Sean McDonough

Last updated
Sean McDonough
Born (1962-05-13) May 13, 1962 (age 62)
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Alma mater Syracuse University
Occupation Sportscaster
Employer(s) ABC, ESPN, Boston Red Sox

Sean McDonough (born May 13, 1962) is an American sportscaster, currently employed by ESPN and the WEEI Boston Red Sox Radio Network. McDonough has play-py-play experience for all four major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada (NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL). [1]

Contents

Early life

The son of Boston Globe sportswriter Will McDonough, McDonough graduated from the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications of Syracuse University in 1984 with a degree in broadcast journalism. [2] [3] At Syracuse, he joined the WAER-FM sports department and provided play-by-play calls for Syracuse Chiefs baseball games. [4] [5] During college, he worked for Syracuse football coach Dick MacPherson. [6]

Career

Early career

McDonough was an intern at the short-lived Enterprise Radio Network in 1981.

It was in Syracuse where McDonough began his broadcasting career in 1982 as the play-by-play announcer for the Syracuse Chiefs of the International League. McDonough was also an Ivy League football announcer for PBS. He was a sideline reporter from 1984 to 1985 and a play-by-play announcer from 1986 to 1987.

Boston Red Sox

Four years after graduating from Syracuse, he began broadcasting Boston Red Sox games on WSBK-TV (Channel 38) in Boston with former Red Sox catcher Bob Montgomery and later former Red Sox second baseman Jerry Remy.

McDonough continued announcing broadcast Red Sox games through the 2004 season, moving over the years to various local stations, including WFXT (Channel 25), WABU (Channel 68), and WLVI (Channel 56). In 1996, he was teamed with Jerry Remy. He worked with Remy for nine seasons, ultimately only Friday night games, before being replaced in 2005 by NESN announcer Don Orsillo. McDonough attributed his firing to his salary and disputed talk that his "candor" was to blame. [7]

He turned down an offer to become the New York Mets play-by-play man on television in 2005 before the Red Sox notified him that they would not pick up his option for 2005. [7]

In 2019, McDonough returned to Red Sox broadcasts as a part-time play-by-play announcer on the team's radio network, announcing 30-32 games that season and becoming a permanent part-time announcer alongside Joe Castiglione, Will Flemming, and Lou Merloni in 2020. [8]

CBS Sports

He began work for CBS Sports in 1990, where he broadcast college basketball (including 10 NCAA tournaments), college football (including the prestigious Orange Bowl game), the College World Series, the NFL, US Open tennis, three Winter Olympics (bobsled and luge in 1992 and 1994 and ice hockey in 1998), and golf [9] (including four Masters and PGA Championships).

In December 1999, CBS Sports President Sean McManus informed McDonough that his contract would not be renewed. [10] Once Dick Enberg, late of NBC was available, McDonough became the odd man out. [11]

Major League Baseball on CBS

Outside of New England, he is probably best remembered for his time as CBS's lead baseball announcer, a role in which he was teamed with Tim McCarver. In 1992 at the age of 30, he became the youngest man to announce the national broadcast (and all nine innings of all of the games played) of the World Series. Coincidentally, that particular record would be broken four years later by Fox's 27-year-old Joe Buck, the son of the man McDonough replaced on CBS, Jack Buck.

Perhaps McDonough's most famous call is his emotional description of the Atlanta Braves' Francisco Cabrera (who had only 10 at-bats at the major league level that season) getting a dramatic, game-winning base hit in Game 7 of the 1992 National League Championship Series against the Pittsburgh Pirates:

Line-drive and a base-hit! Justice has scored the tying run, Bream to the plate...and he is SAFE! Safe at the plate! The Braves go to the World Series! [12] The unlikeliest of heroes wins the National League Championship Series for the Atlanta Braves. Francisco Cabrera, who had only ten at-bats in the major leagues during the regular season, singled through the left side, scoring Sid Bream from second base with the winning run. Bream, who's had five knee operations in his lifetime, just beat the tag from his ex-mate Mike LaValliere and Atlanta pulls out Game 7 with three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning. This place is bedlam. There will be no second nightmare for Bobby Cox. Final score in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series: the Braves 3 and the Pirates 2.

