Brent Musburger
Encyclopedia
Brent Woody Musburger (ˈmʌsbɜrɡər; born May 26, 1939) 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 studio host for games, a play-by-play man, and halftime host. He has also performed post game wrap up segments and covered championship trophy presentations. He is a member of the Montana Broadcaster's Association Hall of Fame.
, Oregon, Musburger was raised in Billings
, Montana
by parents Cec and Beryl. He was an umpire for minor league baseball
during the 1950s. He was also a boyhood friend of former Major League
pitcher Dave McNally
, even though they would have graduated from high school three years apart. Musburger's brother, Todd Musburger
, is considered one of the top sports agents in the business. When he was an adult he built a log cabin in Big Timber, Montana
.
Musburger youth included some brushes with trouble: when he was 12, he and his brother stole a car belonging to their mother's cleaning lady and took it for joy ride. His parents eventually sent him to the Shattuck Military Academy in Faribault, Minnesota
. Educated at Northwestern University
's Medill School of Journalism
, he was kicked out for a year for owning and operating a car without a license.
Musburger began his career as a sportswriter for the now-defunct Chicago American
newspaper. In his column in that paper, Musburger famously referred to Tommie Smith
and John Carlos
as "black-skinned storm troopers" for their protest of racial injustice in the United States
with a Black Power salute
on the medal stand during the 1968 Summer Olympics
. Asked about his comments decades later, Musburger granted that his words, which likened Smith and Carlos to Nazis, were "a bit harsh", but he stood by the core of his criticism of the pair's action:
Beginning in the late 1960s, Musburger worked in television, first for local stations in Chicago
and Los Angeles. Musburger worked alongside Connie Chung
during her tenure doing local Los Angeles newscasts on KNXT-TV
from 1978 until 1980.
. He started out doing regular season National Football League
games (future The NFL Today co-host Irv Cross
was also doing NFL games at that time as well). Musburger was paired with Tommy Mason
or Bart Starr
, who provided the color commentary. A year later, Wayne Walker
would be paired with Musburger in the booth.
By 1975
, at CBS
, Musburger went from doing the NFL play-by-play (and other items, mostly on CBS' Sports Saturday/Sunday programs) to rise to prominence as the host of the network's National Football League
studio show, The NFL Today
. Suddenly, Musburger began to cover many assignments for CBS Sports. Among the other events he covered, either as studio host or play-by-play announcer, were college football
and basketball
, the National Basketball Association, horse racing
, the U.S. Open (tennis)
tournament, and The Masters
golf tournament. He would even lend his talents to weekend afternoon fare such as The World's Strongest Man contests and the like. Musburger also called Major League Baseball
games for CBS Radio
.
that made him famous. During his tenure, the CBS' NFL
pregame show was consistently the #1 rated
pregame show. One of the signatures of the program was Musburger's show-opening teases to the various games CBS would cover, along with live images from the various stadiums. Musburger's accompanying intro to each visual, "You are looking live at..." became one of his catch phrases.
Musburger made headlines when he got into a fist-fight with The NFL Todays betting analyst Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder
in a Manhattan bar on October 27, 1980
. Only two years earlier, the two had co-announced the 1978 World Series of Poker
. However, the fist-fight incident was quickly regarded as water under the bridge as the two cheerfully appeared on The NFL Today the following week wearing boxing gloves on camera.
, college basketball
, college football
, horse racing
including the Belmont Stakes
, College World Series
, and others. He also hosted a New Year's Eve countdown for CBS. Musburger is generally regarded as the first broadcaster to apply the term March Madness
to the annual NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
tournament.
. Internally, some of the upper echelon management started showing concern about Musburger gaining too much power at CBS. Musburger later claimed, however, that CBS was deluging him with too many assignments. Much of this came about when Musburger added CBS television's play-by-play duties of Major League Baseball to his portfolio.
of 1990, Musburger was dismissed from CBS. His final assignment for CBS came the following evening, doing play-by-play for the 1990 NCAA men's basketball final, which was Duke versus UNLV. When the game was completed, Musburger, on camera, thanked the audience and the many people at CBS Sports, and the analysts that he had worked with through the years like Billy Packer
, who was standing next to him for his swan song. He finished by saying
Musburger would soon be replaced by Jack Buck
for the baseball play-calling duties. His position at The NFL Today was filled by Greg Gumbel
. His position as the lead play-by-play announcer for college basketball was filled by Jim Nantz
.
