{"id":1514,"date":"2021-11-24T12:02:05","date_gmt":"2021-11-24T17:02:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sportsbroadcastinghalloffame.org\/?post_type=inductees&p=1514"},"modified":"2022-01-07T12:34:40","modified_gmt":"2022-01-07T17:34:40","slug":"fred-gaudelli","status":"publish","type":"inductees","link":"https:\/\/www.sportsbroadcastinghalloffame.org\/inductees\/fred-gaudelli\/","title":{"rendered":"Fred Gaudelli"},"content":{"rendered":"

Few \u2014 if any \u2014 individuals have had as indelible an impact on the look and feel of NFL broadcasts over the past three decades as\u00a0Fred Gaudelli<\/strong>. The producer of NBC\u2019s\u00a0Sunday Night Football<\/em>, ABC\u2019s\u00a0Monday Night Football,<\/em>\u00a0and ESPN\u2019s\u00a0Sunday Night Football<\/em>\u00a0has reimagined how viewers watch pro football, deploying groundbreaking technical innovations, inimitable storytelling tactics, and an impeccable sense of style to bring the game into the modern age for millions of fans.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no one better than Fred Gaudelli,\u201d says Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famer\u00a0John Madden<\/strong>, who worked with the 24-time Emmy Award winner at ABC and NBC. \u201cHe\u2019s the hardest-working person in TV, and he\u2019s a great coach.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adds Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famer Dick Ebersol<\/strong>: \u201cFred is unquestionably the finest and most honored NFL Television producer in history.<\/p>\n

The Early Years: Sports-Crazed Kid Eyes the Broadcast Booth<\/strong><\/p>\n

A native of Harrison, NY, Gaudelli grew up obsessed with sports and was a fan of Knicks and Rangers announcer\u00a0Marv Albert<\/strong>\u00a0and ABC Sports\u2019\u00a0Keith Jackson<\/strong>,\u00a0Chris Schenkel<\/strong>, and\u00a0Howard Cosell<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI figured out that I wasn\u2019t going to be a professional athlete around 13 or 14,\u201d Gaudelli explains, \u201cbut I still had this great passion for sports, and I grew up constantly listening to sports on radio and watching on television. I thought it would be a fun job to call games and get paid for it. That\u2019s when I really started thinking hard about it and paying attention to the broadcast of games.\u201d<\/p>\n

After graduating from Harrison High School, where he served as PA announcer for basketball and baseball games, Gaudelli headed to Long Island University \u2013 C.W. Post. As a communications major, he was extremely active at the campus radio station, calling football and basketball games and serving as sports director his senior year. However, he soon came to realize that his future was behind the scenes rather than behind the mic.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just didn\u2019t feel like my voice was the kind of voice that you would hear at a Super Bowl or a World Series and realized that would put a pretty quick ceiling on how far I could go,\u201d he remembers. \u201cSo I took an internship at Channel 5 in New York City in the production department. I fell in love with it right away and thought that it would be a better path for me because I would still get to use my sports knowledge and satisfy my passion for sports, but my success wasn\u2019t going to be incumbent on something I couldn\u2019t control: my voice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bristol-Bound: Landing at the Worldwide Leader in Sports<\/strong><\/p>\n