He also called the final play of the subsequent 1992 World Series, in which the Toronto Blue Jays became the first non-American based team to win the Major League Baseball's world championship:

Nixon bunts! Timlin on it! Throws to first . . . For the first time in history, the world championship banner will fly north of the border! The Toronto Blue Jays are baseball's best in 1992!

A year later, McDonough called Joe Carter's dramatic 1993 World Series ending home run off Mitch Williams of the Philadelphia Phillies:

Well-hit down the left-field line! Way back and GONE! Joe Carter with a three-run homer! The winners and still world champions, the Toronto Blue Jays!

Three years later, while calling the College World Series for CBS alongside Steve Garvey, McDonough called another series-clinching home run. This time, it was Warren Morris, who hit a two out, 9th inning walk-off home run that won the 1996 College World Series [13] for the Louisiana State University Fighting Tigers against Miami.

Now Warren Morris...hits a deep drive down the right-field line, that ball is...GONE! LSU wins the College World Series on a home run by Morris!

NCAA Basketball on CBS

McDonough's other major endeavor at CBS was his coverage of the NCAA tournament with then-partner (and fellow Irish-American) Bill Raftery. McDonough and Raftery covered a number of regional finals in the 1990s before McDonough's run at CBS came to an end. The pair developed a terrific on-air rapport, thereby enabling them to spice up their broadcasts. Before the 1999 South Regional Final between Ohio State and St. John's from Knoxville, Tennessee, McDonough and Raftery donned fishing gear as they previewed the game from a boat on the Tennessee River, which was just outside the arena.

In 1998, McDonough—with Raftery at his side—called one of the great buzzer-beaters in NCAA Tournament history, as Connecticut defeated Washington in the East Regional semifinals on a last-second shot by Richard Hamilton.

Spreading the court for El-Amin. Ten seconds remaining. El-Amin, off to Voskuhl. He was pushed, the shot wouldn't drop...Hamilton, no! Another tip, no! Hamilton, at the buzzer, yes! Yes! Connecticut wins!

ABC/ESPN

Since 2000, McDonough has announced baseball, college basketball, college football, golf, NBA, NHL, and NCAA hockey for ESPN/ABC. Specifically, McDonough announced many Big East college football and basketball events. He has also contributed to ESPN's coverage of the U.S. Open and British Open golf tournaments, and called the 2010 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship Final Four alongside Quint Kessenich.

McDonough called NCAA basketball play-by-play on March 12, 2009 on ESPN between UConn and Syracuse which went into 6 overtimes, becoming the longest game in Big East history, clocking 3 hours and 46 minutes. The final score was 127–117 in favor of Syracuse. Also on the broadcast was color commentary from Bill Raftery and Jay Bilas.

On September 28, 2011, McDonough called the nationally televised game in which the Baltimore Orioles came back to defeat the Boston Red Sox 4–3 after Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon came within one strike of closing the game. McDonough called Baltimore's Robert Andino's walk-off single, which occurred only three minutes before Evan Longoria's walk-off home run against the New York Yankees in St. Petersburg gave the Tampa Bay Rays, who trailed the Red Sox by nine games on September 3, the American League Wild Card, as follows:

Lined to left, Crawford playing shallow dives...cannot make the catch! Reimold comes to the plate! He scores! And the Baltimore Orioles stun the Boston Red Sox!

College football, the NFL, and the NHL

McDonough was also behind the mic for the fumbled punt in the final seconds of the Michigan State-Michigan football game on October 17, 2015, that resulted in the game-winning touchdown for the Spartans. [14]

Whoa, he (Michigan punter Blake O'Neill) has trouble with the snap…and the ball is free! It's picked up by Michigan State's Jalen Watts-Jackson…and he scores! On the last play of the game! Unbelievable! (pauses while the team celebrates) Michigan State is still the big boy on the block in the state of Michigan. A shocking ending to this rivalry game.

Starting in 2013, McDonough started play-by-play work for the NFL on ESPN Radio . Others included Ryan Ruocco, Marc Kestecher, and Bill Rosinski, who previously did NFL games for NFL on Westwood One as the Atlanta Falcons and the Carolina Panthers.