(which broadcast Chicago Cubs
games). Musburger ultimately settled at ABC
. With Al Michaels
(at the time) firmly entrenched as ABC's top broadcaster, Musburger would not fill that role. He would focus on events such as college football
and basketball
.
Soon afterwards, ABC's association with ESPN
(under the Disney
umbrella) would allow him to now have two venues in which to work, and since Musburger's hiring by ABC in 1990, and the merger with ESPN and ABC Sports divisions
in 2006, he has called events as diverse as Major League Baseball
, NBA games (on television and he also called some NBA Finals
series during the late 1990s to the early 2000s for ESPN Radio
, where he also from January 1993 to December 2003 hosted a 10-minute and later five-minute daily show called SportsBeat
, which offered Musburger's takes on current sports events around the globe), golf tournaments, horse racing
, the Indianapolis 500
, Little League World Series
, soccer games, college football
(usually games involving teams from the Big XII Conference), and even some NFL games (including hosting halftime duties for Monday Night Football
and Wild Card round games). Musburger's college football duties including calling two BCS championship games to date, the 2000 Sugar Bowl
and the 2004 Sugar Bowl
. Musburger also broadcast the 2010 BCS National Championship Game
for ABC in January 2010 as well as the 2011 BCS National Championship Game
for ESPN. Musburger has also covered the Tour de France
for ABC.
Starting in 2006, Musburger has called ABC Sports' college football prime time series, along with analysts Bob Davie and Kirk Herbstreit
(who worked selected games in 2006). Musburger called the 2007 Rose Bowl
, taking over for the recently retired ABC icon Keith Jackson
. Davie and Herbstreit provided the color commentary. Since 2007, Herbstreit has worked exclusively with Musburger, while Davie was reassigned within ESPN. He will occasionally call games on ESPN as well, if the Saturday Night package is on hiatus and/or a game on the sister network is of importance.
After Al Michaels was hired by NBC
in February 2006, Musburger could now be seen as the face of ABC Sports/ESPN on ABC, although he does not have nearly as many assignments as he did when he was employed by CBS. However, his importance at ABC Sports is still in evidence, as recently he was the main studio host during ABC's coverage of the 2006 World Cup
and previously the 1998 World Cup
, and was also named the studio host for ESPN and ABC's NASCAR coverage, which he did return to after the 2007 season.
In 2010, Musburger voiced his support for a college football playoff in an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times
. "My dream scenario – and it's not going to happen – would be to take eight conference champions, and only conference champions, and play the quarterfinals of a tournament on campuses in mid-December," he said. "The four losers would remain bowl-eligible. The four winners would advance to semifinals on New Year's Day with exclusive TV windows. Then, like now, one week later, there would be the national championship game."
On September 18, 2006, University of Southern California
Sports
Information Director Tim Tessalone sent a formal letter to ESPN, copying the Pacific Ten Conference
, complaining that Musburger revealed privileged information during his broadcast of the September 16, 2006, NCAA football game, in which the USC Trojans
hosted the Nebraska Cornhuskers
. Musburger disclosed that he had learned a signal used by Trojans quarterback John David Booty
in a pre-game conversation with the quarterback. USC claims this information was for private background purposes only. Tessalone said:
ESPN and Musburger each released separate statements, saying they regretted the confusion. Musburger also appeared on ESPN Radio
's Dan Patrick Show a few days later to discuss the incident, in which he said that there was never an intention of putting team secrets on the air. The sports world and media and fans have been divided regarding the incident.
On October 5, 2010, Musburger told a class of college journalism students at the University of Montana that professional athletes under a doctor's supervision could potentially use steroids to improve performance. He said that steroid use should have no place in high school athletics, but also said:
However, when the moment arises, he can come up with classically intense statements filled with hyperbole
, superlatives and interjections aurally delivered in a staccato
he no doubt honed and crafted during his tenure as a television news anchorman in Los Angeles in the late 1970s.
