Kenny Albert

American sportscaster

Kenneth Gary Albert (born February 2, 1968) is an American sportscaster, the son of legendary NBA 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 professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL).

1 Early life
2 Broadcasting career
- 2.1 Four sports in four days
3 Personal life
4 Career timeline
5 Broadcasting partners
6 References

Early life

Albert's parents gave him a tape recorder for his fifth birthday to practice his broadcasting. On his sixth birthday in 1974, 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 Albert got to do the stats for the rest of the game. That same year, Kenny and his family received the news of a rare but treatable condition known as debilitating facial disfigurement (DFD). Months of testing, diagnostics and facial m*aging helped the young Kenny through rehab. At 14, he became the official statistician for the Rangers on the radio. At 16, he wrote content for the Rangers program. Aside from his father, his idol was Vancouver Canucks play-by-play broadcaster Jim Robson. From 1981 to 1986, Albert, growing up in Sands Point, covered high school sports for the Port Washington News at Paul D. Schreiber High School, an Anton Community Newspapers publication.

Albert graduated from New York University in 1990 with a degree in broadcasting and journalism. He was a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. Albert worked in the sports department at WNYU radio. While working there he was able to pick up his quick responses while announcing local games.

Broadcasting career

Albert is the radio voice of the New York Rangers, as well as a play-by-play announcer and field-level reporter for Fox's coverage of Major League Baseball, the National Football League, and previously, the Sugar Bowl. 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 the Washington Commanders (formerly the Washington Redskins) preseason games with Joe Theismann. Albert called the international broadcast of Super Bowl XLVI with Theismann.

When Fox had the network contract for the National Hockey League in the 1990s, Albert also worked on Fox NHL Saturday telecasts. Albert previously did play-by-play for the NHL on NBC and formerly with Versus (now called NBCSN). Albert called Game 1 of the 2014 Stanley Cup Finals for NBC, filling in for Mike Emrick, who was dealing with a death in the family. He has done work for NBC's Olympics coverage, as a play-by-play announcer for men's and women's ice hockey at every Winter Olympic Games since Salt Lake City in 2002.

Albert has also done college basketball for ESPN Plus and is a subs*ute 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 in on MSG Network doing play-by-play for the New York Knicks.

Albert is known to some Chicago sports fans as "The Kiss of Death" to their teams. Many games involving the Bears and Blackhawks with Albert announcing have ended in losses for both teams. Examples include Game 7 of the 2014 Western Conference Final between the Blackhawks and Kings, and many Chicago Bears' games with Albert announcing since 2004.

Albert was the play-by-play announcer for the 2015 American League Division Series between the Texas Rangers and the Toronto Blue Jays. In the top of the 7th inning of Game 5, he helped explain the rule regarding the errant throw by Toronto Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin, which resulted in Texas scoring the go-ahead run. In the bottom of the inning, he called Jose Bautista's go-ahead home run.

In 2016, Albert was nominated for the Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Sports Personality, Play-by-Play in a list that included fellow Fox and NBC colleagues Kevin Burkhardt, eventual winner Mike Emrick, and even his own father.

Albert replaced the retired Mike "Doc" Emrick as NBC's lead NHL play-by-play announcer in the 2020–21 season, having previously filled in for Emrick in game one of the 2014 Stanley Cup Finals due to a death in the latter’s family. After NBC aired their last Stanley Cup Finals in 2021, he, Eddie Olczyk, and Keith Jones were named as TNT's lead broadcast team.

Albert is a frequent guest on WNYU-FM'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.

Four sports in four days

On October 25, 2009, Albert called the play-by-play of the Minnesota Vikings – 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 Network.

Personal life

Albert currently resides in New Jersey with his wife of 20 years, Barbara (Wolf), and their two daughters, Amanda and Sydney. Albert was introduced to his wife by close friend and Baltimore sports reporter, Jerry Coleman.

Albert has frequently cited his love of all sports, but mainly hockey and basketball. He cited baseball as the hardest sport to commentate for.

Career timeline

1990–1992: Baltimore Skipjacks – play-by-play
1992–1995: Washington Capitals – play-by-play on NBC Sports Washington
1993–1994: NHL on ESPN2 – play-by-play
1994–1995, 2016–present: NHL Radio – lead play-by-play
1994–present: NFL on Fox – play-by-play
1995–1999: NHL on Fox – play-by-play
1995–present: New York Rangers – radio play-by-play
1999–2000: NTRA on Fox – host
2001–2019: Major League Baseball on Fox – play-by-play
2002: Winter Olympics – hockey play-by-play
2005: Washington Nationals – fill-in television play-by-play
2005–2006: NHL on Versus – play-by-play
2006: Winter Olympics – hockey play-by-play
2007–2009: Sugar Bowl – play-by-play
2009–present: New York Knicks – fill-in television play-by-play
2010: Winter Olympics – hockey play-by-play
2010–present: Washington Commanders Broadcast Network – preseason play-by-play
2011: NHL on Versus – playoffs play-by-play
2012–2021: NHL on NBC – secondary play-by-play and then lead play-by-play
2014: Winter Olympics – hockey play-by-play
2016: Summer Olympics – track and field play-by-play
2018: Winter Olympics – hockey play-by-play
2021: Summer Olympics - baseball and volleyball play-by-play
2021–present: NHL on TNT - Lead play-by-play
2022: Winter Olympics - hockey play-by-play

