Kenneth Gary Albert[1] (born February 2, 1968) is an American sportscaster, the son of NBA sportscaster Marv Albert and nephew of sportscasters Al Albert and Steve Albert. He is the only sportscaster who currently does play-by-play for all four major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL).
Kenny Albert | |
|---|---|
 Albert in 2015 | |
| Born | Kenneth Gary Albert February 2, 1968 New York City, U.S. |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Spouse | Barbara Wolf (m.1996) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent(s) | Marv Albert Benita Oberlander |
| Relatives | Al Albert (uncle) Steve Albert (uncle) |
| Sports commentary career | |
| Genre | Play-by-play |
| Sport(s) | NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL |
Early life
editAlbert's parents gave him a tape recorder for his fifth birthday to practice his broadcasting.[2] On his sixth birthday in 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 father, his idol was Vancouver Canucks play-by-play broadcaster Jim Robson. From 1981 to 1986, Albert, growing up in Sands Point, covered high school sports for the Port Washington News[3] at Paul D. Schreiber High School, an Anton Community Newspapers publication.[4]
Albert graduated from New York University[5] in 1990[6] with a degree in broadcasting and journalism. He was a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. Albert worked in the sports department at WNYU radio. While working there he was able to pick up his quick responses while announcing local games.
Broadcasting career
editAlbert 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's coverage of Major League Baseball,[5] the National Football League,[5] and previously, the Sugar Bowl.
Previously, Albert 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. Additionally, he does TV play-by-play for the Washington Commanders (formerly the Washington Redskins) preseason games with Joe Theismann.[citation needed] Albert called the international broadcast of Super Bowl XLVI with Theismann.
When Fox had the network contract for the National Hockey League in the 1990s, Albert also worked on Fox NHL Saturday telecasts. Albert previously did play-by-play for the NHL on NBC and formerly with Versus (now called NBCSN). Albert called Game 1 of the 2014 Stanley Cup Finals for NBC, filling in for Mike Emrick, who was dealing with a death in the family.[7] He has done work for NBC's Olympics coverage, as a play-by-play announcer for men's and women's ice hockey at every Winter Olympic Games since Salt Lake City in 2002.
Albert has also done college basketball for ESPN Plus and is a substitute play-by-play announcer for televised New York Knicks games on MSG Network.[6] 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 1050 ESPN radio and filling in on MSG Network doing play-by-play for the New York Knicks.[8]
Albert was the play-by-play announcer for the 2015 American League Division Series between the Texas Rangers and the Toronto Blue Jays. In the top of the 7th inning of Game 5, he helped explain the rule regarding the errant throw by Toronto Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin, which resulted in Texas scoring the go-ahead run. In the bottom of the inning, he called Jose Bautista's go-ahead home run.[9]
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.[10]
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.[11][12][13] With NBC losing its NHL rights starting in the 2021–22 season, the pair moved to Turner Sports to serve in the same capacity.[14][15]
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.[16]
Four sports in four days
editOn October 25, 2009, Albert called the play-by-play of the Minnesota Vikings – Pittsburgh Steelers NFL game for Fox and then hosted the New York Yankees' locker room celebration after clinching the American League Championship Series that night. The following night he broadcast a Rangers game on radio, and on October 28, he called the play-by-play of the New York Knicks season opener on MSG Network.[17]
Personal life
editAlbert currently resides in New Jersey with his wife of 20 years, Barbara (Wolf), and their two daughters, Amanda and Sydney. Albert was introduced to his wife by close friend and Baltimore sports reporter, Jerry Coleman.[18]
Albert has frequently cited his love of all sports, but mainly hockey and basketball. He has cited baseball as the hardest sport to commentate.[18]
