Brent Musburger: Difference between revisions

With [[CBS Sports]] from 1973 until 1990, he was one of the original membershost of their program ''[[The NFL Today]]'' and is credited with coining the phrase "[[NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament#March Madness|March Madness]]" to describe the [[NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament]] while covering the [[List of NCAA Men's Final Four broadcasters|Final Four]]. While at CBS, Musburger also covered the [[List of Super Bowl broadcasters|Super Bowl]], [[List of NBA Finals broadcasters|NBA Finals]], the [[List of World Series broadcasters|World Series]], [[TennisUS onOpen CBS(tennis)|U.S. Open tennis]], and [[List of PGA Tour on CBS commentators|The Masters]].

Joining [[ESPN]] and [[ABC Sports]] in 1990, Musburger continued to cover the NBA Finals, as well as hosting [[Monday Night Football]] and providing play-by-play for [[Saturday Night Football]] and the [[SEC Network]]. He covered the [[List of Indianapolis 500]] broadcasters|Indianapolismotor 500]]race, [[List of U.S. Open (golf) broadcasters|U.S. Open]] and [[List of The Open Championship broadcasters|British Open]] golf, the [[FIFA World Cup]] in soccer, the [[List of Belmont Stakes]] broadcasters|Belmontin Stakes]]horse racing, and the [[BCS National Championship Game|College Football national championship]] among other big events. In January 2017, he left the [[ESPN]] and [[ESPN on ABC|ABC]] television networks after 27 years, briefly retiring from play-by-play of live sports before returning as the play-by-play voice of the [[Las Vegas Raiders]] from 2018 until 2022.

Raised in [[Billings, Montana]], he is a member of the Montana Broadcaster's Association Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite web|title=Brent Musburger (1939 – )|url=http://www.mtbroadcasters.org/hall-of-fame/brent-musburger/|publisher=Montana Broadcasters Association|access-date=August 26, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110909042440/http://www.mtbroadcasters.org/hall-of-fame/brent-musburger/#|archive-date=September 9, 2011-09-09|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Musburger made headlines when he got into a fist-fight with ''The NFL Today{{'}}''s betting analyst [[Jimmy Snyder (sports commentator)|Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder]] in a Manhattan bar on October 27, [[1980 NFL season|1980]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Jimmy 'The Greek' Snyder Dies Vegas Oddsmaker Became Fixture On Cbs Sports, But Was Fired In 1988 For Controversial Remarks |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/1996/apr/22/jimmy-the-greek-snyder-dies-vegas-oddsmaker/ |website=spokesman.com |publisher=The Spokesman-Review |access-date=18 December 18, 2019}}</ref> However, the fist-fight incident was quickly regarded as water under the bridge as the two cheerfully appeared on ''The NFL Today'' the following week wearing boxing gloves on camera.<ref>{{cite webnews |title=NOT JUST A PRETTY FACE |url=https://www.si.com/vault/1984/01/16/540973/not-just-a-pretty-face |websitenewspaper=siSports Illustrated Vault &#124; Si.com |publisher=2019 TI Gotham Inc., a subsidiary of Meredith Corporation. Sports Illustrated Group |access-date=18 December 18, 2019}}</ref>

By the late 1980s, Musburger was CBS's top sportscaster. He was the main host and play-by-play announcer for the [[NBA Finals]], [[college basketball]], [[college football]], the [[Belmont Stakes]], and the [[College World Series on CBS|College World Series]]. He also hosted a [[Happy New Year, America|New Year's Eve countdown for CBS]]. Musburger is regarded as the first broadcaster to apply the term ''[[NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship|March Madness]]'' to the annual [[NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship]] tournament.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-basketball/news/ncaa-tournament-2016-march-madness-brent-musberger-selection-sunday/1id6ghi2pd5sk1ahfrj5bw204h|title=Brent Musburger explains history of 'March Madness' name|date=2016-03-March 15, 2016|newspaper=Sporting News|access-date=2017-01-January 26, 2017}}</ref>

