1941- American sportscaster Marv Albert was well respected in the sports realm until the skeletons in his closet came tumbling out in 1997. Since then it has been a long road for him to pick himself up and dust himself off. Albert is slowly working his way back into the world of sportscasting, but he will never be like he was before his fall from glory. He was known for his passion for sports and …
1918- American sportscaster Ernie Harwell was known for decades as the "Voice of the Detroit Tigers." The play-by-play radio announcer broadcast his first game for the Tigers in 1960, and except for a single season with the California Angels in the early 1990s, he remained with the Tigers until his retirement in 2002 at the age of 84. Known for his perceptive and colorful narrations …
1964- American sports journalist Lisa Olson sent the arena of sports journalism spinning when she reported a harrowing incident she experienced when interviewing a player in the locker room in 1990. Her strong sense of righteousness allowed her to stand up and take note. This was not acceptable behavior and Olson wanted to make sure her attackers knew it, as well as the rest of the world. Unfortun…
1939- American sportscaster ESPN's "mouth that roars," Dick Vitale, is more than a college basketball announcer. He is a cult figure, showman, power broker, author, columnist, Dick Vitale cameo actor, motivational speaker and frequent lightning rod for controversy. Players, coaches, fans and media respect his wisdom and influence; some mimic his "V-Speak,"…
1918-1995 American sportscaster Sportscasting had never before known the likes of Howard Cosell, nor is it likely to see another like him again. He became an enormous figure despite the fact that he was verbose, egotistical, decidedly untelegenic, outspoken about controversial issues, and oblivious to the feelings of others. These negative attributes were almost equally balanced by his intelligenc…
1927- American documentarian As official filmmaker of the Olympic games, Bud Greenspan has produced International Olympic Committee (IOC)-sanctioned records of several meets—the 1984 games in Los Angeles, the 1988 games in Calgary, the 1992 Barcelona games, the 1996 games in Atlanta, the 1998 games in Nagano, the 2000 Sydney games, and the 2002 Salt Lake City games. At the same time, he has…
1952- American sportscaster Bob Costas Bob Costas has turned the broadcasting world upside down with his impeccable style. He is known for his ability to memorize trivial facts and insert them with precision timing when broadcasting. Costas is also known for his ability to hold his own when situations occur on a live broadcast. The thing he is most known for, however, is his love of basebal…
1914-1998 American sportscaster Harry Caray changed the world of sports broadcasting forever with a style that reflected his true love of baseball. Caray was a man who spoke his mind. It is this aspect of his personality that endeared him to most, but ostracized him from others. There were many sportscasters who dreaded working with him, because he took over the booth. He was certainly larger than…