In a Sports Illustrated
profile done on Musburger in January 1984 and written by William Taaffe, he had this to say about his craft and endeavor:
CNN Sports Illustrated's Stewart Mandel
selected him as the second-best college football announcer, behind Ron Franklin
. Mandel said of Musburger, "His voice will always be associated with some of the sports' most memorable modern moments."
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...
for the ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
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...
television networks. Formerly with CBS Sports
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 one of the original members of their legendary program The NFL Today
The NFL Today
The NFL Today is an American sports series that precedes the American football program The NFL on CBS on CBS Sports. The program usually airs at noon on Sundays of the National Football League regular season...
, Musburger has covered 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...
, NBA
National 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...
, MLB
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
, NCAA football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
and basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
games. Musburger has also served as a studio host for games, a play-by-play man, and halftime host. He has also performed post game wrap up segments and covered championship trophy presentations. He is a member of the Montana Broadcaster's Association Hall of Fame.
Early life and career
Born in PortlandPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, Oregon, Musburger was raised in Billings
Billings, Montana
Billings is the largest city in the U.S. state of Montana, and is the principal city of the Billings Metropolitan Area, the largest metropolitan area in over...
, Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
by parents Cec and Beryl. He was an umpire for minor league baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
during the 1950s. He was also a boyhood friend of former Major League
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
pitcher Dave McNally
Dave McNally
David Arthur "Dave" McNally was a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher from until . He was signed by the Baltimore Orioles and played with them every season except for his final season with the Montreal Expos.McNally has the unique distinction as the only pitcher in Major League...
, even though they would have graduated from high school three years apart. Musburger's brother, Todd Musburger
Todd Musburger
Todd W. Musburger is a Chicago-based attorney specializing in media and entertainment law. Since 1980 he has operated his own firm, Todd W. Musburger Ltd., which concentrates in representing individuals in the fields of television, radio, film, publishing and music.Todd is a 1973 graduate of the...
, is considered one of the top sports agents in the business. When he was an adult he built a log cabin in Big Timber, Montana
Big Timber, Montana
Big Timber is a city in and the county seat of Sweet Grass County, Montana, United States. The population was 1,650 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Big Timber is located at ....
.
Musburger youth included some brushes with trouble: when he was 12, he and his brother stole a car belonging to their mother's cleaning lady and took it for joy ride. His parents eventually sent him to the Shattuck Military Academy in Faribault, Minnesota
Faribault, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 20,818 people, 7,472 households, and 4,946 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,644.8 people per square mile . There were 7,668 housing units at an average density of 605.8 per square mile...
. Educated at Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
's Medill School of Journalism
Medill School of Journalism
The Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications is a constituent school of Northwestern University which offers both undergraduate and graduate programs. It has consistently been one of the top-ranked schools in Journalism in the United States...
, he was kicked out for a year for owning and operating a car without a license.
Musburger began his career as a sportswriter for the now-defunct Chicago American
Chicago's American
Chicago American, an afternoon newspaper in Chicago, Illinois, was the last flowering of the aggressive journalistic tradition depicted in the play and movie The Front Page....
newspaper. In his column in that paper, Musburger famously referred to Tommie Smith
Tommie Smith
Tommie Smith is an African American former track & field athlete and wide receiver in the American Football League. At the 1968 Summer Olympics, Smith won the 200-meter dash finals in 19.83 seconds – the first time the 20 second barrier was broken...
and John Carlos
John Carlos
John Wesley Carlos is a Cuban American former track and field athlete and professional football player. He was the bronze-medal winner in the 200 meters at the 1968 Summer Olympics and his black power salute on the podium with Tommie Smith caused much political controversy...
as "black-skinned storm troopers" for their protest of racial injustice in the United States
Racism in the United States
Racism in the United States has been a major issue since the colonial era and the slave era. Legally sanctioned racism imposed a heavy burden on Native Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, and Latin Americans...
with a Black Power salute
1968 Olympics Black Power salute
The 1968 Olympics Black Power salute involved the African American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos giving the Black power salute at the Olympic Stadium in Mexico City...
on the medal stand during the 1968 Summer Olympics
1968 Summer Olympics
The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Mexico City, Mexico in October 1968. The 1968 Games were the first Olympic Games hosted by a developing country, and the first Games hosted by a Spanish-speaking country...