At the time of his firing (which he originally thought was an [[April Fools]] joke), Musburger had been set to handle play-by-play duties for [[Major League Baseball on CBS|CBS's television coverage of Major League Baseball]] later that month; he was replaced by [[Jack Buck]]<ref>{{cite news |last=Rusnak|first=Jeff|date=April 6, 1990|title=Buck In Brent At Cbs|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1990-04-06/sports/9001010646_1_ted-shaker-two-cbs-executives-brent-musburger|newspaper=Sun Sentinel|access-date=January 26, 2017|archive-date=February 2, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202025751/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1990-04-06/sports/9001010646_1_ted-shaker-two-cbs-executives-brent-musburger|url-status=dead}}</ref> in that capacity. His position at ''The NFL Today'' was filled by [[Greg Gumbel]]. His position as the lead play-by-play announcer for college basketball was filled by [[Jim Nantz]].

Following his dismissal from CBS, Musburger considered several offers, including one to return to Chicago and work at [[WGN-TV]], ultimately settling at [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]. With [[Al Michaels]] entrenched as ABC's top broadcaster, Musburger focused on [[ESPN College Football on ABC|college football]] and [[ESPN College Basketball on ABC|basketball]]. After his hiring, ABC's merger with [[ESPN]] under the [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]] umbrella allowed him<ref>{{cite magazine|url=httphttps://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,317495,00.html1990/06/01/brent-bounces-back/|title=Brent bounces back|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=1 June 1, 1990}}</ref> to work on ESPN as well (increasingly since 2006), including [[ESPN Major League Baseball|Major League Baseball]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sportingnews.com/au/mlb/news/brent-musburger-baseball-announcer-retiring-video-mariners-yankees-1995-alds/14arlwzwhwtlg1mhrb8osn2bos|title=Remember when Brent Musburger called baseball games?|last=Foster|first=Jason|date=January 25, 2017|website=Sporting News}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/news/brent-musburgers-greatest-baseball-call-was-one-for-the-ages-021440813.html|title=Brent Musburger's greatest baseball call was one for the ages|last=Townsend|first=Mark|date=January 25, 2017|website=Big League Stew}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Sandomir|first=Richard|date=October 10, 1995|title=PLAYOFFS 95: TV SPORTS;The Wrong Man in the Baseball Booth|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/10/10/sports/playoffs-95-tv-sports-the-wrong-man-in-the-baseball-booth.html|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseballessential.com/news/2015/10/07/revisiting-the-1995-division-series/|title=Revisiting the 1995 Division Series|last=Rabinowitz|first=Gershon|date=October 7, 2015|website=Baseball Essential}}</ref> [[NBA on ESPN|NBA games]], [[ESPN Radio]], golf tournaments, [[horse racing]], the [[Indianapolis 500]], [[Little League World Series]], soccer games, [[college football]], and even some NFL games (including hosting halftime duties for ''[[Monday Night Football]]'' and Wild Card round games). Musburger was also the main studio host during ABC's coverage of the [[1998 FIFA World Cup|1998 World Cup]] and the [[2006 FIFA World Cup|2006 World Cup]], was briefly the studio host for [[NASCAR on ESPN|ESPN and ABC's NASCAR coverage]] and has hosted [[Tour de France]] [[Cycling on ABC|coverage]] for ABC.

