Sports Broadcasting Families That Always Make The Right Call
Sportscasting is one of the most difficult jobs in the world. Not only does a legend like Joe Buck constantly have a producer "in his ear" while he tries to call a game, he also has a partner to balance the conversation with. But Joe isn't the first in his family to sit in the booth. His dad, Jack, was a Hall of Famer. These are all the most famous sportscasting families!
Kenny Albert Stepped Out Of His Father's Shadow
In NBA broadcasting circles, few voices are as legendary as Marv Albert's. From 1967 until 2004 he was known as the "voice of the New York Knicks." Turning 80-years-old in 2021, Albert serves as one of TNT's national play-by-play announcers.
Marv's son, Kenny, has also found himself announcing to a national audience. Kenny calls games four the NBA, NHL, MLB, and NBA, making him one of the busiest men in all of sportscasting. In 2009, he gained national praise when he called four sporting events, one from each league, in four consecutive days.
The Carays Are Sportscasting Royalty
It's not often a family is blessed with three generations of sportscasters, but that's exactly what happened with the Carays. It started with Harry Caray, who called MLB games for the Chicago Cubs (among others) and became famous for not just his voice, but his oversized glasses, too.
Harry was followed by his son Skip, who spent his career calling games for the Atlanta Braves while also working for NBC on nationally televised playoff contests. Finally, Skip's son, Chip, started his career working with Harry in Chicago before signing a long-term deal with TBS to work with his dad.
Mike Golic And Mike Golic Jr. Call ESPN Home
Mike Golic spent nearly a decade in the NFL before calling it a career and finding a second life as a sportscaster. For 17 years, he co-hosted Mike and Mike on ESPN Radio alongside Mike Greenberg while also making televised appearances as an analyst for the network.
His son, Mike Golic Jr., was also briefly a professional football player before transitioning into sportscasting. In 2016, Golic Jr. became the host of First and Last on ESPN Radio.
Bob And Brian Griese Both Played In The NFL
Before becoming a broadcaster, Bob Griese was a quarterback in the NFL. He won two Super Bowls and was the starting QB for the Dolphins during the team's perfect 1972 season. After retiring, Griese became a broadcaster for NBC in 1982 before moving to ABC in 1987.
Bob's son, Brian, was also a Super Bowl-winning quarterback (as a backup) before settling into life as a sportscaster. In 2020, Brian was put in the booth on Monday Night Football alongside ESPN colleagues Steve Levy and Louis Riddick.
Brothers Greg And Bryant Gumbel Are Icons
Greg Gumbel was working as a hospital supplies salesman in 1973 when his brother Bryant told him about a sportscasting opening in Chicago. Greg got the job, beginning a career that would see him work for CBS, ESPN, and NBC.
Bryant Gumbel was hired by NBC Sports in 1975, where he worked as an NFL pre-game show announcer until 1982. That year the network made him the sports reporter for Today. In 1997, he moved to CBS before eventually making his home at HBO as the host of Real Sports.
Kevin Harlan And Olivia Make It A Father/Daughter Affair
Chances are that if you've ever watched a sports telecast gone wrong, you heard Kevin Harlan call the strange events. When most broadcasters ignore fans running on the field, Kevin calls the action, allowing the ridiculousness of the moment to be shared with everyone listening.
Kevin's daughter, Olivia, started her own sportscasting career in 2013 and has quickly become one of the industry's most popular sideline reporters. In 2018, Olivia and Kevin became the first father/daughter duo ever to broadcast an NFL game.
Father Knows Best When It Comes To Phil And Chris Simms
Sometimes, greatness runs in the family bloodlines. Phil Simms was a two-time Super Bowl-winning starting QB for the New York Giants before settling into a life as an analyst for CBS. The elder Simms has called games in the booth and has been a lead anchor on pre-game and post-game shows.
Phil's son, Chris, took a similar path to NBC Sports. He played in the NFL as a QB for three teams over seven seasons before transitioning to sportscasting. Chris first joined Fox Sports in 2013, moved to CBS in 2014, and finally landed with NBC Sports in 2016.
Dick Stockton And Lesley Visser Were One Of Broadcasting's First Families
Dick Stockton and Lesley Visser got married in 1983 and stayed together for nearly 30 years. In that time, they formed one of the industry's first broadcasting families. Stockton still calls NFL games today, working for Fox Sports in the booth with Mark Schlereth.
Visser started her career as a sports writer for The Boston Globe in 1974 before moving into television with CBS Sports in 1983. She covered the NBA, MLB, college basketball, and tennis while there. Visser briefly left CBS for ABC in 1993. She returned to her first television home in 2000 and became the first female in an NFL broadcast booth in 2001.
Jack Collinsworth Is Following In His Father's Footsteps
Before becoming the voice of NBC's Sunday Night Football broadcasts, Cris Collinsworth was a wide receiver in the NFL. His playing career offers him insight that makes him an ideal personality in the booth as he breaks down why plays succeed or fail.
Cris' son, Jac, is still a fresh face in the broadcasting world but is already showing that he inherited his famous father's genes. In March 2020, Jac even signed a contract with NBC, meaning he will likely end up broadcasting with Cris someday!
Joe Buck Made His Father Proud
At 25-years-old, Joe Buck was hired by Fox and became the youngest broadcaster in history to announce an NFL game on network television. Two years later, the network made him the lead voice on MLB telecasts, placing him alongside Tim McCarver in the booth.