After graduating and while working on a weekend sports-radio talk show at WFAS White Plains, NY, Gaudelli heard via the station\u2019s owner about potential job opportunities at a fledgling cable sports network in Bristol, CT. He soon found himself working in the mailroom at ESPN and, by 1983, had worked his way through the ranks of ESPN\u2019s remote-production department to become an associate producer on a variety of sports, including college football, basketball, and baseball; the USFL; the U.S. Olympic Festival; and the NFL Draft.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was extremely fortunate to work closely with Fred from the very beginning of his career at ESPN,\u201d says Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famer and former ESPN exec\u00a0Steve Anderson<\/strong>. \u201cRight from the start, he was the most talented, hardest-working, and best-prepared producer I have ever known. He always set incredibly high standards for himself and for everyone on his team. In my opinion, Fred has developed into the best live-event producer in the history of television sports.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gaudelli got his first front-bench gig in 1986, producing ESPN\u2019s live Thursday-night college-football package, and he went on to produce the broadcaster\u2019s\u00a0Big Monday<\/em>\u00a0college-basketball and College World Series packages as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe people and the camaraderie that we had at ESPN back then are what sticks with me to this day, as well as the work ethic that was embraced and shared by everyone,\u201d says Gaudelli. \u201cI was fortunate to have two bosses in [Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famers]\u00a0Bill Fitts<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Scotty Connal<\/strong>, who were giants in the business teaching a bunch of young kids that didn\u2019t know anything. They were demanding but, at the same time, understanding, kind, and they were terrific teachers in terms of storytelling, organization, and how to lead. I still use those lessons today.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 1990, Gaudelli took over as producer of ESPN\u2019s\u00a0Sunday Night Football<\/em>\u00a0package and helped to build it into the highest-rated series on cable television, along with serving as producer of ESPN\u2019s NFL Draft coverage. Named senior coordinating producer at ESPN in 1996, he also oversaw the network\u2019s X Games broadcasts and its Cable Ace Award\u2013winning Major League Baseball coverage in 1997.<\/p>\n

He would go on to produce\u00a0SNF\u00a0<\/em>on ESPN through 2000, with the show winning an Outstanding Live Sports Series Emmy in his final year.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn my opinion, Fred Gaudelli is quite simply the best NFL-game producer of all time,\u201d says Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famer\u00a0Howard Katz<\/strong>, who served as president of ESPN and later ABC Sports during Gaudelli\u2019s tenures. \u201cHis knowledge of the game and the way he thinks like an offensive coordinator gives him an uncanny ability to anticipate in the truck what\u2019s about to happen on the field. Combine that with his instincts and intuition along with his ability to process information in the heat of the game on so many different levels, and you\u2019ve got a very, very special talent.\u201d<\/p>\n

Monday Night Football<\/em><\/strong>: Taking Over an Iconic Franchise From an Industry Icon<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 2001, Gaudelli succeeded Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famer\u00a0Don Ohlmeyer<\/strong>\u00a0as producer of the most iconic sports franchise in all of television: ABC\u2019s\u00a0Monday Night Football<\/em>. He went on to produce Super Bowl XL in February 2006 \u2014 the first of his six Super Bowls (with a seventh coming this February in Los Angeles).<\/p>\n

\u201cFred\u2019s leadership role for over 30 years running his network\u2019s most important franchise, first at ESPN, then at ABC, and, for the past 16 years, at NBC,\u201d says Katz, currently SVP, broadcasting and media operations, NFL, \u201cmakes him a true Hall of Famer in every sense of the word.\u201d<\/p>\n

With Gaudelli as producer,\u00a0Monday Night Football<\/em>\u00a0and the production of Super Bowl XXXVII were nominated for nine Emmy Awards, winning four, including Outstanding Live Sports Series in 2004 for\u00a0MNF<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cFred should do a master class on sports-television production,\u201d says Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famer\u00a0Al Michaels<\/strong>, who manned the booth for Gaudelli first at\u00a0MNF<\/em>\u00a0and now on NBC\u2019s\u00a0SNF\u00a0<\/em>broadcasts. \u201cEvery aspiring young producer could get a big head start.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Peacock Calls: Building NBC\u2019s\u00a0Sunday Night Football<\/em>\u00a0Into a Ratings Juggernaut<\/strong><\/p>\n

In advance of the 2006 season, NBC won the rights to the\u00a0Sunday Night Football<\/em>\u00a0package, which was to become the NFL\u2019s No. 1 primetime broadcast package. That\u2019s when Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famer and legendary NBC Sports exec\u00a0Dick Ebersol<\/strong>\u00a0came calling.<\/p>\n

\u201cWatching a game that Gaudelli produces is unbelievable,\u201d says Ebersol. \u201cWhen it was announced that we were going to have\u00a0Sunday Night Football<\/em>, we watched a [MNF<\/em>] game in their [truck]. I became very taken by listening to the conversation back and forth between Fred and\u00a0Drew Esocoff<\/strong>, who was directing that game. Their language was almost without words as decisions got made in the truck. I said to them. \u2018Come back to the hotel after the game. I\u2019d love to buy you guys a drink.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