Musburger's involvement with ''Saturday Night Football'' concluded when he and [[Jesse Palmer]] were named ESPN's lead game commentators for college football coverage on the [[SEC Network]] in 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=httphttps://www.espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/10594632/brent-musburger-jesse-palmer-lead-announcing-team-sec-network,|title=Musburger, Palmer lead SEC team|date=12 March 12, 2014 }}</ref> Musburger nevertheless called some games on ESPN and ABC after that time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://espnmediazone.com/us/press-releases/2016/10/espnabc-college-football-week-8-slate-no-2-ohio-state-abcs-saturday-night-football-two-top-25-sec-matchups-prime-time/|title=ESPN/ABC College Football Week 8 Slate: No. 2 Ohio State on ABC's Saturday Night Football and Two Top 25 SEC Matchups in Prime Time - ESPN MediaZone|website=espnmediazone.com|date=17 October 17, 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mcall.com/sports/groller-blog/mc-ncaa-football-bowl-tv-schedule-with-announcers-musburger-back-at-the-rose-bowl-20151231-story.html|title=NCAA Football Bowl TV Schedule with announcers: Brent Musburger back at the Rose Bowl|first=Keith|last=Groller}}</ref>

At the [[2017 Sugar Bowl]], held in early January, Musburger made controversial comments about then-[[University of Oklahoma]] [[running back]] [[Joe Mixon]]. Mixon had previously punched and broken a woman's jaw.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Mather|first=Victor|date=January 3, 2017-01-03|title=Brent Musburger's Praise of Joe Mixon, Who Punched Woman in '14, Stirs Outrage|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/03/sports/ncaafootball/brent-musburger-joe-mixon-sugar-bowl.html|access-date=2020-11-November 23, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|agency=Associated Press|date=2017-01-January 25, 2017|title=Brent Musburger to Retire From ESPN Next Week|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/25/sports/ncaabasketball/brent-musburger-to-retire-from-broadcasting-next-week.html|access-date=2020-11-November 23, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

Musburger stated he planned to help his family get a [[Handicapping|sports handicapping]] business started in Las Vegas, have a sports gambling show on [[Sirius XM]] Radio, and enjoy personal travel.<ref name="WAPO0125172"/><ref name="NYT2">[https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/25/sports/ncaabasketball/brent-musburger-to-retire-from-broadcasting-next-week.html Brent Musburger to Retire From ESPN Next Week], ''Associated Press'', January 25, 2017.</ref> The new venture, [[Vegas Stats & Information Network]] (VSiN) is the first multichannel network dedicated to [[sports gambling]] information and is broadcast from a custom-built studio at the [[South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.si.com/tech-media/2017/01/30/brent-musburger-espn-sports-gambling-las-vegas-vsin|title=Brent Musburger talks ESPN career, new Las Vegas venture|last=Deitsch|first=Richard|newspaper=SI.com|access-date=2017-01-January 30, 2017}}</ref> Musburger serves as managing editor of the network, and hosts its program ''My Guys in the Desert'' (a reference to his sly mentions of events of interest to bookmakers during his play-by-play).<ref name="musburger-fs1">{{Cite news|url=http://www.sportingnews.com/other-sports/news/fox-sports-betting-gambling-fs1-charissa-thompson-brent-musburger-clay-travis-todd-fuhrman/f5me5ojvipp51cabalm10i1gb|title=SN exclusive: Fox planning sports betting show featuring Charissa Thompson, Brent Musburger, Clay Travis|date=2018-07-July 19, 2018|work=Sporting News|access-date=2018-07-July 20, 2018}}</ref> Musburger and his sons sold VSiN to [[DraftKings]] in March 2021 while remaining executives and on-air personalities with the network.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bumbaca|first=Chris|title=Expanding into content space, DraftKings acquires sports betting broadcast company VSiN|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/gaming/2021/03/30/draftkings-buys-sports-betting-company-started-brent-musberger-vsin/7059084002/|url-status=live|access-date=March 31, 2021-03-31|website=USA Today|language=en-US}}</ref>

