IU Athletics Mourns Passing of Hall of Fame Announcer Dick Enberg
12/22/2017 9:44:00 AM | General
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Dick Enberg, a 2006 inductee into the Indiana University Athletics Hall of Fame, died Thursday morning in California. Enberg, who earned his master's and doctorate degrees in health sciences from the University, was the first voice of the IU Sports Network from 1957-61. He was regarded as one of the premiere play-by-play voices in college and professional sports history, who most notably worked for NBC, CBS and ESPN.
A native of Mt. Clemens, Mich., he also served as the lead play-by-play voice during his career for UCLA men's basketball, the Los Angeles Rams, California Angels and San Diego Padres.
While working for NBC, he called Indiana's men's basketball national championship victory in 1981. While at IU, Enberg voiced the first radio broadcast of the Little 500. He last called an IU game for CBS Sports on March 2, 2008, when the Hoosiers visited Michigan State.
Enberg spent 25 years with NBC Sports, beginning in 1975 as the play-by-play announcer for college basketball. One of the most versatile play-by-play announcers in sports broadcasting, Enberg called NFL football (39 seasons), the Super Bowl (nine times), the Rose Bowl (nine times), the Orange Bowl (six times), the Olympic Games (1972, '88, '92, '96), the American and National League Playoffs, the World Series, the French Open (19 times), Wimbledon (22 times), the U.S. Open Tennis Championship (six times), the PGA Championship (three times), the U.S. Open Golf Championship (five times), the Ryder Cup (three times), the NBA Playoffs and All-Star Game, and the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship (10 times).
Before joining NBC, he was named California Sportscaster of the Year four times and earned a series of national honors, including 14 Emmy Awards, received the 2000 Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award, the 1995 National Basketball Hall of Fame's Curt Gowdy Award, the 1999 Pro Football Hall of Fame's Pete Rozelle Award, nine Sportscaster of the Year awards, the Ronald Reagan Media Award and a Victor Award for a career of broadcast excellence. He was the only person to win national Emmy Awards as a sportscaster, writer and producer. In 1998, he became only the fourth sportscaster to be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Enberg is the author of two bestsellers, "Dick Enberg's Humorous Quotes for All Occasions," and "Dick Enberg Oh My!"
He was the national spokesperson for the College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-American program for 20 years and was inducted into its Hall of Fame in 1997 and was the Voice of The Greatest Football Board Game, "Talking Football by Mattel," which debuted in 1971. He also hosted the first syndicated sports-centered game show, Sports Challenge, from 1971-79.
Enberg was hired by CBS Sports in 2000, serving as a play-by-play announcer for the network's NFL, college basketball and US Open Tennis coverage. For several years, he also contributed to CBS's coverage of The Masters and PGA Championship golf as an interviewer and essayist.
On March 27, 2010, Enberg called his final college basketball game for CBS, an East Regional tournament final featuring the Kentucky Wildcats versus the West Virginia Mountaineers.
He finished his career as the play-by-play voice of the San Diego Padres from 2009 to 2016.
The Enberg File
1957–1961: Indiana Hoosiers football play-by-play
1957–1961: Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball play-by-play
1961–1965: assistant professor and baseball coach for the Matadors of California State University, Northridge
1966–1977: UCLA Bruins men's basketball play-by-play
1966–1977: Los Angeles Rams radio play-by-play
1967–1968: The Perfect Match host
1969–1978, 1985: California Angels play-by-play
1971–1979 Sports Challenge host
1973–1974: Baffle host
1975: Three for the Money host
1975–1981: NCAA Basketball on NBC play-by-play
1977–1998: NFL on NBC play-by-play
1977–1982: MLB on NBC play-by-play
1979, 1981–1999: Wimbledon play-by-play (NBC)
1980–1988: Rose Bowl play-by-play (NBC)
1983–1989: MLB on NBC studio host
1984–1990: Breeders' Cup host (NBC)
1988: 1988 Summer Olympics Gymnastics play-by-play (NBC)
1990–1999: NBA on NBC play-by-play
1992: 1992 Summer Olympics host (NBC)
1995–1999: PGA Tour on NBC host
1996: 1996 Summer Olympics contributor (NBC)
1998–1999: Notre Dame Football on NBC play-by-play
2000–2010: NFL on CBS play-by-play (2000–2005 #2) (2006–2010 #3)
2000–2010: NCAA Basketball on CBS play-by-play
2000–2011, 2014: US Open (tennis) play-by-play (CBS)
2000–2006: The Masters contributor (CBS)
2000–2006: PGA Championship contributor (CBS)
2004–2011: Wimbledon and Australian Open play-by-play (ESPN2)
2004–2009: French Open play-by-play (ESPN2)
2006–2007: Westwood One Thursday Night Football play-by-play
2006: In Focus on FSN narrator
2010–2016: San Diego Padres TV play-by-play
A native of Mt. Clemens, Mich., he also served as the lead play-by-play voice during his career for UCLA men's basketball, the Los Angeles Rams, California Angels and San Diego Padres.
