Al Trautwig
Encyclopedia
Al Trautwig is a commentator with the MSG Network
, NBC
, Versus
, and USA Network
. He does the pre-game and post-game shows for the New York Knicks
and New York Rangers
, as well as fill-in play-by-play for both teams.
in their early days in the NHL and a ball boy for the New York Nets when they played in the ABA. Both teams used the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York
for their home games.
; one off-beat feature that he did was to interview a water fountain
. He occasionally guest hosts the NHL on Versus studio program Hockey Central
.
Trautwig was one of the original hosts for Classic Sports Network
when it was founded in 1996.
He has co-anchored coverage of the Tour de France
(from 2004 to 2007 on Versus
(formerly OLN) and in the 1980s for ABC
), the Olympics, and NBC's coverage of the Arena Football League. Despite his years of experience as a broadcaster, he was sometimes criticized by cycling fans, for his occasionally uninformed commentary, and his tendency to compare the Tour to various mainstream sports he covers.
Since 2000, Trautwig has taken over the spot long covered by John Tesh
of hosting U.S. national and international gymnastics
competitions, including the 2000
, 2004
, and 2008 Olympic games
. Trautwig's co-hosts are former Olympic Gold medalist Tim Daggett
and former Canadian
champion gymnast Elfi Schlegel
.
From 2005–2008, he also co-anchored USA Network
's coverage of the US Open tennis tournament. Trautwig also had a cameo in the movie Cool Runnings
as an announcer for the bobsled competition.
The 2000 New York Sportscaster of the Year, Trautwig has covered the last eight Olympic games
, and has won New York Sports Emmys for his coverage of the Yankees
, Knicks
, and Rangers
. From 1991
–2001
, Al was host of the New York Yankees' pre and postgame shows on MSG Network
and also was in the booth for a few innings per game. In 2006, he hosted the new MSG
show called Al Trautwig's MSG Vault, which featured vintage and sometimes discovered lost footage of the New York Knicks
and New York Rangers
from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.
In addition to his current duties, at the beginning of the 2006
football season Trautwig became a radio host
as well, hosting the radio version of NBC's Football Night in America
for Westwood One
, which co-produces the show (called NBC NFL Sunday) with the network. However, Trautwig left the show in the middle of the season.
He also hosts NBC's coverage of the Ford Ironman World Championship
, Foster Grant Ironman World Championship 70.3 and ING New York City Marathon
.
Trautwig also hosts a weekly video podcast on television show Lost
.
Trautwig's most infamous broadcast blunder came in 1988 during the University of Miami
-v- University of Michigan football
game in Ann Arbor. In the fourth quarter, with Michigan leading 30-22 with over five minutes to play, the game broadcasters took a studio break where Trautwig came in and made the statement "Now that the top ranked Miami Hurricanes have lost". Trautwig would later regret that statement; Miami Hurricanes would go on to win 31-30.
MSG Network
The MSG Network, now shortened to simply MSG, is a regional cable television and radio network serving the Mid-Atlantic United States. It is focused on New York City sports teams...
, NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, Versus
Versus (TV channel)
Versus is a sports-oriented cable television channel in the United States. It was previously known as Outdoor Life Network and was launched on July 1, 1995, focusing on fishing, hunting, and other outdoor sports...
, and USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
. He does the pre-game and post-game shows 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...
and New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
, as well as fill-in play-by-play for both teams.
Early life
Trautwig was a stick-boy for the New York IslandersNew York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in their early days in the NHL and a ball boy for the New York Nets when they played in the ABA. Both teams used the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York
Uniondale, New York
Uniondale is a hamlet as well as a suburb of New York City in Nassau County, New York, United States, on Long Island, in the Town of Hempstead. The population was 24,759 at the 2010 United States Census.-Geography:...
for their home games.
Broadcasting career
In the 1980s, Trautwig hosted USA Network's coverage of the National Hockey LeagueNational Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
; one off-beat feature that he did was to interview a water fountain
Fountain
A fountain is a piece of architecture which pours water into a basin or jets it into the air either to supply drinking water or for decorative or dramatic effect....
. He occasionally guest hosts the NHL on Versus studio program Hockey Central
Hockey Central
Hockey Central is a brand of National Hockey League hockey-related programming on Sportsnet and Sportsnet 590 The Fan. The current Hockey Central products are Hockey Central, a recurring segment during broadcasts of Sportsnet Connected, Hockey Central Saturday, an hour long program appearing on...
.
Trautwig was one of the original hosts for Classic Sports Network
ESPN Classic
ESPN Classic is a sports channel that features reruns of famous sporting events, sports documentaries, and sports themed movies. Such programs includes biographies of famous sports figures or a rerun of a famous World Series or Super Bowl, often with added commentary on the event...
when it was founded in 1996.
He has co-anchored coverage of 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...
(from 2004 to 2007 on Versus
Versus (TV channel)
Versus is a sports-oriented cable television channel in the United States. It was previously known as Outdoor Life Network and was launched on July 1, 1995, focusing on fishing, hunting, and other outdoor sports...
(formerly OLN) and in the 1980s for 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...
