Spero Dedes
Encyclopedia
Spero Dedes is a Greek-American sportscaster
born in Paramus, New Jersey
. He is a graduate of Paramus High School
and a 2001 graduate of Fordham University
in New York
.
Dedes was the radio voice of the Los Angeles Lakers
for six seasons, hired by the franchise in 2005. He was expected to replace Joel Meyers
as the team's TV play-by-play announcer at the beginning of the 2011-2012 season, but instead signed a contract to do radio/TV play-by-play for the New York Knicks
.
In addition, Dedes is a play-by-play announcer for CBS Sports, officially joining the network in 2010 on its coverage of both the NFL and NCAA Men's Basketball. In March 2010, Dedes called first and second round coverage of the Men's Basketball Championship. Since 2006, Dedes has also served as a host/play-by-play announcer for NFL Network
, where he hosts NFL Total Access
Monday, providing both pregame and postgame news and analysis surrounding the Monday Night Football
matchup. In addition to his NFL Total Access duties, Dedes holds extensive play-by-play experience in both football and basketball. He has served as the play-by-play voice for NFL Network’s broadcast of NFL preseason games and college bowl game
Previously, the New Jersey-native was the host of NBA TV
's Hardwood Classics and The Insiders
. He has also appeared on CSI: NY
.
Also included on his extensive resume: the 2004 Summer Olympics
in Athens
, where Dedes was the youngest member of NBC Universal
's on-air team at 24, calling play-by-play in field hockey
and other events. At 32, he has already worked play-by-play assignments for 3 of the 4 major U.S. television networks.
He was the play-by-play announcer alongside Sterling Sharpe
on the international feed of Super Bowl XLI
.
Dedes has also filled in for Ian Eagle
on play-by-play for the New York Jets
preseason network on CBS 2 New York
.
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...
born in Paramus, New Jersey
Paramus, New Jersey
Paramus is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 26,342. A suburb of New York City, Paramus is located between 15–20 miles northwest of Midtown Manhattan and approximately west of Upper Manhattan.Paramus is one of...
. He is a graduate of Paramus High School
Paramus High School
Paramus High School is an American four-year comprehensive public high school, located in Paramus, New Jersey, operating as part of the Paramus Public Schools...
and a 2001 graduate of Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Dedes was the radio voice of the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
for six seasons, hired by the franchise in 2005. He was expected to replace Joel Meyers
Joel Meyers
Joel Meyers is an American sportscaster and former play-by-play announcer of the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association on Fox Sports West and KCAL. Meyers left the Lakers at the end of the 2010-2011 season when the team did not renew his contract.-Career:Meyers joined the Lakers...
as the team's TV play-by-play announcer at the beginning of the 2011-2012 season, but instead signed a contract to do radio/TV play-by-play for the New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
.
In addition, Dedes is a play-by-play announcer for CBS Sports, officially joining the network in 2010 on its coverage of both the NFL and NCAA Men's Basketball. In March 2010, Dedes called first and second round coverage of the Men's Basketball Championship. Since 2006, Dedes has also served as a host/play-by-play announcer for NFL Network
NFL Network
NFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...
, where he hosts NFL Total Access
NFL Total Access
NFL Total Access is a television news program on the NFL Network.The network treats it as the league's "show of record" and bills it as the only year-round show dedicated to the National Football League, despite the ESPN show NFL Live running year round as well.NFL Total Access is primarily hosted...
Monday, providing both pregame and postgame news and analysis surrounding the 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...
matchup. In addition to his NFL Total Access duties, Dedes holds extensive play-by-play experience in both football and basketball. He has served as the play-by-play voice for NFL Network’s broadcast of NFL preseason games and college bowl game
Previously, the New Jersey-native was the host of NBA TV
NBA TV
NBA TV is a television specialty channel that is dedicated to showcasing the sport of basketball in the United States. The network is financially backed by the National Basketball Association , which also uses NBA TV as a way of advertising their out of market package NBA League Pass, and partner...
's Hardwood Classics and The Insiders
The Insiders
The Insiders was a mid-1980s American television detective series starring Nicholas Campbell, Stoney Jackson and Gail Strickland.-Notes:The one season program aired on Tuesday nights on ABC in the fall of 1985...
. He has also appeared on CSI: NY
CSI: NY
CSI: NY is an American police procedural television series that premiered on September 22, 2004, on CBS. The show follows the investigations of a team of NYPD forensic scientists and police officers as they unveil the circumstances behind mysterious and unusual deaths as well as other crimes...
.
Also included on his extensive resume: the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, where Dedes was the youngest member of NBC Universal
NBC Universal
NBCUniversal Media, LLC is a media and entertainment company engaged in the production and marketing of entertainment, news, and information products and services to a global customer base...
's on-air team at 24, calling play-by-play in field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
and other events. At 32, he has already worked play-by-play assignments for 3 of the 4 major U.S. television networks.
He was the play-by-play announcer alongside Sterling Sharpe
Sterling Sharpe
Sterling Sharpe is a former American football wide receiver and an analyst for the NFL Network. He attended the University of South Carolina, and played from 1988 to 1994 with the Green Bay Packers.-Early life:...
on the international feed of Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI was an American football game that featured the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion Chicago Bears to decide the National Football League champion for the 2006 season...
.
Dedes has also filled in for Ian Eagle
Ian Eagle
Ian Eagle is an American sports announcer calling National Football League games on CBS, New Jersey Nets games on the YES Network and hosts Full Court Press, a basketball talk show with former player Kenny Smith on Sirius Satellite Radio...
on play-by-play for the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
preseason network on CBS 2 New York
WCBS-TV
WCBS-TV, channel 2, is the flagship station of the CBS television network, located in New York City. The station's studios are located within the CBS Broadcast Center and its transmitter is atop the Empire State Building, both in Midtown Manhattan....
.