That drink led to a new job at a new network producing\u00a0Sunday Night Football\u00a0<\/em>for NBC and marked the beginning of a new chapter in NFL broadcast history. Since NBC launched\u00a0SNF<\/em>\u00a0in 2006 with Gaudelli at the helm, it has held the title of primetime\u2019s No. 1 TV show for an unprecedented 10 consecutive years.<\/p>\n

\u201cFred has the respect of the league, the coaches, the players, and the production team,\u201d says\u00a0Mark Lazarus<\/strong>, chairman, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, and former chairman, NBC Sports Group. \u201cSNF<\/em>\u00a0is the number-one show in primetime for more than a decade due to Fred\u2019s strong leadership, dedication, preparation, and relationships.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 15 seasons on NBC (2006-20),\u00a0Sunday Night Football<\/em>\u00a0has won 30 Sports Emmys and is the first-ever 10-time honoree for Outstanding Live Sports Series, having won its 11th honor in the category following the 2020 season (it also received a record six consecutive Emmys in the category from 2008 to \u201913).<\/p>\n

\u201cHis work ethic and dedication to the profession have been a driving force not just for himself but for his peers and those that follow. I benefited as much as anyone,\u201d says Esocoff. \u201cThere\u2019s no question who the leader of the group is and he takes that on himself. That\u2019s why he\u2019s the best ever at what he does.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although Gaudelli has focused primarily on the gridiron during his time at NBC, he also produced the network\u2019s Triple Crown coverage in 2011 and served as coordinating producer in 2012.<\/p>\n

NBC promoted Gaudelli to his current position of\u00a0SNF<\/em>\u00a0executive producer in June 2016 and also named him lead producer for its\u00a0Thursday Night Football<\/em>\u00a0series. The 2016 debut of the NBC\/NFL Network\u00a0Thursday Night Football<\/em>\u00a0series, which was primetime\u2019s No. 2 show in the 2016-17 TV season.<\/p>\n

\u201cFred has the most brilliant eye for telling a three-hour story,\u201d says NBC Sports game analyst\u00a0Cris Collinsworth<\/strong>, who is in his 13th season alongside Michaels in the\u00a0SNF\u00a0<\/em>booth.<\/em>\u00a0\u201cLike the most talented filmmakers, he introduces the characters, hooks you on intimate storylines, and artfully rides those storylines to unpredictable conclusions. The difference is, Fred is doing it in real time without a script. There will not be another one like him, so enjoy his artistry while you still can.\u201d<\/p>\n

A 24-time Emmy Award\u2013winner, Gaudelli is now in his 32nd season as lead producer for an NFL primetime game and his 16th season producing\u00a0SNF<\/em>\u00a0for NBC.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is an honor to be a part of the same team as Fred Gaudelli and to see someone in action on a day-to-day basis who is truly the very best at what he does,\u201d says NBC Sports Group President\u00a0Pete Bevacqua<\/strong>. \u201cFred has a tangible passion for his work, and I am constantly amazed how each off-season, instead of resting on his laurels and decades of experience, he tirelessly strives to be better and looks for ways to elevate his teammates and\u00a0Sunday Night Football.<\/em>\u00a0Fred improves each year. As a result, we do, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Storyteller to the Core: Gaudelli\u2019s Philosophy at the Front Bench<\/strong><\/p>\n

A fanatical researcher and student of the game, Gaudelli believes in \u201cbeing prepared for every possible eventuality.\u201d However, he also stresses the importance of agility, the ability to adapt on the fly as the story unfolds on the field.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to have an idea of a decision that I might have to make before I actually have to make it,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019m a pretty incessant preparer, and I\u2019m involved in every aspect of the show. That is pretty time-consuming, but I believe that is what the job requires. The one thing I\u2019ve learned is that you can\u2019t bend the telecasts to your will; the game is going to have its own story, and you better be ready to jump off your plan and adapt to the story evolving right in front of you.<\/p>\n

