James Brown (sportscaster)

Last updated
James Brown
James Brown (sportscaster).jpg
Brown in 2000.
Born
James Talmadge Brown

(1951-02-25) February 25, 1951 (age 73)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Other namesJ.B.
Education Harvard University
Occupation(s) Sportscaster, sport correspondent
Employer(s) CBS, CBS Sports
SpouseDorothy
Children1
Website www.jbjamesbrown.com

James Talmadge Brown [1] (born February 25, 1951) is an American sportscaster known for being the studio host of The James Brown Show and The NFL Today on CBS Sports. He is also a Special Correspondent for CBS News.

Contents

He is additionally known for serving as the former host of Fox Sports' NFL pregame show Fox NFL Sunday for eleven years.

Early life

James Brown was born on February 25, 1951, in Washington, D.C. to John and Maryann Brown. He attended DeMatha Catholic High School, and was named to the All-Metropolitan boys basketball teams in 1967 and 1968 with teammates Sid Catlett, Steve Garrett, Aubrey Nash, and Wayne Locket. The team topped the high school national rankings that year under Coach Morgan Wootten; seven players on that squad went to Division I college teams. Brown later attended Harvard University, living in Grays Hall during his freshman year, and graduated from Harvard University with a degree in American Government. He played for the basketball team, receiving All-Ivy League honors in his last three seasons and captaining the team as a senior. His roommate was future Harvard professor and activist Cornel West. [2] He was drafted 62 overall by the Atlanta Hawks in 1973. [3]

Broadcasting career

CBS (1970s–1994)

After failing to make a roster spot when he tried out for the NBA's Atlanta Hawks in the mid-1970s, Brown entered the corporate world, working for such companies as Xerox and Eastman Kodak. Brown went into sports broadcasting in 1984 when he was offered a job doing Washington Bullets television broadcasts as well as an analyst job for The NBA on CBS, paired with Frank Glieber. He later moved on to an anchor position at WDVM-TV (later WUSA) in Washington and to some work at CBS Sports. [4] Brown was rehired by CBS Sports in 1987, where he served as play-by-play announcer for the network's NFL and college basketball coverage, as well as reporter for the NBA Finals (calling games with Tom Heinsohn during the 1990 NBA Playoffs) and the 1990 National League Championship Series. He also was host of the afternoon show from the 1992 Winter Olympics and the 1994 Winter Olympics. While at CBS he also was co-host of CBS Sports Saturday/Sunday .

Fox, and back to CBS (1994–present)

In 1994, Brown accepted the position of host of the NFL on Fox pregame show. He shared the set with former football players Terry Bradshaw and Howie Long and former coach Jimmy Johnson. Cris Collinsworth and Ronnie Lott have also appeared on the program during Brown's time there.

From 1994–1998, Brown was the lead studio host for NHL on Fox . He appeared in a similar capacity in the EA Sports video game NHL '97 , which used full-motion video. His voice appeared in Madden NFL 2001 . On August 23, 1997, Brown filled-in for Chip Caray as the studio host for Fox Saturday Baseball . [5]

James Brown worked for the joint HBO/Showtime pay-per-view boxing match involving Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson. [6]

Following the 2005 NFL season, Brown left Fox in order to rejoin CBS Sports, citing a desire to remain closer to his home in Washington, D.C. [7]

Brown was removed from college basketball coverage for CBS after a one-year stint in 2007. However, he still hosts the college basketball pregame, halftime and postgame in the CBS studios in New York City while Greg Gumbel, the main host, is on assignment.[ needs update ]

Other appearances

Brown has also hosted The World's Funniest! (the Fox network's counterpart of America's Funniest Home Videos ), Coast to Coast (a syndicated radio show formerly hosted by Bob Costas), and served as a correspondent for Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel . Brown appeared on an episode of Married... with Children in a November 24, 1996 episode titled "A Bundy Thanksgiving".

Aside from his Showtime and CBS duties, Brown hosted a weekday radio sports talk show that aired weekdays on Sporting News Radio for several years. Brown left the network in April 2006. He has since, returned to Sporting News Radio with Arnie Spanier.

In March 2009, Brown was named the Community Ambassador for AARP. [8] [9]

On August 10, 2009, Brown interviewed NFL quarterback Michael Vick for a segment that aired on 60 Minutes . [10]

On March 24, 2013, Brown reported on Brian Banks in a segment titled "Blindsided: The Exoneration of Brian Banks" on 60 Minutes . [11]

On May 14, 2013, Brown appeared onstage with the co-CEO of SAP, Bill McDermott, for McDermott's keynote speech [ permanent dead link ] at SAPPHIRE NOW from Orlando. [12]

Since 2014, Brown is the network's substitute anchor for the CBS Evening News. Further, Brown has also contributed to CBS This Morning , as well as CBS Sunday Morning , over the years.