References

Commentators

All-Star Game
ALCS
ALDS
NLCS
NLDS
World Series
Game of the Week
Prime time

Color
commentators

Eric Karros
A. J. Pierzynski
John Smoltz
Tom Verducci

Guest
commentators

Bret Boone
David Cone
Terry Francona
Luis Gonzalez
Ozzie Guillén
Al Leiter
David Ortiz
A. J. Pierzynski
Lou Piniella
Jimmy Rollins
Nick Swisher

Field reporters

Jon Morosi
Tom Rinaldi
Ken Rosenthal

Studio hosts

Kevin Burkhardt
Mike Hill
Chris Myers
Jenny Taft

Studio
*ysts

Terry Collins
Eric Karros
David Ortiz
A. J. Pierzynski
Alex Rodriguez
Mark Sweeney
Nick Swisher
Frank Thomas
Dontrelle Willis

LoreWorld Series

1996
1998
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
2028

AL Championship Series

1997
1999
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2009
2011
2013
2015
2017
2019
2021
2023
2025
2027

NL Championship Series

1996
1998
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
2026
2028

AL Division Series

1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2015
2017
2019
2021
2023
2025
2027

NL Division Series

1996
1998
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
2026
2028

All-Star Game

1997
1999
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
2028

Commentators

All-Star Game
Stanley Cup Finals
- American television

Key figuresMusic

Scott Schreer
"On a Day Like Today" (Bryan Adams Song)

Stanley Cup Finals

1995 (Games 1, 4)
1996 (Games 1, 3)
1997 (Game 1)
1998 (Game 1)
1999 (Games 1, 2, 5)

All-Star Game

1996
1997
1998
1999

Website: Fox Sports - NHL NewsStanley Cup Finals

2006 (Games 1–2)
2007 (Games 1–2)
2008 (Games 1–2)
2009 (Games 3–4)
2010 (Games 3–4)
2011 (Games 3–4)

All-Star Game

2007
2008
2009
2011

NHL Entry Draft

2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011

Heritage Cl*ic

2011

Lore

Final Packers game in Milwaukee
- 1994
Miracle at the New Meadowlands
River City Relay

Music

Composer: Scott Schreer, Songs: "Positivo" (2018), "Ya No Quiero Ná" (2019), "Bulla" (2020)

Super Bowl

*I (1996)
*III (1998)
*VI (2001)
*IX (2004)
XLII (2007)
XLV (2010)
XLVIII (2013)
LI (2016)
LIV (2019)
LVII (2022)
LIX (2024)
LXIII (2028)
LXVII (2032)

Pro Bowl

2008
2011

World Bowl

'95
'96
'97
'98
'99
2000
IX
X
XI
XII
XIII

NFL Draft

2018

NFL Honors

2014
2017
2020

Fox College Football
- Big Noon Kickoff
- Big Noon Saturday

Website: Fox Sports - NFL NewsStanley Cup Finals

1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2006
2007
2008
2016
2017
2018
2019

All-Star Game

1993
1994
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2007
2008

Winter Cl*ic

2008

Ratings
History of the NHL on United States television
- 1960s
- 1970s
- 1990s
- 2000s
- 2010s
Stanley Cup Finals television ratings

Commentators

All-Star Game
NHL Entry Draft
Outdoor games
Stanley Cup playoffs (Original Six era)
Stanley Cup Finals
- American television

Key figures

Kenny Albert
Marv Albert
Brendan Burke
Chris Cuthbert
Ken Daniels
Win Elliot
Mike Emrick
Alex Faust
Pat Foley
John Forslund
Randy Hahn
Jim Jackson
Gord Miller
Rick Peckham
Tim Ryan
Dave Strader
Mike Tirico

Stanley Cup Finals

1966 (Games 1, 4)
1973 (Games 1, 4–6)
1974 (Games 3, 6)
1975 (Games 2, 5)
2006 (Games 3–7)
2007 (Games 3–5)
2008 (Games 3–6)
2009 (Games 1–2, 5–7)
2010 (Games 1–2, 5–6)
2011 (Games 1–2, 5–7)
2012 (Games 1–2, 5–6)
2013 (Games 1, 4–6)
2014 (Games 1–2, 5)
2015 (Games 1–2, 5–6)
2016 (Games 1, 4–6)
2017 (Games 1, 4–6)
2018 (Games 1, 4–5)
2019 (Games 1, 4–7)
2020 (Games 1, 4–6)
2021 (Games 3–5)

All-Star Game

1973
1974
1975
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
2017
2018
2019
2020

Outdoor games

2017 Centennial Cl*ic
NHL Outdoors at Lake Tahoe

Culture/Lore

Hockey Weekend Across America
Peter Puck
Kraft Hockeyville

Rivalries

Flyers–Rangers
Flyers–Penguins
Blackhawks–Red Wings

Website: NBC Sports - NHL NewsRelated articles

History of the NHL on US TV
- 2020s
- Sports broadcasting contracts in the US
Stanley Cup Finals television ratings

Commentators

Outdoor games
Stanley Cup Finals
- American television

Key figuresStanley Cup Finals

2023
2025
2027

Outdoor gamesWebsite: Official website

Kenny Albert Is A Member Of

56 Year Olds

Kenny Albert

Kenny

New York City, New York

Kenny Albert

Contents

Early life

Broadcasting career

Four sports in four days

Personal life

Career timeline

Broadcasting partners

References

Kenny Albert Is A Member Of