\u201cMadden had a great line about this: \u2018You can\u2019t format a live event,\u2019\u201d he continues. \u201cYou can have all the bells and whistles, but, if you\u2019re not going to cover the game itself, people aren\u2019t going to care about any of that stuff. I try to be a slave to the story that\u2019s developing and not a slave to the things that I prepared in advance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Always a champion of technology when it can enhance the story, Gaudelli helped introduce live pitch-speed tracking during the 1988 College World Series \u2014 a first in television history.<\/p>\n

On the NFL front, he also introduced the iconic 1st & Ten yellow-line technology in 1998, as well as the GoalPost Cam and the rotating clock\/scorebox during his years producing\u00a0Sunday Night Football\u00a0<\/em>on ESPN. In addition, he produced the first live sports telecast to use real-time polling data (via Enhanced TV) on all instant-replay challenges. In 2017, Gaudelli and Esocoff oversaw the first NFL game broadcast with the primary live coverage coming from Skycam, which followed NBC\u2019s groundbreaking \u201cdual\u201d Skycam coverage of the\u00a0notorious Fog Bowl II in Foxborough, MA<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no question that technology has allowed us to tell the story better,\u201d says Gaudelli. \u201cWhen it comes to technology, I just keep the criteria pretty simple. Does it make the game easier to understand, or does it make it more enjoyable? If it can do one of those two things, it\u2019s probably worth it. If it can do both, it\u2019s definitely worth it. And if it can\u2019t do either, then I\u2019d rather not have it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking Back: How Family, Friends, and Mentors Molded a Hall of Famer<\/strong><\/p>\n

Gaudelli, who currently resides in Madison, CT, credits his family and mentors for creating the path to success. He cites his first bosses at ESPN in Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famers Bill Fitz and Scotty Connal; former ESPN\/ABC Sports execs John Wildhack, Steve Anderson, John Walsh, Steve Bornstein, and Howard Katz; and NBC legend Dick Ebersol and current Peacock execs Mark Lazarus and Pete Bevacqua as core to his success over the years.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s rare you work 40 years in any business and say you\u2019ve had nothing but great bosses,\u201d says Gaudelli, \u201cbut I\u2019ve been lucky that that has been the case for me. They were people that believed in me and gave me the resources and autonomy necessary for success.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gaudelli has also mentored several leading producers creating broadcasts today, including ESPN\u2019s\u00a0Tim Corrigan<\/strong>\u00a0(NBA) and\u00a0Tom Archer<\/strong>\u00a0(MLB) and NBC\u2019s\u00a0Rob Hyland<\/strong>\u00a0(Olympics and Triple Crown) and\u00a0Pierre Moossa<\/strong>\u00a0(Premier League), among many others.<\/p>\n

Gaudelli praises his mother and father for instilling their passion and work ethic in him at an early age. Of his daughter Reese, a freshman at Syracuse University\u2019s S.I Newhouse School for Public Communications, he says, \u201cThere\u2019s no one in the world that means more to me than her.\u201d He also credits the support of his longtime companion Maria as key to his success personally and professionally.<\/p>\n

Today, Gaudelli continues at the front bench alongside Esocoff in the\u00a0SNF<\/em>\u00a0truck every Sunday night and has no plans to slow down anytime soon. Reflecting on his three decades producing primetime NFL broadcasts and 40-plus years in the business, he cites a simple formula: extremely hard work and a fanatical passion for the game.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo me, every game is a Super Bowl,\u201d he explains. \u201cI don\u2019t treat any game less than I treat the Super Bowl. I and the thousands of others who have worked on our shows want people to have a better experience watching our games than they do watching anything else on television. So, in the end, I\u2019d like to think I\u2019ve had a small impact on how [pro football] is consumed and perceived by people. If that\u2019s the case, then I\u2019ve done my job.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":1515,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"tags":[55],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sportsbroadcastinghalloffame.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/inductees\/1514"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sportsbroadcastinghalloffame.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/inductees"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sportsbroadcastinghalloffame.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/inductees"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sportsbroadcastinghalloffame.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1515"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sportsbroadcastinghalloffame.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1514"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sportsbroadcastinghalloffame.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1514"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}