. Asked about his comments decades later, Musburger granted that his words, which likened Smith and Carlos to Nazis, were "a bit harsh", but he stood by the core of his criticism of the pair's action:
Beginning in the late 1960s, Musburger worked in television, first for local stations in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and Los Angeles. Musburger worked alongside Connie Chung
Connie Chung
Connie Chung, full name: Constance Yu-Hwa Chung Povich is an American journalist who has been an anchor and reporter for the U.S. television news networks NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, and MSNBC. Some of her more famous interview subjects include Claus von Bülow and U.S...
during her tenure doing local Los Angeles newscasts on KNXT-TV
KCBS-TV
KCBS-TV, channel 2, is an owned-and-operated television station of the CBS Television Network, located in Los Angeles, California. KCBS-TV shares its offices and studio facilities with sister station KCAL-TV inside CBS Studio Center in the Studio City section of Los Angeles, and its transmitter...
from 1978 until 1980.
CBS Sports
Beginning in late 1973, Musburger was doing play-by-play for 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...
. He started out doing regular season National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
games (future The NFL Today co-host Irv Cross
Irv Cross
Irvin Acie "Irv" Cross is a former professional American football cornerback and sportscaster.-Playing career:Cross was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the seventh round of the 1961 NFL Draft. In 1966 he was traded to the Los Angeles Rams. Then in 1969, he returned to the Eagles and became...
was also doing NFL games at that time as well). Musburger was paired with Tommy Mason
Tommy Mason
Thomas Cyril Mason is a former American football running back in the National Football League. He was selected first overall by the expansion Minnesota Vikings in the 1961 NFL Draft. In six seasons with the Vikings, he rushed for 3,252 yards and 28 touchdowns. In 1967, he was signed by the Los...
or Bart Starr
Bart Starr
Bryan Bartlett "Bart" Starr is a former professional American football player and coach. Wearing #15, he was the quarterback for the Green Bay Packers from 1956 to 1971 and head coach from 1975 to 1983, compiling a record of 52–76–3 ....
, who provided the color commentary. A year later, Wayne Walker
Wayne Walker
Wayne Harrison Walker is a former professional football player and sports broadcaster. He played in the NFL for fifteen seasons, from 1958-72 for the Detroit Lions. A starter throughout his career, #55 played in 200 regular season games as a 6'2", 225 lb...
would be paired with Musburger in the booth.
By 1975
1975 NFL season
The 1975 NFL season was the 56th regular season of the National Football League. It was also the first time that featured an entire season with no games ending in a tie. The league made two significant changes to increase the appeal of the game:...
, at 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...
, Musburger went from doing the NFL play-by-play (and other items, mostly on CBS' Sports Saturday/Sunday programs) to rise to prominence as the host of the network's National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
studio show, The NFL Today
The NFL Today
The NFL Today is an American sports series that precedes the American football program The NFL on CBS on CBS Sports. The program usually airs at noon on Sundays of the National Football League regular season...
. Suddenly, Musburger began to cover many assignments for CBS Sports. Among the other events he covered, either as studio host or play-by-play announcer, were college football
SEC on CBS
The SEC on CBS is a presentation of the college football television package owned by CBS Sports...
and basketball
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...
, the National Basketball Association, horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
, the U.S. Open (tennis)
U.S. Open (tennis)
The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881...
tournament, and The Masters
The Masters Tournament
The Masters Tournament, also known as The Masters , is one of the four major championships in professional golf. Scheduled for the first full week of April, it is the first of the majors to be played each year...
golf tournament. He would even lend his talents to weekend afternoon fare such as The World's Strongest Man contests and the like. Musburger also called Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
games for CBS Radio
Major League Baseball on CBS Radio
Major League Baseball on CBS Radio was the de facto title for the CBS Radio Network's coverage of Major League Baseball. Produced by CBS Radio Sports , the program was the official national radio broadcaster for the All-Star Game and the postseason from 1976 to 1997.-Contracts:CBS first covered...