McDonough was named the lead play-by-play announcer for Monday Night Football (succeeding Mike Tirico, who departed for NBC Sports) beginning in the 2016 season. [15] [16] In March 2018, ESPN announced that McDonough would be leaving Monday Night Football and would return to announcing college football games. [17]

On June 29, 2021, ESPN formally confirmed [18] that he would be its lead play-by-play voice for their forthcoming NHL coverage beginning in the 2021–22 season, when the league returned to ESPN and ABC, after 16 years at NBC. He was reportedly interested in an NHL role ever since ESPN reacquired the rights to the NHL in March, and ESPN reportedly considered him and Steve Levy for the #1 play-by-play announcer role before eventually choosing him. [19] He teams with up with former NHL center Ray Ferraro, who provides analysis from ice-level, and Emily Kaplan, who provides reports throughout the game, on the lead team. [20] Previously, he teamed up with Brian Engblom on ESPN2 NHL broadcasts from 1993–2004. [21] Initially, ESPN had McDonough and Ferraro together in the booth before the network decided to place Ferraro at ice-level.

Health

In 2012, McDonough had surgery for superior canal dehiscence syndrome which kept him from working for several months. [9]

Honors

In 2014, McDonough was named to the WAER Hall of Fame along with Bill Roth, Syracuse University's noncommercial radio station, where he began his sports broadcasting career as a student. [5] S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications also honored McDonough in July 2016 with the 4th annual Marty Glickman Award. [22] [23] In May 2007, he received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Southern Vermont College. [24]

Career timeline

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marv Albert</span> American sportscaster

Marv Albert is an American former sportscaster. Honored for his work by the Basketball Hall of Fame, he was commonly referred to as "the voice of basketball". From 1967 to 2004, he was also known as "the voice of the New York Knicks". Albert was best known nationally for his work as the lead announcer for both the NBA on NBC and NBA games on TNT.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Buck</span> American sportscaster

Joseph Francis Buck is an American sportscaster for ESPN.

Joseph John Castiglione is an American radio announcer for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball, an author and lecturer. Castiglione is the recipient of the 2024 Ford C. Frick Award, presented by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

CBS Sports is the sports broadcasting division of American television network CBS. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on W 52nd Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studios 43 and 44 of the CBS Broadcast Center on W 57th Street.

ESPN on ABC is the branding used for sports event and documentary programming televised by the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the United States. Officially, the broadcast network retains its own sports division; however, in 2006, ABC's sports division was merged into ESPN Inc., which is the parent subsidiary of the cable sports network ESPN that is majority owned by ABC's corporate parent, The Walt Disney Company, in partnership with Hearst Communications.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Flemming</span> American sportscaster

David Braxton Flemming is an American sportscaster who has been a play-by-play announcer for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball since 2003. Flemming also calls college football, college basketball, major league baseball, and golf on ESPN, as well as the World Series and World Baseball Classic for MLB International.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary Thorne</span> American sportscaster

Gary Francis Thorne is an American sportscaster. He was the lead play-by-play announcer for Baltimore Orioles games on MASN from 2007 to 2020. He has also worked for ESPN and ABC, including National Hockey League, Major League Baseball, college football, and the Frozen Four hockey tournament. He also works for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), where he is the narrator for the WrestleMania Rewind program on its WWE Network streaming video service.

<i>Major League Baseball on CBS</i> CBS Sports telecasts of MLB

Major League Baseball on CBS is the branding used for broadcasts of Major League Baseball (MLB) games produced by CBS Sports, the sports division of the CBS television network in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave O'Brien (sportscaster)</span> American sportscaster

David O'Brien, nicknamed "OB", is an American sportscaster who is a lead play-by-play announcer on the New England Sports Network (NESN) for telecasts of the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB), and for college football and college basketball games aired on the ESPN Inc.-owned ACC Network. He has previously broadcast for MLB's Atlanta Braves, Florida Marlins, and New York Mets, and has announced other sports including basketball, football, and soccer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom McCarthy (sportscaster)</span> Television sports announcer

Tom McCarthy is an American sports broadcaster. He is the play-by-play announcer for Philadelphia Phillies television broadcasts and also calls National Football League games for Westwood One. He calls select NFL, NBA and college basketball games on CBS beginning in 2014. McCarthy previously served as the play-by-play voice of Saint Joseph's University men's and women's basketball teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WAER</span> Radio station in Syracuse, New York, United States

WAER is a radio station in Syracuse, New York. It is located on the campus of Syracuse University, and is a part of the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. The station features a jazz music and National Public Radio format, with a news, Syracuse Orange play-by-play, and music staff providing programming around the clock.