), the Olympics, and NBC's coverage of the Arena Football League. Despite his years of experience as a broadcaster, he was sometimes criticized by cycling fans, for his occasionally uninformed commentary, and his tendency to compare the Tour to various mainstream sports he covers.
Since 2000, Trautwig has taken over the spot long covered by John Tesh
John Tesh
John Frank Tesh is an American pianist and composer of pop music, as well as a radio host and television presenter. His 10-year-old 'Intelligence for Your Life Radio Show' reaches 14.2 Million listeners/week, and is syndicated by Teshmedia on 400 stations in US, Canada, and the UK...
of hosting U.S. national and international gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
competitions, including the 2000
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
, 2004
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...
, and 2008 Olympic games
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
. Trautwig's co-hosts are former Olympic Gold medalist Tim Daggett
Tim Daggett
Timothy P. Daggett is an American gymnast born in Springfield, Massachusetts and an Olympic gold medalist. He is a graduate of West Springfield High School and UCLA, who competed in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, along with Bart Conner, Peter Vidmar and Mitch Gaylord...
and former Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
champion gymnast Elfi Schlegel
Elfi Schlegel
Elfi Schlegel-Dunn is a sportscaster for NBC Sports and a former college and national champion gymnast from Canada.- Early years :...
.
From 2005–2008, he also co-anchored USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
's coverage of the US Open tennis tournament. Trautwig also had a cameo in the movie Cool Runnings
Cool Runnings
Cool Runnings is a 1993 comedy film directed by Jon Turteltaub. It is loosely based on the true story of the Jamaica national bobsled team's debut in the bobsleigh competition of the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta. It stars Leon Robinson, Doug E. Doug, Malik Yoba, and Rawle D...
as an announcer for the bobsled competition.
The 2000 New York Sportscaster of the Year, Trautwig has covered the last eight Olympic games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
, and has won New York Sports Emmys for his coverage of the Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, 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...
, and Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
. From 1991
1991 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees' 1991 season was the 89th season for the Yankees. The team finished with a record of 71-91 finishing 20 games behind of the Toronto Blue Jays. New York was managed by Stump Merrill...
–2001
2001 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees' 2001 season was the 99th season for the Yankees. The team finished with a record of 95-65 finishing 13.5 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox. New York was managed by Joe Torre. The Yankees played at Yankee Stadium. Roger Clemens had sixteen straight wins, tying an American...
, Al was host of the New York Yankees' pre and postgame shows on MSG Network
MSG Network
The MSG Network, now shortened to simply MSG, is a regional cable television and radio network serving the Mid-Atlantic United States. It is focused on New York City sports teams...
and also was in the booth for a few innings per game. In 2006, he hosted the new MSG
MSG Network
The MSG Network, now shortened to simply MSG, is a regional cable television and radio network serving the Mid-Atlantic United States. It is focused on New York City sports teams...
show called Al Trautwig's MSG Vault, which featured vintage and sometimes discovered lost footage of 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...
and New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.
In addition to his current duties, at the beginning of the 2006
2006 NFL season
The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League.Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006...
football season Trautwig became a radio host
Radio programming
Radio programming is the Broadcast programming of a Radio format or content that is organized for Commercial broadcasting and Public broadcasting radio stations....
as well, hosting the radio version of NBC's Football Night in America
Football Night in America
Football Night in America is the studio pregame show usually preceding NBC's broadcasts of Sunday night and Wild Card Saturday National Football League games starting in the 2006 National Football League season...
for Westwood One
NFL on Westwood One
The NFL on Westwood One is the brand name given to weekly National Football League games carried on the radio over the Dial Global Radio Network...
, which co-produces the show (called NBC NFL Sunday) with the network. However, Trautwig left the show in the middle of the season.
He also hosts NBC's coverage of the Ford Ironman World Championship
Ironman Triathlon
An Ironman Triathlon is one of a series of long-distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation consisting of a swim, a bike and a marathon run, raced in that order and without a break...
, Foster Grant Ironman World Championship 70.3 and ING New York City Marathon
New York City Marathon
The New York City Marathon is a major annual marathon that courses through the five boroughs of New York City. It is one of the largest marathons in the world, with 45,103 finishers in 2010...
.
Trautwig also hosts a weekly video podcast on television show Lost
Lost
-In cinema or television:*Lost , an ABC drama about people who become stranded on a mysterious island*Lost , a short-lived reality television program*Lost , an American thriller starring Dean Cain...
.
Trautwig's most infamous broadcast blunder came in 1988 during the University of Miami
1988 Miami Hurricanes football team
The 1988 Miami Hurricanes represented the University of Miami in the 1988 NCAA College Football season. It would be Jimmy Johnson’s final season as the Hurricanes head coach.-Schedule & Results:-Team Players drafted into in the NFL:-External links:*...
-v- University of Michigan football
1988 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1988 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1988 college football season. The team's head coach was Bo Schembechler. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium...
game in Ann Arbor. In the fourth quarter, with Michigan leading 30-22 with over five minutes to play, the game broadcasters took a studio break where Trautwig came in and made the statement "Now that the top ranked Miami Hurricanes have lost". Trautwig would later regret that statement; Miami Hurricanes would go on to win 31-30.