Versatile Sports Broadcasters, Part 1

Versatility requires being able to adapt to multiple functions/activities. Versatility certainly applies to sports broadcasting. In Part 1 of a two-part series, here are five men who have stood out over the years. 

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​Verne Lundquist: Lundquist started his sports career as the radio voice of the Dallas Cowboys. He began working nationally for ABC in the 70s and early 80s. He joined CBS in 1982 and continued to work there until his retirement in 2024. Lundquist broadcast a variety of sports, including NCAA Football, the NFL, the NBA, NCAA Basketball during March Madness, and the Masters. He was also part of the Winter Olympics, as the announcer for figure skating events. He also played himself as a golf broadcaster in Happy Gilmore in 1996 and the sequel from last year. He was part of many memorable games, including Super Bowl XIII, where Jackie Smith dropped a pass that could’ve been a touchdown. He also called play-by-play for the 1988 Fog Bowl between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Chicago Bears. He called Jack Nicklaus’s birdie putt in the 1986 Masters and Tiger Woods drop-in birdie in the 2005 Masters. He also called Christian Laettner’s turnaround jumper between Kentucky and Duke during the 1992 Elite Eight.

Dick Stockton: Stockton started his sportscasting career in Philadelphia in the 1960s. From there, he became a sports director at KDKA in Pittsburgh and moved to WBZ-TV and WBZ radio in Boston in 1971, where he called games for the Boston Celtics and Boston Red Sox. He was part of the broadcast crew for NBC Sports coverage of the 1975 World Series.

In 1978, Stockton became a full-time broadcaster for CBS. He covered a wide variety of sports, including games in the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NCAA Basketball. He called nine NBA Finals for CBS, most of them featuring either the Celtics or the Lakers. He was also the host of the 1979 Pan American Games, covering swimming and diving events. He was also part of two Winter Olympics, in 1992 and 1994. He joined Fox in 1994 and continued to work there until his retirement in 2021.​

Curt Gowdy: A versatile broadcaster, Gowdy was a broadcaster for all three major networks, CBS, NBC, and ABC. He began his MLB broadcasting career for the Boston Red Sox on both radio and television. He had a brief career with ABC Sports in the 1960s. He joined NBC Sports in 1965, covering a variety of sports, including NCAA basketball, the NFL, NCAA football, and MLB. He also called NFL games on CBS for two seasons. Gowdy has had many memorable moments as a broadcaster, including Ted Williams final at-bat in 1960, the Heidi Game in 1968, the Immaculate Reception in 1972, and being part of Hank Aaron’s historic 715th home run in 1974. Gowdy was a broadcaster for 13 World Series, 9 Super Bowls, 14 Rose Bowls, 8 Olympic Games, and 24 NCAA Final Fours. He also hosted The American Sportsman until it was canceled in 1985.

​Al Michaels: Michaels worked his way up to become a successful sports broadcaster. During his college years at Arizona State, he was a sports writer for the student newspaper and called play-by-play for football, baseball, and basketball on the campus radio station. In the early 70s, Michaels was the radio play-by-play announcer for the Cincinnati Reds. In 1977, Michaels joined ABC as a full-time broadcaster. Michaels covered a wide range of sports, including NCAA Football, Major League Baseball, Monday Night Football, NCAA Basketball, the Indy 500, the Triple Crown of Horse Racing, boxing, and the Winter and Summer Olympics. His most memorable sports moments primarily came during his broadcasting tenure at ABC, including The Miracle on Ice in 1980. Other calls include the 1987 World Series, when the Minnesota Twins won their first title, and Game 3 of the 1989 World Series, which was interrupted by an earthquake.

Now in his 80s, Michaels has been the play-by-play broadcaster for Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime Video since 2022.

​Dick Enberg: The catchphrase “Oh, my!” definitely describes Enberg’s enduring career as a broadcaster. Enberg’s career started locally in Los Angeles as the play-by-play broadcaster for the UCLA men’s basketball team, the Los Angeles Rams, and the California Angels. He joined NBC Sports in 1975 and broadcast numerous sports and events, including the NFL, MLB, NBA, College Football, College Basketball, the U.S. Open Golf Championship, and the French Open and Wimbledon tennis championships.

The most notable game he called was the 1987 AFC Championship Game between the Denver Broncos and the Cleveland Browns. He also provided the call for Payne Stewart’s winning putt at the 1999 U.S. Open at Pinehurst. His resume also included hosting several game shows, including The Perfect Match, Baffle, Three for the Money, and Sports Challenge.