Al McCoy (announcer)
Encyclopedia
Al McCoy , sometimes nicknamed as The Voice Of The Suns, has been the radio broadcast announcer of Phoenix Suns
NBA
basketball
games since 1972 http://www.nba.com/features/mccoy_070306.html which makes him the longest tenured broadcaster in the NBA. In his entire tenure he has missed only one game due to illness [December 31, 2005 at the Chicago Bulls
].
McCoy is a resident of Arizona
but a native of Williams, Iowa
, born April 26, 1933. He is a graduate of Drake University
.
in Des Moines, and he is still a frequent guest on "Two Guys Named Jim,"http://whoradio.com/pages/twoguysnamedjim.html a sports-talk show on WHO.
Prior to joining the Suns on September 27, 1972 McCoy was the broadcaster for the Triple-A Phoenix Giants baseball club and "One of the Good Guys," a DJ on KRUX 1360 AM. McCoy was also the weekend television play-by-play man for the Arizona Diamondbacks
during the club's first season in 1998. He worked with Joe Garagiola
.
McCoy was actually present at U.S. Airways Center for the aforementioned 2005 game he missed due to illness, hosting the "Suns Warmup" pregame radio show, "Suns Report" postgame show, as well as some analysis prior to the second half. Play-by-play for the radio broadcast was a feed of the KUTP
(UPN 45) audio featuring Tom Leander and Eddie Johnson. Suns flagship radio station KTAR used radio commercials to cover the audio during commercials.
McCoy was on hand to cover the unforgettable Game 5 of the 1976 NBA Finals
in which Garfield Heard made the game-tying basket that sent the game into triple overtime.
For example "Shazam! A Bell Ringer from Raja Bell
!" was a common phrase that McCoy expressed every time Raja Bell
(later traded by the Suns to the Charlotte Bobcats
and is now playing for the Utah Jazz
) made a 3-point shot.
Other catch phrases include "Wham Bam Slam" or "Whammo" when a player slams the ball and "Zing go the strings" or "Swish-a-roo for two" (or just "swish-a-roo") when they swish a shot.
He also has nicknames for individual players such as The Nash Rambler
for Steve Nash
, Captain Kidd for former Suns Captain Jason Kidd
and the Matrix for now-former Sun and current Dallas Mavericks
player Shawn Marion
(although the origin of that nickname is generally attributed to former NBA player and TNT
analyst Kenny Smith
, not McCoy).
named McCoy the best play-by-play announcer in their annual "Best of the Valley" issue.
The Suns paid tribute to McCoy on March 2, 2007, distributing talking bobbleheads to fans at US Airways Center and renaming the Suns' press room the Al McCoy Media Center.
McCoy received the 2007 Curt Gowdy Media Award
during the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Family Reunion Dinner in Springfield, Mass. in September 2007. Named in honor of the late legendary sports broadcaster and former Basketball Hall of Fame President Curt Gowdy
, the prestigious awards are given annually to one member of the print and one member of the electronic media whose efforts have made a significant contribution to the game of basketball.
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
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...
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
games since 1972 http://www.nba.com/features/mccoy_070306.html which makes him the longest tenured broadcaster in the NBA. In his entire tenure he has missed only one game due to illness [December 31, 2005 at the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
].
McCoy is a resident of Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
but a native of Williams, Iowa
Williams, Iowa
Williams is a city in Hamilton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 427 at the 2000 census. Williams is a regional center of wind power generation.-Geography:Williams is located at ....
, born April 26, 1933. He is a graduate of Drake University
Drake University
Drake University is a private, co-educational university located in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. The institution offers a number of undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as professional programs in law and pharmacy. Today, Drake is one of the twenty-five oldest law schools in the country....
.
Career highlights
Al McCoy's first job in radio was at KJFJ in Webster City, Iowa. He later worked for three years at WHO (AM)WHO (AM)
WHO is a clear channel radio station broadcasting 50,000 watts on 1040 AM with a news/talk format. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications and is located in Des Moines, Iowa. The station can be heard over most of the continental United States during nighttime hours...
in Des Moines, and he is still a frequent guest on "Two Guys Named Jim,"http://whoradio.com/pages/twoguysnamedjim.html a sports-talk show on WHO.
Prior to joining the Suns on September 27, 1972 McCoy was the broadcaster for the Triple-A Phoenix Giants baseball club and "One of the Good Guys," a DJ on KRUX 1360 AM. McCoy was also the weekend television play-by-play man for the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
during the club's first season in 1998. He worked with Joe Garagiola
Joe Garagiola
Joseph Henry "Joe" Garagiola, Sr. is an American former catcher in Major League Baseball who later became an announcer and television host, popular for his colorful personality. He was well known for being one of the regular panelists of The Today Show on NBC for many years.-Early life:Garagiola...
.
