Kenny Albert: Difference between revisions

}} Boxing

Albert's parents gave him a [[tape recorder]] for his fifth birthday to practice his broadcasting.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlny/like-father-like-son-kenny-albert-talks-about-growing-up-with-legendary-dad_b56137|title=New York Media Jobs - Jobs in NYC|website=www.mediabistro.com|access-date=1 April 2018}}</ref> On his sixth birthday in [[1974–75 New York Rangers season|1974]], his father took him along to a [[New York Rangers]] game. One of the statisticians had to leave in the middle of the game, so Albert got to do the stats for the rest of the game. At 14, he became the official statistician for the Rangers on the radio. At 16, he wrote content for the Rangers program. Aside from his [[Marv Albert|father]], his idol was [[Vancouver Canucks]] play-by-play broadcaster [[Jim Robson]]. From 1981 to 1986, Albert, growing up in [[Sands Point, New York|Sands Point]], covered high school sports for the ''Port Washington News''<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20101019041635/http://antonnews.com/portwashingtonnews.html Port Washington News]</ref> at Paul D. Schreiber High School, an [[Anton Community Newspapers]] publication.<ref>[http://www.antonnews.com/hicksvilleillustratednews/news/11640-the-voice-of-a-generation-rangers-kenny-albert.html The Voice of a Generation: Rangers’ Kenny Albert] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101114112533/http://antonnews.com/hicksvilleillustratednews/news/11640-the-voice-of-a-generation-rangers-kenny-albert.html |date=2010-11-14 }}. Antonnews.com (2010-11-12). Retrieved on 2011-01-08.</ref>

Albert is the primary radio and occasional TV voice of the [[New York Rangers]], as well as a [[play-by-play]] announcer and field-level reporter for [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]'s coverage of [[Major League Baseball on Fox|Major League Baseball]],<ref name="nytimes1996"/> the [[NFL on Fox|National Football League]],<ref name="nytimes1996"/> and previously, the [[Sugar Bowl]].

Previously, heAlbert was the radio broadcaster for the [[American Hockey League]]'s [[Baltimore Skipjacks]] from 1990 to 1992. He later handled TV play-by-play for the [[Washington Capitals]] and [[Washington Bullets]] (now the Washington Wizards), and was a part-time announcer on [[Washington Nationals]] telecasts in [[2005 Washington Nationals season|2005]]. Additionally, he does TV play-by-play for the [[Washington Commanders]] (formerly the Washington Redskins) preseason games with [[Joe Theismann]].<ref>[[2011{{cn|date=June Washington Redskins season#Game summaries]]</ref>2024}} Albert called the international broadcast of [[Super Bowl XLVI]] with Theismann.

Albert has also done [[college basketball]] for [[ESPN|ESPN Plus]] and is a substitute play-by-play announcer for televised [[New York Knicks]] games on [[MSG (TV network)|MSG Network]].<ref name="autogenerated1" /> For the 2011 playoffs, Albert broadcast for two playoff teams in the same market, doing the play-by-play for the [[New York Rangers]] on [[WEPN (AM)|WEPN]] 1050 ESPN radio and filling in on [[MSG (TV network)|MSG Network]] doing play-by-play for the [[New York Knicks]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.timesunion.com/sportsmedia/monroe-king-added-to-knicks-playoff-studio-team/6596/|title=Monroe, King added to Knicks' playoff studio team|date=12 April 2011|website=timesunion.com|access-date=1 April 2018}}</ref>

In 2016, Albert was nominated for the [[Sports Emmy Award]] for [[Outstanding Sports Personality, Play-by-Play]] in a list that included fellow Fox and NBC colleagues [[Kevin Burkhardt]], eventual winner [[Mike Emrick]], and even his own father.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prnewschannel.com/2016/04/04/nbc-sports-group-garners-28-sports-emmy-award-nominations/|title=NBC Sports Group Garners 28 Sports Emmy Award Nominations - #PRNC|website=www.prnewschannel.com|access-date=1 April 2018}}</ref>