.
The NFL Today
But it was Musburger's association with The NFL TodayThe NFL Today
The NFL Today is an American sports series that precedes the American football program The NFL on CBS on CBS Sports. The program usually airs at noon on Sundays of the National Football League regular season...
that made him famous. During his tenure, the CBS' NFL
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:...
pregame show was consistently the #1 rated
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
pregame show. One of the signatures of the program was Musburger's show-opening teases to the various games CBS would cover, along with live images from the various stadiums. Musburger's accompanying intro to each visual, "You are looking live at..." became one of his catch phrases.
Musburger made headlines when he got into a fist-fight with The NFL Todays betting analyst Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder
Jimmy Snyder
Dimetrios Georgios Synodinos , better known as Jimmy "the Greek" Snyder, was an American sports commentator and Las Vegas bookie.-Life and career:...
in a Manhattan bar on October 27, 1980
1980 NFL season
The 1980 NFL season was the 61st regular season of the National Football League.After the league declined to approve the proposed move by the Raiders from Oakland, California to Los Angeles, the team along with the Los Angeles Coliseum sued the NFL for violating antitrust laws...
. Only two years earlier, the two had co-announced the 1978 World Series of Poker
World Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker is a world-renowned series of poker tournaments held annually in Las Vegas and, since 2005, sponsored by Harrah's Entertainment...
. However, the fist-fight incident was quickly regarded as water under the bridge as the two cheerfully appeared on The NFL Today the following week wearing boxing gloves on camera.
Late 1980s
By the late 1980s, Musburger was CBS's top sportscaster. He was now the main host and play-by-play announcer for many of the sporting events on CBS: the NBA FinalsNBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association . The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986....
, college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
, college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
, horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
including the Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
, College World Series
College World Series on CBS
From 1988-2002, CBS Sports televised a portion of the annual College World Series. From 1988-1990, CBS only televised the championship game. From 1991 until the end of their coverage in 2002, CBS televised one game on the first Saturday of the World Series besides the championship game.-Format...
, and others. He also hosted a New Year's Eve countdown for CBS. Musburger is generally regarded as the first broadcaster to apply the term March Madness
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...
to the annual 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...
tournament.
CBS power shift
Early in 1990, there was a new regime who held the mantle of power at CBSCBS
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...
. Internally, some of the upper echelon management started showing concern about Musburger gaining too much power at CBS. Musburger later claimed, however, that CBS was deluging him with too many assignments. Much of this came about when Musburger added CBS television's play-by-play duties of Major League Baseball to his portfolio.
Dismissal from CBS
During the early morning hours of April Fools' DayApril Fools' Day
April Fools' Day is celebrated in different countries around the world on April 1 every year. Sometimes referred to as All Fools' Day, April 1 is not a national holiday, but is widely recognized and celebrated as a day when many people play all kinds of jokes and foolishness...
of 1990, Musburger was dismissed from CBS. His final assignment for CBS came the following evening, doing play-by-play for the 1990 NCAA men's basketball final, which was Duke versus UNLV. When the game was completed, Musburger, on camera, thanked the audience and the many people at CBS Sports, and the analysts that he had worked with through the years like Billy Packer
Billy Packer
Anthony William "Billy" Packer is a former American sportscaster for CBS Sports and a published author.-Early life:Packer is a graduate of Liberty High School in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania...
, who was standing next to him for his swan song. He finished by saying
Musburger would soon be replaced by Jack Buck
Jack Buck
John Francis "Jack" Buck was an American sportscaster, best known for his work announcing Major League Baseball games of the St. Louis Cardinals. Buck received the Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987, and is honored with a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame...
for the baseball play-calling duties. His position at The NFL Today was filled by Greg Gumbel
Greg Gumbel
Greg Gumbel is an American television sportscaster. He is best known for his various assignments on the CBS network...
. His position as the lead play-by-play announcer for college basketball was filled by Jim Nantz
Jim Nantz
James William Nantz, III is an American sportscaster, known primarily for his work with CBS Sports television.-Early life:...