McCoy was actually present at U.S. Airways Center for the aforementioned 2005 game he missed due to illness, hosting the "Suns Warmup" pregame radio show, "Suns Report" postgame show, as well as some analysis prior to the second half. Play-by-play for the radio broadcast was a feed of the KUTP
KUTP
KUTP, channel 45, is a MyNetworkTV-affiliated station in Phoenix, Arizona. It is owned by Fox Television Stations, a division of the News Corporation, and is a sister station to Fox outlet KSAZ-TV . The two stations share studio facilities in Phoenix, and KUTP's transmitter is located on South...
(UPN 45) audio featuring Tom Leander and Eddie Johnson. Suns flagship radio station KTAR used radio commercials to cover the audio during commercials.
McCoy was on hand to cover the unforgettable Game 5 of the 1976 NBA Finals
1976 NBA Finals
The 1976 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round for the 1975-76 NBA season.-Background:The Phoenix Suns finished the season with 42 wins and 40 losses, but beat the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors in the playoffs and went on to play the Boston Celtics in the NBA...
in which Garfield Heard made the game-tying basket that sent the game into triple overtime.
Catchphrases
His famous phrases include Shazam! every time a player makes a 3 point shot and Heartbreak Hotel! whenever a player misses a shot by little or the Suns lose a very close game.For example "Shazam! A Bell Ringer from Raja Bell
Raja Bell
Raja Bell is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Utah Jazz of the NBA. Bell is known for his three-point shooting and intense defense.- Biography :Bell was born in Saint Croix, in the U.S...
!" was a common phrase that McCoy expressed every time Raja Bell
Raja Bell
Raja Bell is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Utah Jazz of the NBA. Bell is known for his three-point shooting and intense defense.- Biography :Bell was born in Saint Croix, in the U.S...
(later traded by the Suns to the Charlotte Bobcats
Charlotte Bobcats
The Charlotte Bobcats is a professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association. The Bobcats were established in 2004 as an expansion team, two seasons after Charlotte's previous NBA...
and is now playing for the Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
) made a 3-point shot.
Other catch phrases include "Wham Bam Slam" or "Whammo" when a player slams the ball and "Zing go the strings" or "Swish-a-roo for two" (or just "swish-a-roo") when they swish a shot.
He also has nicknames for individual players such as The Nash Rambler
Nash Rambler
The Nash Rambler was a North American automobile produced by the Nash Motors division of Nash-Kelvinator Corporation from 1950–55.The Nash Rambler established a new segment in the automobile market and is widely acknowledged to be the first successful modern American compact...
for Steve Nash
Steve Nash
Stephen John "Steve" Nash, OC, OBC is a South African-born Canadian professional basketball player who plays point guard for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association . Nash enjoyed a successful high-school basketball career, and he was eventually given a scholarship by Santa Clara...
, Captain Kidd for former Suns Captain Jason Kidd
Jason Kidd
Jason Frederick Kidd is an American professional basketball point guard who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association. Raised in Oakland, California, Kidd played college basketball at the University of California, Berkeley and was drafted second overall by the Dallas...
and the Matrix for now-former Sun and current Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
player Shawn Marion
Shawn Marion
Shawn Dwayne Marion is an American professional basketball player currently with the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association. Born in Waukegan, Illinois, Marion attended high school in Clarksville, Tennessee. Before transferring to the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Marion...
(although the origin of that nickname is generally attributed to former NBA player and TNT
Turner Network Television
Turner Network Television is an American cable television channel created by media mogul Ted Turner and currently owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner...
analyst Kenny Smith
Kenny Smith
Kenneth "The Jet" Smith is a retired National Basketball Association player and current TV basketball analyst, primarily for Inside the NBA on TNT.-Early life:...
, not McCoy).
Awards and accolades
In 2006 Phoenix MagazinePhoenix Magazine
Phoenix Magazine, has a monthly circulation of 4,000, and is the debut publications of is the student newspaper of Phoenix Communications VA. Launching in late January 2011, Phoenix Magazine covers the East Roanoke County area as well as the Western Bedford County area...
named McCoy the best play-by-play announcer in their annual "Best of the Valley" issue.
The Suns paid tribute to McCoy on March 2, 2007, distributing talking bobbleheads to fans at US Airways Center and renaming the Suns' press room the Al McCoy Media Center.
McCoy received the 2007 Curt Gowdy Media Award
Curt Gowdy Media Award
The Curt Gowdy Media Award is an annual award given by the Basketball Hall of Fame to outstanding basketball writers and broadcasters. It is named for American sportscaster Curt Gowdy, who was the Hall of Fame's president for seven years...
during the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Family Reunion Dinner in Springfield, Mass. in September 2007. Named in honor of the late legendary sports broadcaster and former Basketball Hall of Fame President Curt Gowdy
Curt Gowdy
Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,...
, the prestigious awards are given annually to one member of the print and one member of the electronic media whose efforts have made a significant contribution to the game of basketball.