Kenny Albert released his first book, an autobiography entitled "A Mic For All Seasons", on October 10, 2023, with Triumph Publishing. The book documents his 30 years of broadcasting, citing stories about his career rise, relationships with broadcasters and athletes, and his family.[19]
Career timeline
edit- 1990–1992: Baltimore Skipjacks – play-by-play[20]
- 1992–1995: Washington Capitals – play-by-play on NBC Sports Washington
- 1993–1994: NHL on ESPN2 – play-by-play
- 1994–1995, 2016–2020: NHL Radio – lead play-by-play
- 1994–present: NFL on Fox – play-by-play
- 1995–1999: NHL on Fox – play-by-play[6]
- 1995–present: New York Rangers – radio play-by-play[6]
- 1999–2000: NTRA on Fox – host
- 2001–2019, 2022–present: Major League Baseball on Fox – play-by-play
- 2002: Winter Olympics – hockey play-by-play
- 2005: Washington Nationals – fill-in television play-by-play
- 2005–2006: NHL on Versus – play-by-play
- 2006: Winter Olympics – hockey play-by-play
- 2007–2009: Sugar Bowl – play-by-play
- 2009–present: New York Knicks – fill-in television play-by-play
- 2010: Winter Olympics – hockey play-by-play
- 2010–2023: Washington Redskins/Commanders Broadcast Network – preseason play-by-play
- 2011: NHL on Versus – playoffs play-by-play
- 2012–2021: NHL on NBC – secondary play-by-play and then lead play-by-play
- 2014: Winter Olympics – hockey play-by-play
- 2016: Summer Olympics – track and field play-by-play
- 2018: Winter Olympics – hockey play-by-play
- 2021: Summer Olympics - baseball and volleyball play-by-play
- 2021–present: NHL on TNT - Lead play-by-play
- 2022: Winter Olympics - hockey play-by-play
- 2024: 2024 Summer Olympics - Water polo play-by-play[21]
Books
edit- Albert, Kenny (October 10, 2023). A Mic for All Seasons. Triumph Books. ISBN 9781637272176.
References
edit- ^ "Born to the Booth".
- ^ "New York Media Jobs - Jobs in NYC". www.mediabistro.com. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
- ^ Port Washington News
- ^ The Voice of a Generation: Rangers’ Kenny Albert Archived 2010-11-14 at the Wayback Machine. Antonnews.com (2010-11-12). Retrieved on 2011-01-08.
- ^ a b c "Kenny Albert, Barbara R. Wolf". The New York Times. 11 August 1996. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
- ^ a b c d "MSG.com - Kenny Albert". Archived from the original on 2012-07-20. Retrieved 2012-05-30.
- ^ NBC Sports PR [@NBCSportsPR] (2 June 2014). "@KennyAlbert will call Gm 1 of Stanley Cup Final on Wed on NBC. Doc Emrick is dealing w a death in the family. He will return for Games 2-7" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Monroe, King added to Knicks' playoff studio team". timesunion.com. 12 April 2011. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
- ^ MLB (14 October 2015). "Jose Bautista hammers go-ahead three-run shot in ALDS Game 5, delivers epic bat flip". Archived from the original on 2021-11-18. Retrieved 1 April 2018 – via YouTube.
- ^ "NBC Sports Group Garners 28 Sports Emmy Award Nominations - #PRNC". www.prnewschannel.com. 4 April 2016. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
- ^ "NEW YORK RANGERS FACE LOS ANGELES KINGS IN STANLEY CUP FINAL – GAME 1 WEDNESDAY AT 8 P.M. ET ON NBC". NBCSportsGroupPressbox.com. NBC Universal. 2014-06-02. Retrieved 2021-07-02.
- ^ Dougherty, Pete (2014-06-04). "Albert to fill in for Emrick on Game 1 of Stanley Cup Final". blog.timesunion.com. Hearst. Retrieved 2021-07-02.
- ^ "TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING LOOK TO WIN THE STANLEY CUP TONIGHT AT 8 P.M. ET ON NBC AND PEACOCK". NBC Sports Pressbox. 2021-07-07. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
- ^ "Gretzky joins Turner Sports as NHL studio analyst". NHL.com. Retrieved 2022-08-29.
- ^ Chiari, Mike. "Wayne Gretzky, Kenny Albert, Eddie Olczyk Join Turner Sports' NHL Coverage Team". Bleacher Report. Turner Sports.
- ^ "Long Island News - Kenny Albert Joins Sports Heaven | Long Island Exchange". www.longislandexchange.com. Archived from the original on 7 September 2012. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
- ^ Kenny Albert wins travel trophy. Newsday.com (2009-11-01). Retrieved on 2011-01-08.
- ^ a b "Kenny Albert bio - Fox Sports". Fox Sports. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
- ^ "A Mic For All Seasons Reviewed". www.scatteredbooks.com. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
- ^ "MSG.com – Kenny Albert". msg.com. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
- ^ "Here are the commentators for the 2024 Paris Olympics". KUSA.com. 2024-07-23. Retrieved 2024-08-17.