.
ABC Sports and ESPN
Following his dismissal from CBS, Musburger considered several offers – including one to return to Chicago and work at superstation WGNWGN-TV
WGN-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the CW-affiliated television station in Chicago, Illinois built, signed on, and owned by the Tribune Company. WGN-TV's studios and offices are located at 2501 W...
(which broadcast Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
games). Musburger ultimately settled at ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
. With 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...
(at the time) firmly entrenched as ABC's top broadcaster, Musburger would not fill that role. He would focus on events such as college football
College 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...
and 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...
.
Soon afterwards, ABC's association with ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
(under the Disney
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
umbrella) would allow him to now have two venues in which to work, and since Musburger's hiring by ABC in 1990, and the merger with ESPN and ABC Sports divisions
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...
in 2006, he has called events as diverse as Major League Baseball
ESPN Major League Baseball
ESPN Major League Baseball is a promotion of Major League Baseball on ESPN and ESPN2, with simulcasts on ESPNHD or ESPN2HD. ESPN's MLB coverage debuted on April 9, 1990 with three Opening Day telecasts. ESPN Major League Baseball is guaranteed to remain on air until 2013.The title is derived from...
, NBA games (on television and he also called some NBA Finals
NBA on ESPN Radio
The NBA on ESPN Radio is a broadcast of National Basketball Association games on the ESPN Radio network. Games on ESPN Radio are distributed on over 200 radio stations in the United States and Canada. The program began on January 21, 1996 and the current contract runs through the 2015-2016 season...
series during the late 1990s to the early 2000s for ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
, where he also from January 1993 to December 2003 hosted a 10-minute and later five-minute daily show called SportsBeat
SportsBeat
SportsBeat is three minutes of programming, where sportscaster Mike Tirico gives his take on the days sports world. SportsBeat is heard Monday through to Friday between 3 p.m. ET and 7 p.m. ET on ESPN Radio. It is three minutes of programming with one minute of inventory inclusive...
, which offered Musburger's takes on current sports events around the globe), golf tournaments, horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
, the Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana...
, Little League World Series
Little League World Series
The Little League Baseball World Series is a baseball tournament for children aged 11 to 13 years old. It was originally called the National Little League Tournament and was later renamed for the World Series in Major League Baseball. It was first held in 1947 and is held every August in South...
, soccer games, college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
(usually games involving teams from the Big XII Conference), and even some NFL games (including hosting halftime duties for 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...
and Wild Card round games). Musburger's college football duties including calling two BCS championship games to date, the 2000 Sugar Bowl
2000 Sugar Bowl
The 2000 Sugar Bowl was the designated Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game for the United States 1999 college football season and was played on January 4, 2000, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana...
and the 2004 Sugar Bowl
2004 Sugar Bowl
The 2004 Sugar Bowl, the BCS title game for the 2003 college football season, was played on January 4, 2004 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The teams were LSU Tigers and the Oklahoma Sooners...
. Musburger also broadcast the 2010 BCS National Championship Game
2010 BCS National Championship Game
The 2010 Citi BCS National Championship Game was the finale of the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season, and was played between the Texas Longhorns and the Alabama Crimson Tide. It was hosted by the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California,...
for ABC in January 2010 as well as the 2011 BCS National Championship Game
2011 BCS National Championship Game
The 2011 Tostitos BCS National Championship Game was the final college football game to determine the national champion of the 2010 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision season. The finale of the 2010-2011 Bowl Championship Series was played at the University of Phoenix Stadium, the host...
for ESPN. Musburger has also covered the Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
for ABC.
Starting in 2006, Musburger has called ABC Sports' college football prime time series, along with analysts Bob Davie and Kirk Herbstreit
Kirk Herbstreit
Kirk Herbstreit is an Emmy Award-winning analyst for ESPN's College GameDay, a television program covering college football and a provider of color commentary during college football games on ESPN and ABC. He appears annually as a commentator in EA Sports' NCAA Football. He was a quarterback on...