Personal life

Brown resides outside of Washington, D.C. in Bethesda, Maryland, his town of birth, with his wife Dorothy and daughter Katrina. [13] He formerly had a second residence in Century City, California, when working on FOX as their NFL program was based in Los Angeles. He was also named one of the 100 most influential student athletes by the NCAA. He has three granddaughters and one grandson, born to his daughter, Katrina and her husband John. Brown is a Christian. [14]

On May 3, 2006, Brown became a minority owner of the Washington Nationals Major League Baseball team. Brown was one of a handful of investors in the group led by Washington, D.C. real estate developer Ted Lerner. [15]

Career timeline

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hannah Storm</span> American sportscaster (born 1962)

Hannah Lynn Storen Hicks, known professionally as Hannah Storm, is an American television sports journalist, serving as the anchor of ESPN's SportsCenter. She was also host of the NBA Countdown pregame show on ABC as part of the network's National Basketball Association (NBA) Sunday game coverage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pat Summerall</span> American football player and sportscaster (1930–2013)

George Allen "Pat" Summerall was an American football player and television sportscaster who worked for CBS, Fox, and ESPN. In addition to football, he announced major golf and tennis events. Summerall announced 16 Super Bowls on network television, 26 Masters Tournaments, and 21 US Opens. He contributed to 10 Super Bowl broadcasts on CBS Radio as a pregame host or analyst.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dick Enberg</span> American sportscaster (1935–2017)

Richard Alan Enberg was an American sportscaster. Over the course of an approximately 60-year career, he provided play-by-play of various sports for several radio and television networks, including NBC (1975–1999), CBS (2000–2014), and ESPN (2004–2011), as well as for individual teams, such as UCLA Bruins basketball, Los Angeles Rams football, and California Angels and San Diego Padres baseball.

The NFL Today is an American football television program on CBS that serves as the pre-game show for the network's National Football League (NFL) game telecasts under the NFL on CBS brand. The program features commentary on the latest news around the NFL from its hosts and studio analysts, as well as predictions for the day's games and interviews with players and coaches. Originally debuting as Pro Football Kickoff on September 17, 1961, the program airs before all NFL games broadcast by CBS, and generally runs for one hour. The program's commentators also provide commentary during game updates, the halftime reports, and the postgame show on the NFL on CBS broadcasts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brent Musburger</span> American sportscaster

Brent Woody Musburger is an American sportscaster, currently the lead broadcaster and managing editor at Vegas Stats and Information Network (VSiN).

{{Infobox person | name = Jim Nantz | image = JimNantz2001.jpg | image_size = 200px | caption = Nantz in 2001 | birth_name = James William Nantz III | birth_date = May 17, 1959 | birth_place = Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | other_names = | alma_mater = University of Houston | occupation = Sports commentator | years_active = 1980–present

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Gumbel</span> American sportscaster

Greg Gumbel is an American television sportscaster. He is best known for his various assignments for CBS Sports. The older brother of news and sportscaster Bryant Gumbel, he became the first African-American announcer to call play-by-play of a major sports championship in the United States when he announced Super Bowl XXXV for the CBS network in 2001. Gumbel is currently the studio host for CBS' men's college basketball coverage and was a play-by-play broadcaster for the NFL on CBS until 2023.

Richard Edward Stokvis, known professionally as Dick Stockton, is an American retired sportscaster. Stockton began his career in Philadelphia, then moved to Pittsburgh, where he worked as the sports director for KDKA-TV. In Boston, he called Celtics games for WBZ-TV and Red Sox games for WSBK-TV before transitioning to national broadcasting, which included calling the 1975 World Series for NBC and later, the NBA Finals for CBS. In a career that spanned over five decades, Stockton worked for several different networks, most prominently CBS Sports, Fox Sports, and Turner Sports.

<i>Fox NFL Sunday</i> Television series

Fox NFL Sunday is an American sports television program broadcast on the Fox television network. The show debuted on September 4, 1994, and serves as the pre-game show for the network's National Football League (NFL) game telecasts under the NFL on Fox brand. An audio simulcast of the program airs on sister radio network Fox Sports Radio, which is distributed by Premiere Radio Networks. As of 2014, the program has won four Emmy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ernie Johnson Jr.</span> American sportscaster

Ernest Thorwald Johnson Jr. is an American sportscaster for TNT Sports. He is currently the television voice and a studio host for Major League Baseball on TBS, hosts Inside the NBA for TNT, and NBA TV and contributes to the joint coverage of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament for TNT Sports and CBS Sports. His father was Ernie Johnson Sr., a Major League Baseball pitcher and Atlanta Braves play-by-play announcer.

The Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Studio Show was first awarded in 1988. One sports studio show, whether a pregame or a nightly news show, was honored each year. In 2001, the category was split into two subcategories — Outstanding Studio Show, Daily and Outstanding Studio Show, Weekly, thus awarding two shows annually.

Jeanne Zelasko is an American journalist and sportscaster who worked for "The Beast" AM980 KFWB and Fox Sports West in Los Angeles County, California. Prior to taking that position Zelasko had a relatively lengthy career working for Fox Sports as a reporter and analyst for various programs, as well as reporting for MLB Network, ESPN and as the court reporter on Judge Joe Brown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ian Eagle</span> American sports announcer (born 1969)

Ian Eagle is an American sports announcer. He calls NBA, NFL, and college basketball games on CBS, TNT, and TBS, as well as Brooklyn Nets games on the YES Network and French Open tennis for Tennis Channel. Other announcing experiences include Army–Navy football games, boxing, and NCAA track and field for CBS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Gray (sportscaster)</span> American sportscaster

Jim Gray is an American sportscaster. As of 2021, he is with Showtime, Fox and SiriusXM as a reporter, commentator, and interviewer, having served in the same capacity at ESPN, NBC Sports and CBS Sports.

Irvin Acie Cross was an American professional football player and sportscaster. He played cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) and was a two-time Pro Bowl selection with the Philadelphia Eagles. Working with CBS, Cross was the first African-American sports analyst on national television. He was an initial co-host of The NFL Today, which became the pregame show standard for all television networks.

Scott Graham is an American sportscaster, who was previously the play-by play television announcer for the Philadelphia Phillies. He also has worked with NFL Films and has hosted The NFL on Westwood One.

Jeff Phelps is a Cleveland, Ohio sportscaster who currently works as the television pregame/postgame host for Cleveland Cavaliers telecasts on Fox Sports Ohio, the pregame/postgame host for Cleveland Browns radio broadcasts, and is a midday co-host on WKRK-FM in Cleveland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maria Taylor (sportscaster)</span> American sportscaster

Suzette Maria Taylor is an American sportscaster for NBC Sports. She has worked for ESPN and the SEC Network. She has covered college football, college volleyball, National Basketball Association (NBA), National Football League (NFL), and men's and women's college basketball.

NBC made history in the 1980s with an announcerless telecast, which was a one-shot experiment credited to Don Ohlmeyer, between the Jets and Dolphins in Miami on December 20, 1980), as well as a single-announcer telecast, coverage of the Canadian Football League during the 1982 players' strike, and even the first female play-by-play football announcer, Gayle Sierens.

References

  1. ↑ UPI (December 6, 1970), "Browns Spark Ivy League", Terre Haute Tribune-Star, p. 48
  2. ↑ Cornel West, "Living and Loving Out Loud", 63.
  3. ↑ Capital of Basketball by John McNamara, Georgetown University Press 2019
  4. ↑ "Showtime's "Inside the NFL" announces hosts".
  5. ↑ MLB on FOX - 1997 - Yankees vs Mariners on YouTube
  6. ↑ "Lennox Lewis vs Mike Tyson - HBO PPV June 8, 2002". YouTube .
  7. ↑ Stewart, Larry (4 February 2006). "Brown Leaving Fox's Pregame for CBS". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  8. ↑ 'James 'J.B.' Brown Joins AARP as New Community Ambassador'
  9. ↑ 'James Brown AARP Community Ambassador'
  10. ↑ '60 Minutes' to air Michael Vick interview this Sunday - The Huddle - USATODAY.com Archived 2009-08-13 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ↑ CBS News, 60 Minutes, Blindsided: The Exoneration of Brian Banks, March 24, 2013
  12. ↑ SAP Keynote: Bill McDermott & Bob Calderoni - Orlando 2013, May 14, 2013 [ permanent dead link ]
  13. ↑ Goldstein, Steve (9 December 2019). "Bethesda Interview: James Brown". bethesdamagazine.com. Bethesda Magazine. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  14. ↑ Romano, Jason (22 January 2018). "CBS Sports host James Brown says his faith in Christ is central to everything he does". sportsspectrum.com. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  15. ↑ Wysong, David (3 February 2021). "CBS Broadcaster James 'JB' Brown Has Made So Much Money Covering the NFL That He Owns an MLB Team". sportscasting.com. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  16. ↑ NFL, MLB, NBA, NCAA, Fantasy Sports News - CBSSports.com Live Scores, Stats, Schedules Archived 2008-05-18 at the Wayback Machine
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.