On July 17, 2018, it was reported that Musburger would be making his return to the broadcast booth, this time as the new [[List of Las Vegas Raiders broadcasters|radio voice]] for the [[Las Vegas Raiders|Oakland Raiders]] under a three-year contract (which included its [[Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas|inaugural season in Las Vegas in 2020]]), succeeding [[Greg Papa]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://awfulannouncing.com/local-networks/brent-musburger-reportedly-making-return-to-the-announcing-booth.html|title=Brent Musburger reportedly making return to the announcing booth|last=Koo|first=Ben|date=July 17, 2018 |website=Awful Announcing}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2018/07/18/you-are-looking-live-at-brent-musburgers-return-to-the-booth-with-the-raiders/|title=You are looking live … at Brent Musburger's return to the booth with the Raiders|newspaper=Washington Post|language=en|access-date=2018-07-July 20, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/raiders-nfl/raiders/brent-musburger-agrees-to-3-year-deal-to-be-raiders-radio-voice/|title=Brent Musburger agrees to 3-year deal to be Raiders' radio voice|date=2018-07-July 17, 2018|work=Las Vegas Review-Journal|access-date=2018-07-July 20, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref> Musburger continued as announcer through the [[2021 Las Vegas Raiders season|2021 season]].<ref name="Preseason Raiders 2021">{{cite webnews |last1=Kudo |first1=Hikaru |title=How to Watch Preseason Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Rams |url=https://www.si.com/nfl/raiders/news/las-vegas-raiders-los-angeles-rams-preseason-how-to-watch-tv-radio |websitenewspaper=si.comSports Illustrated Las Vegas Raiders News, Analysis and More |publisher=Sports Illustrated |access-date=4 September 4, 2021}}</ref>

Musburger has a down-to-earth manner of speaking, often addressing his viewers as "folks". In a ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'' profile done on Musburger in January 1984, he stressed his hesitance to "pontificate" during his broadcasts. In 2004, [[CNN Sports Illustrated]]'s [[Stewart Mandel]] selected him as the second-best college football announcer, behind [[Ron Franklin]]. Mandel said of Musburger, "His voice will always be associated with some of the sport's most memorable, modern moments."<ref>{{cite web|last1=Mandel|first1=Stuart|title=College Football Masters of the Mic |url=https://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/writers/stewart_mandel/07/21/announcers/index.html |website=sportsillustrated.cnn.com|access-date=1 February 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040821155914/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/writers/stewart_mandel/07/21/announcers/index.html|archive-date=21 August 21, 2004|date=21 July 21, 2004}}</ref>

Musburger has a reputation for pointing out attractive women in the crowds of the games he calls; among those who later rose to fame include [[Busty Heart|Susan “Busty Heart” Sykes]],<ref name=bostonbio>{{cite web|url=http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/blog/2012/12/03/busty-heart-boston-super-fan/|title=The Ballad of Busty Heart, Boston's Super Fan - Boston Magazine}}</ref> [[CJ Perry]],<ref name="LostLettermen">{{cite web|url=http://www.lostlettermen.com/article/florida-state-cowgirls-where-are-they-now|title=Florida St.'s Cowgirls: Where Are They Now?|work=[[Lost Lettermen]]|date=September 11, 2013|access-date=December 30, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131231115025/http://www.lostlettermen.com/article/florida-state-cowgirls-where-are-they-now|archive-date=December 31, 2013}}</ref> [[Jenn Sterger]],<ref name="Hoppes">{{cite news | first = Lynn | last = Hoppes | title = Catching up with: Jenn Sterger | date = 2009-11-November 17, 2009 | url = httphttps://sportswww.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=hoppes/091117 | work = [[ESPN.com]] | access-date = 2010-10-October 12, 2010}}</ref> and [[Katherine Webb|Katherine Webb McCarron]].<ref name="Pilon">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/09/sports/ncaafootball/brent-musburger-criticized-for-remarks-about-miss-alabama.html|title=Musburger Criticized for Remarks About Star's Girlfriend During Title Game|last=Pilon|first=Mary|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=January 8, 2013-01-08|access-date=January 9, 2013-01-09}}</ref>