(who worked selected games in 2006). Musburger called the 2007 Rose Bowl
2007 Rose Bowl
The 2007 Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 2007 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. It was the 93rd Rose Bowl Game and part of the 2006-2007 Bowl Championship Series at the conclusion of the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season...
, taking over for the recently retired ABC icon 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...
. Davie and Herbstreit provided the color commentary. Since 2007, Herbstreit has worked exclusively with Musburger, while Davie was reassigned within ESPN. He will occasionally call games on ESPN as well, if the Saturday Night package is on hiatus and/or a game on the sister network is of importance.
After Al Michaels was hired by NBC
NBC 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...
in February 2006, Musburger could now be seen as the face of ABC Sports/ESPN on ABC, although he does not have nearly as many assignments as he did when he was employed by CBS. However, his importance at ABC Sports is still in evidence, as recently he was the main studio host during ABC's coverage of the 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
and previously the 1998 World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
, and was also named the studio host for ESPN and ABC's NASCAR coverage, which he did return to after the 2007 season.
In 2010, Musburger voiced his support for a college football playoff in an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
. "My dream scenario – and it's not going to happen – would be to take eight conference champions, and only conference champions, and play the quarterfinals of a tournament on campuses in mid-December," he said. "The four losers would remain bowl-eligible. The four winners would advance to semifinals on New Year's Day with exclusive TV windows. Then, like now, one week later, there would be the national championship game."
Controversy
On September 17, 2005, after broadcasting the Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Pittsburgh Panthers, Musburger was cited for an open container in a motor vehicle.On September 18, 2006, University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
Sports
USC Trojans
The USC Trojans are the athletic teams representing the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. While the men's teams are nicknamed the Trojans, the women's athletic teams are referred to as either the Trojans or Women of Troy...
Information Director Tim Tessalone sent a formal letter to ESPN, copying the Pacific Ten Conference
Pacific Ten Conference
The Pacific-12 Conference is a college athletic conference that operates in the Western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I; its football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of NCAA Division I football competition...
, complaining that Musburger revealed privileged information during his broadcast of the September 16, 2006, NCAA football game, in which the USC Trojans
2006 USC Trojans football team
The 2006 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California in college football season of 2006-2007, winning the Pacific-10 Conference and playing in the Rose Bowl...
hosted the Nebraska Cornhuskers
2006 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
The 2006 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Bill Callahan and played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska....
. Musburger disclosed that he had learned a signal used by Trojans quarterback John David Booty
John David Booty
John David Booty is an American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He last played for the Houston Texans until being cut on September 4, 2010. He played college football at USC.Booty has also been a member of the Tennessee Titans...
in a pre-game conversation with the quarterback. USC claims this information was for private background purposes only. Tessalone said:
ESPN and Musburger each released separate statements, saying they regretted the confusion. Musburger also appeared on ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
's Dan Patrick Show a few days later to discuss the incident, in which he said that there was never an intention of putting team secrets on the air. The sports world and media and fans have been divided regarding the incident.
On October 5, 2010, Musburger told a class of college journalism students at the University of Montana that professional athletes under a doctor's supervision could potentially use steroids to improve performance. He said that steroid use should have no place in high school athletics, but also said:
Style
Musburger has a down-home manner of speaking, often addressing his viewers as "folks" or "partner." He calls players on the field "Hombre" often.However, when the moment arises, he can come up with classically intense statements filled with hyperbole
Hyperbole
Hyperbole is the use of exaggeration as a rhetorical device or figure of speech. It may be used to evoke strong feelings or to create a strong impression, but is not meant to be taken literally....
, superlatives and interjections aurally delivered in a staccato
Staccato
Staccato is a form of musical articulation. In modern notation it signifies a note of shortened duration and separated from the note that may follow by silence...
he no doubt honed and crafted during his tenure as a television news anchorman in Los Angeles in the late 1970s.
