Kenny Albert
Encyclopedia
Kenny Albert is an American
sportscaster
, and the son of sportscaster Marv Albert
and the nephew of sportscasters Al Albert and Steve Albert
. He is the only sportscaster who currently does play-by-play for all four major North American professional sports leagues (NFL
, MLB
, NBA
, NHL
).
for his fifth birthday to practice his broadcasting.
On his sixth birthday, 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 Kenny got to do the stats for the rest of the game (1974). At 14, he became the official statistician for the New York Rangers on the radio. At 16, he wrote content for the New York Rangers program. Aside from his father, his idol was Vancouver Canucks
play-by-play broadcaster Jim Robson
.
From 1981–86, Kenny, growing up in Sands Point, covered high school sports for the Port Washington News, an Anton Community Newspapers
publication.
He graduated from New York University
(NYU) in 1990 with a degree in broadcasting and journalism. Albert worked in the sports department at WNYU
Radio. He is a frequent guest on WNYU'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.
, as well as a play-by-play announcer and field-level reporter for Fox
's coverage of Major League Baseball, the NFL
, and the Sugar Bowl
. When Fox had the network contract for the National Hockey League
in the 1990s, Albert also worked on Fox NHL Saturday telecasts.
He has done work for NBC
's Olympics
coverage, as a play-by-play announcer for men's and women's ice hockey
at the 2002 Winter Olympics
in Salt Lake City, the 2006 Winter Olympics
in Turin, Italy, and the 2010 Winter Olympics
in Vancouver
. Previously, he 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 Washington Redskins
preseason games.
Kenny 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
.
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 on MSG Network
doing play-by-play for the New York Knicks
.
– 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
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sportscaster
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...
, and the son of sportscaster Marv Albert
Marv Albert
Marv Albert is an American television and radio sportscaster. Honored for his work as a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, he is commonly referred to as "the voice of basketball." From 1967–2004, he was also known as "the voice of the New York Knicks."Including Super Bowl XLII, Marv has called...
and the nephew of sportscasters Al Albert and Steve Albert
Steve Albert
Steve Albert is a sportscaster. He has served as a play-by-play announcer for the New Jersey Nets, New Orleans Hornets, Golden State Warriors, New York Mets, and Cleveland Cavaliers...
. He is the only sportscaster who currently does play-by-play for all four major North American professional sports leagues (NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, MLB
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
, 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...
, NHL
National 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...
).
Early life
Albert's parents gave him a tape recorderTape recorder
An audio tape recorder, tape deck, reel-to-reel tape deck, cassette deck or tape machine is an audio storage device that records and plays back sounds, including articulated voices, usually using magnetic tape, either wound on a reel or in a cassette, for storage...
for his fifth birthday to practice his broadcasting.
On his sixth birthday, his father took him along to a 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...
game. One of the statisticians had to leave in the middle of the game so Kenny got to do the stats for the rest of the game (1974). At 14, he became the official statistician for the New York Rangers on the radio. At 16, he wrote content for the New York Rangers program. Aside from his father, his idol was Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
play-by-play broadcaster Jim Robson
Jim Robson
Jim Robson was a radio and television broadcaster for the Vancouver Canucks from 1970 to 1999...
.
From 1981–86, Kenny, growing up in Sands Point, covered high school sports for the Port Washington News, an Anton Community Newspapers
Anton Community Newspapers
Anton Community Newspapers, also known by its legal name Long Island Community Newspapers, Inc. is a print media company based in Mineola, NY on Long Island in Nassau County and produces 18 weekly newspapers in Nassau County as well as The Boulevard Magazine and Healthy Living...
publication.
He graduated from New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
(NYU) in 1990 with a degree in broadcasting and journalism. Albert worked in the sports department at WNYU
WNYU
WNYU-FM is a college radio station owned and operated by New York University. Until 2004, it served lower Manhattan and surrounding areas, but thanks to a new booster, it now broadcasts to the tri-state region. The station can be heard on 89.1 FM at 8,300 watts from 4pm until 1am on weekdays,...
Radio. He is a frequent guest on WNYU'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.
Broadcasting career
Kenny is the radio voice of the New York RangersNew 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 a play-by-play announcer and field-level reporter for Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
's coverage of Major League Baseball, the NFL
NFL on FOX
NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
, and the Sugar Bowl
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
. When Fox had the network contract for the National Hockey League
National 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...
in the 1990s, Albert also worked on Fox NHL Saturday telecasts.
