IV with the Chiefs...
on NFL broadcasts. He also teamed with Jim Nantz
Jim Nantz
James William Nantz, III is an American sportscaster, known primarily for his work with CBS Sports television.-Early life:...
. In Nantz's 2008
2008 in literature
The year 2008 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*January 1 - In the 2008 New Year Honours, Hanif Kureishi , Jenny Uglow , Peter Vansittart and Debjani Chatterjee are all rewarded for "services to literature".*June 15 - Gore Vidal, asked in a New York Times...
best seller book, Jim says that he never forged a friendship as quickly with anyone as he did with Tim Brant.
After CBS
Locally, he has hosted sport pre-game specials such as Are You Ready for Washington RedskinsWashington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
games back when ABC hosted NFL games.
Brant is the voice of ACC Basketball on the Raycom-Jefferson Pilot Television Network. He is a veteran announcer of the ACC tournament.
Brant is a dynamic public speaker, giving motivational speeches to various organizations and corporations. His many honors include Sportscaster of the Year in 1996 by the Touchdown Club of Washington, and Champion Sportscaster by the Black United Fund. He was honored by the Touchdown Club as the Top Analyst in 1986, and won the March of Dimes
March of Dimes
The March of Dimes Foundation is a United States nonprofit organization that works to improve the health of mothers and babies.-Organization:...
A.I.R. Award for achievement in radio for Best Sports Play-by-Play in 2001. He has been honored with The Distinguished Alumnus Award by the University of Maryland
University of Maryland
When the term "University of Maryland" is used without any qualification, it generally refers to the University of Maryland, College Park.University of Maryland may refer to the following:...
, Distinguished Professional Achievement by the Phillip Merrill College of Journalism in 2002, and in 1999 was inducted into the St. John's College High School Hall of Fame.
Tim hosted the Brant & Parks morning show on WMAL radio in Washington, DC for over ten years. The show was political in nature, and co-hosts included late White House press secretary
White House Press Secretary
The White House Press Secretary is a senior White House official whose primary responsibility is to act as spokesperson for the government administration....
Tony Snow
Tony Snow
Robert Anthony "Tony" Snow was an American journalist, political commentator, television news anchor, syndicated columnist, radio host, musician, and the third White House Press Secretary under President George W. Bush. Snow also worked for President George H. W. Bush as chief speechwriter and...
. Tim has volunteered at several White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
events under the Reagan and both Bush administrations. Events have included the Easter egg roll and announcing little league softball on the South Lawn. Tim was criticized by some media outlets for casually referring to President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
as "partner" while speaking during a little league softball game at the White House. Tim has had President George Herbert Walker Bush in the booth with him while announcing college football games in the state of Texas.
Personal life
Brant currently resides in Potomac, MarylandPotomac, Maryland
Potomac is a census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, named for the nearby Potomac River. The population was 44,822 at the 2000 census. The Potomac area is known for its very affluent and highly-educated residents. In 2009 CNNMoney.com listed Potomac as the fourth...
with his wife Janet. Brant is very active in local charitable programs. He has four grown children, Jason, Kevin, Lindsay and Julie. His son, Kevin Brant, was a high school All American football player who went on to play at UCLA, where he played safety from 1999–2003.