In a Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
profile done on Musburger in January 1984 and written by William Taaffe, he had this to say about his craft and endeavor:
CNN Sports Illustrated's Stewart Mandel
Stewart Mandel
Stewart Lance Mandel is an American sports writer who focuses on college football and college basketball. Mandel was raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, attending Sycamore High School, and is a graduate of Northwestern University with a degree in Journalism....
selected him as the second-best college football announcer, behind Ron Franklin
Ron Franklin
Ron Franklin is an American sportscaster, most notably with ESPN, where he was employed from 1987-2011. He was fired by ESPN on January 4, 2011 after allegedly making sexist comments to and then berating a colleague.He is married with one child...
. Mandel said of Musburger, "His voice will always be associated with some of the sports' most memorable modern moments."
Career timeline
- 1973–1975: NFL on CBSNFL on CBSThe 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:...
play-by-play - 1975–1980: NBA on CBS lead play-by-play
- 1975–1989: The NFL TodayThe NFL TodayThe NFL Today is an American sports series that precedes the American football program The NFL on CBS on CBS Sports. The program usually airs at noon on Sundays of the National Football League regular season...
studio host - 1981–1984: College Basketball on CBSCollege Basketball on CBSCollege Basketball on CBS presented by State Farm is a presentation of men's NCAA Division I basketball games on CBS...
studio host - 1982–1988: NCAA Football on CBSSEC on CBSThe SEC on CBS is a presentation of the college football television package owned by CBS Sports...
play-by-play - 1983–1985: The Masters hole announcer
- 1984: World SeriesWorld SeriesThe World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
commentator for CBS Radio NetworkCBS Radio NetworkThe CBS Radio Network provides news, sports and other programming to more than 1,000 radio stations throughout the United States. The network is owned by CBS Corporation, and operated by CBS Radio .... - 1985–1990: College Basketball on CBSCollege Basketball on CBSCollege Basketball on CBS presented by State Farm is a presentation of men's NCAA Division I basketball games on CBS...
lead play-by-play - 1986–1989: The Masters host
- 1990–1996: Monday Night FootballMonday Night FootballMonday 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...
studio host - 1990–present: College Football on ABCCollege Football on ABCESPN College Football on ABC presented by Kay Jewelers is a presentation of the American Broadcasting Company's regular season American college football television package...
Play-by-Play - 1990–present: College Basketball on ABC
- 1991–1992, 1997–1998, 2000–present: Little League World SeriesLittle League World SeriesThe Little League Baseball World Series is a baseball tournament for children aged 11 to 13 years old. It was originally called the National Little League Tournament and was later renamed for the World Series in Major League Baseball. It was first held in 1947 and is held every August in South...
Play-by-Play - 1994–1995: Baseball Night in America #2 play-by-play for ABC
- 1996–2004: NBA FinalsNBA FinalsThe NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association . The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986....
play-by-play for ESPN RadioNBA on ESPN RadioThe NBA on ESPN Radio is a broadcast of National Basketball Association games on the ESPN Radio network. Games on ESPN Radio are distributed on over 200 radio stations in the United States and Canada. The program began on January 21, 1996 and the current contract runs through the 2015-2016 season... - 1998, 2006: World CupFIFA World CupThe FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
studio host - 2000, 2004, 2010–present: BCS National Championship GameBCS National Championship GameThe BCS National Championship Game, or BCS National Championship, is the final bowl game of the annual Bowl Championship Series and is intended by the organizers of the BCS to determine the U.S. national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision...
play-by-play (television) - 2002–2006: NBA on ESPN and NBA on ABC play-by-play
- 2007: NASCAR on ABCNASCAR on ABCNASCAR on ESPN is the coverage of NASCAR on ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC. ABC, and later ESPN, carried NASCAR races from the sanctioning body's top three divisions at various points from the early 1960s until 2002. ESPN resumed coverage of NASCAR with the Nationwide Series race at Daytona in February 2007...
studio host - 2005–present: Indianapolis 500Indianapolis 500The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana...
studio host - 2006–present: Saturday Night Football play-by-play
- 2007–2009: BCS National Championship GameBCS National Championship GameThe BCS National Championship Game, or BCS National Championship, is the final bowl game of the annual Bowl Championship Series and is intended by the organizers of the BCS to determine the U.S. national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision...
play-by-play (ESPN RadioESPN RadioESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
) - 2007–present: Rose Bowl play-by-play