Musburger was a reporter in ''[[Rocky II]]'' and had his role immortalized in a 2006 action figure.<ref>{{cite web|url=httphttps://frontrowwww.espn.goespnfrontrow.com/2011/06/musburger-animates-cars-2/|title=Musburger animates Cars 2 - ESPN Front Row|date=24 June 24, 2011}}</ref> He also played the right leg of the fictional monster Scuzzlebutt on an [[City on the Edge of Forever (South Park)|episode]] of ''[[South Park]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://southpark.cc.com/video-clips/1034511euah4/south-park-scuzzlebutt|title=Scuzzlebutt|date=18 June 18, 1998 }}</ref> He also made cameo appearances in ''[[The Main Event (1979 film)|The Main Event]]'' and ''[[The Waterboy]]''. In ''[[Cars 2]]'' and ''[[Planes (film)|Planes]],'' he played Brent Mustangburger, a fictionalized version of himself. He appeared as himself in the episode "[[Happy Endings (season 2)#ep6|Lying Around]]" on the ABC sitcom ''[[Happy Endings (TV series)|Happy Endings]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Brent Musburger makes cameo on ABC's 'Happy Endings' |url=http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports_college/2011/11/brent-musburger-make-cameo-on-abcs-happy-endings.html |work=[[Orlando Sentinel]] |date=November 3, 2011-11-03 |first=Matt |last=Murschel |access-date=2011-12-December 14, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121127162507/http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports_college/2011/11/brent-musburger-make-cameo-on-abcs-happy-endings.html |archive-date=2012-11-November 27, 2012 }}</ref>

Musburger is portrayed by John Dellaporta and has a voice cameo as himself in the HBO series ''[[Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10244600/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_cl_sm|title=Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty - Full Cast & Crew - IMDB|website=[[IMDb]] |date=18 April 18, 2022}}</ref> He was also parodied by [[Kevin Nealon]] on ''[[Saturday Night Live]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theringer.com/sports/2021/2/18/22288881/jim-nantz-cbs-contract-brent-musburger-tony-romo|title=Jim Nantz Knows What Life After CBS Looks Like|date=February 18, 2021}}</ref>

* 1975–89: ''[[The NFL Today]]'' studio host<ref>{{cite web|url=http://espn.go.com/abcsports/bcs/columns/musburger_brent/bio.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001018190619/http://espn.go.com/abcsports/bcs/columns/musburger_brent/bio.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 18, 2000|title=Bowl Championship Series - Musburger, Brent|website=espn.go.com[[ESPN]]}}</ref>

* 1983–88: ''[[Masters Tournament|The Masters]]'' studio host<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite magazine| url=httphttps://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,317495,00.html1990/06/01/brent-bounces-back/ | magazine=Entertainment Weekly | first=Craig | last=Reiss | title=Brent bounces back | date=June 1, 1990}}</ref>

* 2007: ''[[NASCAR on ABC]]'' studio host<ref>{{cite web|url=http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,650222297,00.html|title=Scott D. Pierce: Move over, football, hoops: NASCAR is back on ESPN|first=Scott D.|last=Pierce|website=[[Deseret News]] |date=12 January 12, 2007}}</ref>

* 2017–present: Vegas Stats & Information Network<ref>{{Cite web |title=Brent Musburger Sports Betting Articles |url=https://www.vsin.com/newsauthor/brent-musburger-columns/|title |website=VSiN|date=February Brent7, Musburger2024 Sports Betting Articles}}</ref>

* Sandomir, Richard, [https://www.nytimes.com/1999/08/06/sports/tv-sports-now-on-film-raised-fists-and-the-yogi-love-letters.html "TV Sports: Now on Film: Raised Fists and the Yogi Love Letters"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', 6 August 6, 1999

{{Succession box| before=[[Terry Gannon]]| title=Lead play-by-play,<br>[[List of Little League World Series broadcasters|Little League World Series]] | years=[[2000 Little League World Series|2000]]–[[2011 Little League World Series|2011]] | after=[[Karl Ravech]]}}

[[Category:GolfESPN writers and broadcasterspeople]]

[[Category:National Basketball AssociationNBA broadcasters]]