He has done work for 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...
's Olympics
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...
coverage, as a play-by-play announcer for men's and women's ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
at the 2002 Winter Olympics
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...
in Salt Lake City, the 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
in Turin, Italy, and the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
. Previously, he handled TV play-by-play for the Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
and Washington Bullets
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
(now the Washington Wizards), and was a part-time announcer on Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
telecasts in 2005
2005 Washington Nationals season
The Washington Nationals' 2005 season was the first for the team formerly known as the Montreal Expos since moving to Washington, D. C.. The team signed four key free agents during the off-season: Vinny Castilla, José Guillén, Cristian Guzmán and Esteban Loaiza.-Offseason:*January 19, 2005:...
. Additionally, he does TV play-by-play for Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
preseason games.
Kenny Albert has also done college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
for ESPN Plus
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, and is a substitute play-by-play announcer for televised 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...
games 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...
.
For the 2011 playoffs, Albert broadcast for two playoff teams in the same market, doing the play-by-play for the 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...
on WEPN
WEPN
WEPN is a 24-hour sports talk formatted radio station in New York City featuring national and local sports talk programs and live broadcasts of sports matches. It is the New York affiliate for ESPN Radio...
1050 ESPN radio and filling 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...
doing 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...
.
Four sports in four days
On October 25, 2009 Albert called the play-by-play of the Minnesota VikingsMinnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
– Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
NFL game for Fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
and then hosted the New York 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...
locker room celebration after clinching the American League Championship Series
American League Championship Series
In Major League Baseball, the American League Championship Series , played in October, is a round in the postseason that determines the winner of the American League pennant...
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
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...
season opener on 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...
.
Career timeline
- 1990–1992: Baltimore SkipjacksBaltimore SkipjacksThe Baltimore Skipjacks were a minor professional ice hockey team in the Atlantic Coast Hockey League and the American Hockey League. They played in Baltimore, Maryland, at the Baltimore Arena.-History:...
– Play-by-play - 1992–1995: Washington CapitalsWashington CapitalsThe Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
play-by-play on Home Team Sports - 1993–1994: NHL on ESPN2ESPN National Hockey NightESPN National Hockey Night was ESPN's weekly television broadcasts of National Hockey League regular season games and coverage of playoff games, broadcast from 1992 to 2004...
– Play-by-play - 1994–1995: NHL RadioNHL RadioNHL Radio was the official national radio broadcaster of the National Hockey League, covering the All-Star Game, Stanley Cup Finals, both Conference Finals, selected early round playoff action, and the Winter Classic. The package was distributed by Westwood One and premiered in the 1992-93 season...
– Lead play-by-play - 1994–present: NFL on FoxNFL on FOXNFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
– Play-by-play (since 2007, #2 announcer) - 1995–1999: NHL on Fox – Play-by-play
- 1995–present: New York RangersNew York RangersThe 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...
– Radio play-by-play - 1999–2000: NTRA on Fox – Host
- 2001–present: Major League Baseball on Fox – Play-by-play
- 2002: Winter Olympics2002 Winter OlympicsThe 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...
– Hockey play-by-play - 2005: Washington NationalsWashington NationalsThe Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
- Fill-in television play-by-play - 2005–2006: NHL on OLNNHL on VersusThe NHL on Versus was the former branding used for National Hockey League games broadcast on Versus. Versus became the NHL's cable partner in the United States beginning in the 2005-06 season from previous partner ESPN, providing coverage of regular season games, playoff games, and select games...
– Play-by-play - 2006: Winter Olympics2006 Winter OlympicsThe 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
– Hockey play-by-play - 2007–2009: Sugar BowlSugar BowlThe Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
– Play-by-play - 2009–present: New York KnicksNew York KnicksThe 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...
– Fill-in television play-by-play - 2010: Winter Olympics2010 Winter OlympicsThe 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
– Hockey play-by-play - 2010: Washington RedskinsWashington RedskinsThe Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
Broadcast Network: Preseason play-by-play - 2011: NHL on VersusNHL on VersusThe NHL on Versus was the former branding used for National Hockey League games broadcast on Versus. Versus became the NHL's cable partner in the United States beginning in the 2005-06 season from previous partner ESPN, providing coverage of regular season games, playoff games, and select games...
Playoffs play-by-play