After Emrick's retirement, Albert became NBC's lead play-by-play announcer for the [[2020–21 NHL season]], paired with Emrick's long-time partner [[Eddie Olczyk]], having previously filled- in for Emrick in game one of the [[2014 Stanley Cup Finals]] due to a death in the latter's family.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2014-06-02|title=NEW YORK RANGERS FACE LOS ANGELES KINGS IN STANLEY CUP FINAL – GAME 1 WEDNESDAY AT 8 P.M. ET ON NBC|url=https://nbcsportsgrouppressbox.com/2014/06/02/new-york-rangers-face-los-angeles-kings-in-stanley-cup-final-game-1-wednesday-at-8-p-m-et-on-nbc/|access-date=2021-07-02|website=NBCSportsGroupPressbox.com|publisher=NBC Universal|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|first=Pete|last=Dougherty|date=2014-06-04|title=Albert to fill in for Emrick on Game 1 of Stanley Cup Final|url=https://blog.timesunion.com/sportsmedia/albert-to-fill-in-for-emrick-on-game-1-of-stanley-cup-final/14977/|access-date=2021-07-02|website=blog.timesunion.com|publisher=Hearst|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-07|title=TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING LOOK TO WIN THE STANLEY CUP TONIGHT AT 8 P.M. ET ON NBC AND PEACOCK|url=https://nbcsportsgrouppressbox.com/2021/07/07/tampa-bay-lightning-look-to-win-the-stanley-cup-tonight-at-8-p-m-et-on-nbc-and-peacock/|access-date=2021-07-13|website=NBC Sports Pressbox|language=en}}</ref> With NBC losing its NHL rights starting in the [[2021–22 NHL season|2021–22 season]], the pair moved to [[NHL on TNT|Turner Sports]] to serve in the same capacity.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gretzky joins Turner Sports as NHL studio analyst |url=https://www.nhl.com/news/wayne-gretzky-joins-turner-sports-as-nhl-studio-analyst/c-325009610 |access-date=2022-08-29 |website=NHL.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Chiari |first1=Mike |title=Wayne Gretzky, Kenny Albert, Eddie Olczyk Join Turner Sports' NHL Coverage Team |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10003820-wayne-gretzky-kenny-albert-eddie-olczyk-join-turner-sports-nhl-coverage-team |website=Bleacher Report |publisher=Turner Sports}}</ref>

Albert is a frequent guest on [[WNYU-FM]]'s sports talk program, ''The Cheap Seats''. He has also made many appearances on the popular New York sports internet radio show ''Sports Heaven with Mark and Evan''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.longislandexchange.com/press/2009/01/20/kenny-albert-joins-sports-heaven/ |title=Long Island News - Kenny Albert Joins Sports Heaven &#124; Long Island Exchange |website=www.longislandexchange.com |access-date=22 May 2022 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120907043559/http://www.longislandexchange.com/press/2009/01/20/kenny-albert-joins-sports-heaven/ |archive-date=7 September 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

On October 25, 2009, Albert called the play-by-play of the [[2009 Minnesota Vikings season|Minnesota Vikings]] – [[2009 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Pittsburgh Steelers]] NFL game for [[NFL on Fox|Fox]] and then hosted the [[2009 New York Yankees season|New York Yankees]]' locker room celebration after clinching the [[2009 American League Championship Series|American League Championship Series]] that night. The following night he broadcast a [[2009–10 New York Rangers season|Rangers]] game on radio, and on October 28, he called the play-by-play of the [[2009–10 New York Knicks season|New York Knicks]] season opener on [[MSG Network]].<ref>[http://www.newsday.com/blogs/sports/watchdog-1.812020/kenny-albert-wins-travel-trophy-1.1558909 Kenny Albert wins travel trophy]. Newsday.com (2009-11-01). Retrieved on 2011-01-08.</ref>

Albert has frequently cited his love of all sports, but mainly hockey and basketball. He has cited baseball as the hardest sport to commentate for.<ref name="FOX bio" />

*1994–1995, 2016–present2016–2020: [[NHL Radio]] – lead play-by-play

*2010–present2010–2023: [[Washington Commanders]] Broadcast Network – preseason play-by-play

[[Category:National Basketball AssociationNBA broadcasters]]