Anatomy of a Broadcaster

"His early work is being met with mixed reviews, but what can really be expected of a guy that just stepped off the football field?"

"Not only is he high-energy, he’s accurate, smooth and has a very confident and commanding style."

"Kay isn’t afraid to call it like he sees it, even if that means blasting the Yankees, an individual player or the opposing team."

"The experiences Riddick has had over the length of his career are irreplaceable when it comes to his analysis of the sport."

"I haven’t come across too many people that tell me how great he is. More often people will say something like, why is he still on my television?"

"There aren’t too many broadcasters than can be at the top of their game, either in the booth or in the studio. The worlds are so different. The preparation is different."

"Buck finds a way to make games exciting. Whether it be a great call in a huge moment or his ability to set the scene for a game that has a lot on the line."

"Smoltz has the rare ability of parlaying a fantastic Major League career into an ability to analyze what he’s seeing. He’s good at being able explain it in terms the audience can understand. There are few former athletes that “get it” the way he does."

"He must be good, because this July will be his record setting 16th NBA Finals broadcast. That’s more than both Marv Albert and Dick Stockton who did 9 NBA Finals apiece for NBC and CBS respectively."

Andy Masur looks at what makes John McEnroe one of the best broadcasters in tennis.