About
"Each sports broadcast is a piece of theater. Football is a four act play. You set the scene in the first act, you develop the characters in the play, and the plot unfolds. You see how the characters fit within the drama. The sportscaster's job is to bring it all together to present a complete performance to the viewers."
In his two-hour interview, Dick Enberg (1935-2017) talks about his early years, discovering his love of baseball, and various sports announcers he enjoyed in his youth. He describes working in radio, first as a disc jockey, and later in the sports department at Los Angeles stations KGIL and KNX, which led to him calling boxing matches and horse races for local television station KTLA. He chronicles his rise in Los Angeles as the announcer for UCLA's football team, where he developed a fierce following with his catchphrase, "Oh my." Enberg recounts doing play-by-play for baseball games with his broadcasting partner of many years Don Drysdale, and recalls acting as host for a few game shows including Perfect Match and Baffle. He outlines his time at NBC sports, which included calling NCAA basketball, the Super Bowl, several Olympics, the World Series, golf, and perhaps most famously Wimbledon. He speaks of his long association with tennis on NBC, and details leaving the network for CBS in 2000. He concludes by discussing how technology has changed sports broadcasting, and by giving advice to aspiring sportscasters. Stephen J. Abramson conducted the interview on August 17, 2011 in La Jolla, CA.
Highlights
Dick Enberg on singing "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" during a UCLA football broadcast
Dick Enberg on the importance of objectivity in sports announcing
Dick Enberg on calling the Olympics
Dick Enberg on calling tennis matches, including Wimbledon, for NBC
Dick Enberg on advice to an aspiring sportscaster
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On his early life and influences; on discovering his love of sports and of baseball; on various sports announcers he admired growing up
On early television he watched, and his education; on being a disc jockey on radio in the '50s; on teaching in Indiana and moving to Southern California
On going to work at radio station KGIL and later KNX; on calling boxing matches early in his career for KTLA; on calling horse races early in his career
On the importance of listening in broadcasting; on doing play-by-play for the Los Angeles Rams; on doing play-by-play for UCLA football
On his catch phrase, "Oh my"; on singing "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" during a UCLA football broadcast; on the importance of objectivity in sports announcing
Chapter 2
On what he is imparting to the listener when announcing play-by-play for baseball; on calling a game by himself as opposed to working with others in the announcing booth; on his broadcasting partner of several years, Don Drysdale
On hosting the show Sports Challenge and producing the show The Way it Was; on hosting several game shows including Perfect Match and Baffle; on joining NBC Sports in 1975 due to his calling of syndicated basketball games
On the state of NBC Sports when he joined as opposed to the other networks; on his partners in announcing NCAA basketball for NBC; on announcing football games with Merlin Olsen on NBC and the experience of calling the Super Bowl
On calling tennis matches, including Wimbledon, for NBC; on calling the Olympics; on calling the 1982 World Series and his disappointment over not being NBC's lead announcer for the 1983 World Series
On calling games for the San Diego Padres; on the challenges of calling golf matches; on announcing for the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea and various other Olympics
On moving from NBC to CBS in 2000 and his duties at CBS; on covering tennis for ESPN in 2004 and keeping his voice healthy; on how technology has changed sports broadcasting since he started, advice to an aspiring sportscaster, and how he'd like to be remembered
Shows
Olympics
Dick Enberg on calling the Olympics
Dick Enberg on announcing for the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea and various other Olympics
Super Bowl
Dick Enberg on the experience of calling the Super Bowl
World Series
Dick Enberg on calling the 1982 World Series and his disappointment over not being NBC's lead announcer for the 1983 World Series
Topics
Advice
Dick Enberg on advice to an aspiring sportscaster
Characters & Catchphrases
Dick Enberg on his catch phrase, "Oh my"
Pop Culture
Dick Enberg on his catch phrase, "Oh my"
Technological Innovation
Dick Enberg on how technology has changed sports broadcasting since he started
Television Industry
Dick Enberg on advice to an aspiring sportscaster
Professions
Hosts
Dick Enberg on the importance of listening in broadcasting
Dick Enberg on the importance of objectivity in sports announcing
Dick Enberg on what he is imparting to the listener when announcing play-by-play for baseball
Dick Enberg on calling a game by himself as opposed to working with others in the announcing booth
Dick Enberg on advice to an aspiring sportscaster
Sportscaster
Dick Enberg on the importance of listening in broadcasting
Dick Enberg on the importance of objectivity in sports announcing
Dick Enberg on what he is imparting to the listener when announcing play-by-play for baseball
Dick Enberg on calling a game by himself as opposed to working with others in the announcing booth
Dick Enberg on advice to an aspiring sportscaster
Genres
Game Shows
Dick Enberg on hosting the show Sports Challenge and producing the show The Way it Was
Dick Enberg on hosting several game shows including Perfect Match and Baffle
News and Documentary
Dick Enberg on hosting the show Sports Challenge and producing the show The Way it Was
Sports
Dick Enberg on his radio work in Los Angeles and working as a sports announcer at KTTV and KTLA and the first time he broadcast on television
Dick Enberg on calling boxing matches early in his career for KTLA
Dick Enberg on calling horse races early in his career
Dick Enberg on doing play-by-play for the Los Angeles Rams
Dick Enberg on doing play-by-play for UCLA football
Dick Enberg on what he is imparting to the listener when announcing play-by-play for baseball
Dick Enberg on calling a game by himself as opposed to working with others in the announcing booth
Dick Enberg on his broadcasting partner of several years, Don Drysdale
Dick Enberg on joining NBC Sports in 1975 due to his calling of syndicated basketball games
Dick Enberg on the state of NBC Sports when he joined as opposed to the other networks
Dick Enberg on his partners in announcing NCAA basketball for NBC
Dick Enberg on announcing football games with Merlin Olsen on NBC
Dick Enberg on calling tennis matches, including Wimbledon, for NBC
Dick Enberg on calling the Olympics
Dick Enberg on calling the 1982 World Series and his disappointment over not being NBC's lead announcer for the 1983 World Series
Dick Enberg on calling games for the San Diego Padres
Dick Enberg on the challenges of calling golf matches
Dick Enberg on announcing for the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea and various other Olympics
Dick Enberg on covering tennis for ESPN in 2004
People
Mel Allen
Dick Enberg on various sports announcers he admired growing up: Mel Allen
Red Barber
Dick Enberg on various sports announcers he admired growing up: Red Barber