While working for NBC, he called Indiana's men's basketball national championship victory in 1981. While at IU, Enberg voiced the first radio broadcast of the Little 500. He last called an IU game for CBS Sports on March 2, 2008, when the Hoosiers visited Michigan State.
Enberg spent 25 years with NBC Sports, beginning in 1975 as the play-by-play announcer for college basketball. One of the most versatile play-by-play announcers in sports broadcasting, Enberg called NFL football (39 seasons), the Super Bowl (nine times), the Rose Bowl (nine times), the Orange Bowl (six times), the Olympic Games (1972, '88, '92, '96), the American and National League Playoffs, the World Series, the French Open (19 times), Wimbledon (22 times), the U.S. Open Tennis Championship (six times), the PGA Championship (three times), the U.S. Open Golf Championship (five times), the Ryder Cup (three times), the NBA Playoffs and All-Star Game, and the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship (10 times).
Before joining NBC, he was named California Sportscaster of the Year four times and earned a series of national honors, including 14 Emmy Awards, received the 2000 Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award, the 1995 National Basketball Hall of Fame's Curt Gowdy Award, the 1999 Pro Football Hall of Fame's Pete Rozelle Award, nine Sportscaster of the Year awards, the Ronald Reagan Media Award and a Victor Award for a career of broadcast excellence. He was the only person to win national Emmy Awards as a sportscaster, writer and producer. In 1998, he became only the fourth sportscaster to be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Enberg is the author of two bestsellers, "Dick Enberg's Humorous Quotes for All Occasions," and "Dick Enberg Oh My!"
He was the national spokesperson for the College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-American program for 20 years and was inducted into its Hall of Fame in 1997 and was the Voice of The Greatest Football Board Game, "Talking Football by Mattel," which debuted in 1971. He also hosted the first syndicated sports-centered game show, Sports Challenge, from 1971-79.
Enberg was hired by CBS Sports in 2000, serving as a play-by-play announcer for the network's NFL, college basketball and US Open Tennis coverage. For several years, he also contributed to CBS's coverage of The Masters and PGA Championship golf as an interviewer and essayist.
On March 27, 2010, Enberg called his final college basketball game for CBS, an East Regional tournament final featuring the Kentucky Wildcats versus the West Virginia Mountaineers.
He finished his career as the play-by-play voice of the San Diego Padres from 2009 to 2016.
The Enberg File
1957–1961: Indiana Hoosiers football play-by-play
1957–1961: Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball play-by-play
1961–1965: assistant professor and baseball coach for the Matadors of California State University, Northridge
1966–1977: UCLA Bruins men's basketball play-by-play
1966–1977: Los Angeles Rams radio play-by-play
1967–1968: The Perfect Match host
1969–1978, 1985: California Angels play-by-play
1971–1979 Sports Challenge host
1973–1974: Baffle host
1975: Three for the Money host
1975–1981: NCAA Basketball on NBC play-by-play
1977–1998: NFL on NBC play-by-play
1977–1982: MLB on NBC play-by-play
1979, 1981–1999: Wimbledon play-by-play (NBC)
1980–1988: Rose Bowl play-by-play (NBC)
1983–1989: MLB on NBC studio host
1984–1990: Breeders' Cup host (NBC)
1988: 1988 Summer Olympics Gymnastics play-by-play (NBC)
1990–1999: NBA on NBC play-by-play
1992: 1992 Summer Olympics host (NBC)
1995–1999: PGA Tour on NBC host
1996: 1996 Summer Olympics contributor (NBC)
1998–1999: Notre Dame Football on NBC play-by-play
2000–2010: NFL on CBS play-by-play (2000–2005 #2) (2006–2010 #3)
2000–2010: NCAA Basketball on CBS play-by-play
2000–2011, 2014: US Open (tennis) play-by-play (CBS)
2000–2006: The Masters contributor (CBS)
2000–2006: PGA Championship contributor (CBS)
2004–2011: Wimbledon and Australian Open play-by-play (ESPN2)
2004–2009: French Open play-by-play (ESPN2)
2006–2007: Westwood One Thursday Night Football play-by-play
2006: In Focus on FSN narrator
2010–2016: San Diego Padres TV play-by-play
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