Before working with Joe, McCarver worked with his father, Jack. Throughout his legendary sportscasting career, Jack called games for ABC and CBS and was known most famously for his work in the booth for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Reggie And Cheryl Miller Are Basketball Powerhouses
Reggie Miller was one of the greatest shooters the NBA had ever seen during his Hall of Fame NBA career. When he retired, it was only natural he would take his knowledge of the game and use it to educate television viewers from the booth.
Reggie's sister, Cheryl, was a legendary college basketball player and also a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee. And like Reggie, Cheryl found a post-playing career as a sportscaster. She has worked as both a sideline reporter and in-studio analyst for several networks.
The Kuipers Are Bay Area Legends
Duane Kuiper has been one of the voices of the San Francisco Giants since 1986. He took a one-year "detour" in 1993 to work for the Rockies before returning to SF. He has been nominated for the Ford C Frick Award (broadcasting Hall of Fame) several times.
Across the Bay, Glen Kuiper has been in the booth calling Oakland A's games since 2004. Duane's younger brother has also worked as a sideline reporter for Fox Sports NHL coverage of the San Jose Sharks.
Ernie Johnson Jr. Made His Father Proud
Ernie Johnson Sr. played in Major League Baseball as a member of the Braves and Cardinals for a decade, winning one World Series, before retiring. Like many before, his second life became one in the booth, where he was known as one of the voices of the Braves for 37 years.
Ernie Johnson Jr. took everything his father taught him about broadcasting and applied it on a national level. He has worked as the lead anchor on TNT's Inside the NBA since 1990 and is one of the most beloved broadcasters in the industry.
Dan Hicks And Hannah Storm Split National Responsibilities
Dan Hicks worked as a reporter for CNN in the '80s before moving to NBC Sports in 1992 and starting his career as the network's play-by-play commentator for golf. He has also filled in on NFL telecasts for the network.
Hicks' wife, Hannah Storm, also started on CNN, hosting CNN Sports Tonight from 1989 until 1992. She left CNN for NBC Sports, and in 2008 joined ESPN where she anchored Sportscenter. In 2018, she was hired by Amazon Prime to call Thursday Night Football games with Andrea Kremer.
Will McDonough Opened The Door For Sean
Will McDonough was one of the true pioneers of the sportscasting industry. He moved from newspaper writing to broadcasting in the '70s working for CBS. He later moved to NBC where he worked on NFL Live from 1991 until 1993.
Will's son, Sean, got his big break in the '80s on Boston radio calling Red Sox games. In the '90s he moved to television, getting hired by CBS. As the next decade started, Sean moved to ESPN, serving as a college football analyst. He had a brief stint on Monday Night Football in 2016 but moved back to college a few years later.
Harry Kalas Passed His Vocal Talents On To His Son
Harry Kalas first shared his voice with the world in the '60s as part of the Astros radio broadcast booth. When he moved to Philadelphia, he did not get a great reception but eventually proved to fans that he was perfect for the job.
Todd Kalas, Harry's son, has seen his career circle back to where his father's began! In 2017, Todd was hired by AT&T SportsNet Southwest to be the television play-by-play announcer for the Houston Astros.
Don And Daron Sutton Stayed On Separate Coasts
After a long career as a pitcher mostly with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Don Sutton played with a bi-coastal broadcasting life. Initially, he split time between Dodgers and Braves but eventually moved to the Atlanta side full time.
Daron Sutton's broadcasting career slowly moved him west and away from his father. Daron got his big break alongside his father calling Braves' games in 1997. Nearly a decade later he started calling Arizona Diamondbacks games, and today still works on the West Coast in various capacities.
The Shavers Have Announced Hockey For Three Generations
Jason Shaver didn't think twice about following in the footsteps of his father and his grandfather before that. Together, Wally, Al, and Jason are hockey royalty - three generations of announcers. Having a father and grandfather in the business helped Jason when he decided it was his turn:
"...once I got into high school, it started to become natural that I was drawn to this business. The North Stars allowed me to get a press pass during weekday games and I'd sit in the Met Center press box, recording games onto a tape recorder and just practicing the craft."
Noah Eagle Is Quickly Catching Up To His Dad
Ian Eagle is one of the busiest sportscasters in the industry. He calls college basketball, NFL, and NBA games for CBS, TNT, and TBS. And somehow with his busy schedule, he still found time to raise Noah Eagle, his son, who is quickly gaining his own traction in the industry.
At just 24-years-old, Noah Eagle is the radio voice of the Los Angeles Clippers. Noah has also shown a knack for the NFL and called his first wild card playoff game in 2020.
Marty And Thom Brennaman Worked The Booth Together
From 1974 until 2019, Marty Brennaman was the voice of the Cincinnati Reds. His name was synonymous with the team, and for good reason! During his time with the team, Brennaman made many iconic calls, including Hank Aaron's record-tying 714th home run and Roy Halladay's postseason no-hitter.
Thom Brennaman started his career for an NBC affiliate in Cincinnati in 1986. From there he gained national acclaim with Fox Sports as an NFL and MLB announcer. In 2010, he came back to Cincinnati, where he spent a decade calling games. During his time with the Reds, he was lucky enough to spend time on-air with his iconic father.
