There\u2019s the Doug Flutie Hail Mary. The \u201cHoly Buckeye\u201d Game. Edgar Martinez\u2019s ALDS-winning double. Villanova\u2019s Cinderella championship. Nebraska\u2019s \u201cFlea Kicker.\u201d Garfield Heard at the buzzer. Ricky Williams breaking the NCAA rushing record.<\/p>\n
The legendary career of sports broadcaster\u00a0Brent Musburger\u00a0is bursting at the seams with unforgettable moments, and yet the most memorable thing about Musburger is that he made any game he called feel like a big moment thanks simply to his voice.<\/p>\n
It was that gravitas that carried Musburger to a marathon 40+-year career with CBS Sports, ABC Sports, and ESPN and cemented his as one of the most iconic voices in the history of sports television.<\/p>\n
\u201cBrent\u2019s presence and delivery have come to symbolize big-time sports for multiple generations of fans,\u201d ESPN President\u00a0John Skipper\u00a0said in a statement at the time of Musburger\u2019s retirement this year. \u201cWhen he opens with his signature \u2018You are looking live,\u2019 you sit up straight in your chair because you know something important is about to happen. He has skillfully guided us through some of the most dramatic and memorable moments in sports with his authentic and distinctive style. He is one of the best storytellers to ever grace a sports booth.\u201d<\/p>\n
After an early career in sports writing, the Portland, OR, native began his relationship with CBS Sports in 1973 and \u2014 after calling play-by-play on numerous events, including the NFL \u2014 has his break-out role as the host of\u00a0The NFL Today<\/i> beginning in 1975. The show blazed trails as the first live pregame show and catapulted Musburger to national prominence. Over the next decade, he become the top voice at CBS, calling major events across the board, including the NBA Finals, US Open tennis, the Belmont Stakes, and The Masters.<\/p>\n
Following a dismissal under new management at CBS Sports in 1990, Musburger quickly made the shift to ABC Sports, where he further bolstered his legacy. When ABC Sports merged with ESPN, the opportunities became plentiful, offering him the opportunity to call events like Major League Baseball, the NBA, the Indianapolis 500, and the Little League World Series. He also stayed sharp as a studio host, anchoring ABC\u2019s coverage of the Tour de France and the 1998 and 2006 FIFA World Cups.<\/p>\n
It was also with ABC and ESPN that Musburger deepened his love affair with a sport he would become largely synonymous with: college football. He became lead play-by-play voice on ABC\u2019s Saturday-night game of the week and racked up seven BCS National Championship Games.<\/p>\n
\u201cBrent is a legend,\u201d says\u00a0Stephanie Druly, SVP, event and studio production, ESPN. \u201cHe is one of the best play-by-play announcers ever. Every game he did felt big. During a game, Brent is a true storyteller. He helps the viewer connect to the people in the game. He gives you a reason beyond team allegiance to be interested in the event. I knew, when I watched one of Brent\u2019s games, that I would learn something. That\u2019s the one thing I hope that young broadcasters take away from Brent\u2019s career.\u201d<\/p>\n
Musburger put an exclamation point on his career by helping christen the new, wildly successful SEC Network when he took over as lead play-by-play voice for football and basketball beginning in 2014. He called his final game early this year after announcing his retirement. He leaves a legendary voice behind, moving to Las Vegas to be the face of the Vegas Sports and Information Network.<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing in the world replaces the friendships I\u2019ve made,\u201d Musburger says. \u201cAnd that includes the fans. I mean, I\u2019m never alone. Wherever I go, someone\u2019s going to come up. Someone\u2019s going to come up and ask about a team. Or a game. Or an experience. I\u2019ve got millions of friends out there.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":741,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"tags":[20],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sportsbroadcastinghalloffame.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/inductees\/571"}],"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\/741"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sportsbroadcastinghalloffame.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=571"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sportsbroadcastinghalloffame.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=571"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}