Dave Pasch is an ESPN announcer, covering the NBA, college football, and college basketball. He is also the radio play-by-play voice of the Arizona Cardinals.

Carter Blackburn is an American sportscaster. He currently works for CBS Sports after leaving ESPN in 2014.

Dan Roche is a sports anchor and reporter for WBZ-TV and WSBK-TV in Boston for over 20 years.

William B. Roth is an American television and radio sportscaster. Longtime play-by-play voice of Virginia Tech Hokies football and men's basketball from 1988 to 2015 and again starting in 2022 for Hokies Football, Roth also served as an announcer for the Richmond Braves from 1993–96, and spent 2015-16 with the UCLA Bruins before joining ESPN in 2016.

Steven Kenneth Zabriskie is an American former television sports announcer who is best known for calling Major League Baseball and college football.

Dan Hoard is an American radio and television sportscaster who calls games for the National Football League's Cincinnati Bengals with Dave Lapham. He is also the play-by-play announcer for University of Cincinnati Bearcats football and men's basketball games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Benetti</span> American sportscaster (born 1983)

Jason Benetti is an American sportscaster. He is the primary television play-by-play announcer for Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball on Bally Sports Detroit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on American sports broadcasting</span>

When the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, all major professional and collegiate organizations responded by suspending operations indefinitely. This effect was passed down to the world of sports broadcasting, which includes live coverage of thousands of events on an annual basis through stations and network available over the air, through cable, satellite, and IPTV companies, and via streaming and over-the-top services.

References

  1. ↑ "SU alumnus Sean McDonough shares experiences of calling variety of sports". dailyorange.com. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
  2. ↑ "Sean McDonough - ESPN MediaZone". espnmediazone.com. Retrieved 2017-12-17.
  3. ↑ "Alumni Profiles: Sean McDonough '84 (Boston)". boston.syr.edu. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  4. ↑ Schiff, Tyler (28 February 2022). "SU alumnus Sean McDonough shares experiences of calling variety of sports". The Daily Orange . Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  5. 1 2 Lee, Joe. "McDonough '84 Roth '87 Newest Hall of Fame Inductees" . Retrieved 2017-12-17.
  6. ↑ "ESPN's Sean McDonough: Dick MacPherson 'saved my life' (best moments from funeral service)". syracuse.com. Retrieved 2017-12-17.
  7. 1 2 "After losing his job with CBS, Sean McDonough thought about quitting broadcasting". Remy Report via Reddit. December 14, 2004.
  8. ↑ Vautour, Matt (2020-01-17). "Red Sox Radio Broadcasts: Sean McDonough takes more permanent role with Joe Castiglione, Lou Merloni and Will Flemming". masslive.
  9. 1 2 Hiestand, Michael (14 June 2012). "ESPN's Sean McDonough to have surgery on bone near brain". USA Today. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
  10. ↑ Sherman, Ed (December 17, 1999). "Mcdonough Out, And That's Odd". Chicago Tribune.
  11. ↑ Fang, Ken (May 16, 2016). "After losing his job with CBS, Sean McDonough thought about quitting broadcasting". Awful Announcing.
  12. ↑ WavSource: Sports
  13. ↑ The greatest College World Series ending ever. on YouTube
  14. ↑ Yoder, Matt (17 October 2015). "VIDEO – MICHIGAN STATE BEATS MICHIGAN ON BOTCHED PUNT AS TIME EXPIRES". Bloguin. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  15. ↑ Hofheimer, Bill (May 9, 2016). "Sean McDonough Joins ESPN's Monday Night Football" (Press release). ESPN Media Zone. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
  16. ↑ Mandell, Nina (May 9, 2016). "ESPN confirms that Mike Tirico will leave network; will be replaced by Sean McDonough on MNF". USA TODAY Sports. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
  17. ↑ "McDonough moving off MNF, back to college football for ESPN". Boston.com . AP. March 9, 2018. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
  18. ↑ "Dynamic, Diverse and Accomplished Team to Present ESPN's NHL Coverage to Fans". ESPN Press Room U.S. 2021-06-29. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
  19. ↑ Finn, Chad (June 29, 2021). "Sean McDonough to lead ESPN's NHL coverage as play-by-play announcer when seven-year deal begins". www.boston.com . Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  20. ↑ Best, Neil (2022-06-03). "ESPN's ups and downs in Year 1 of hockey's return to the network". Newsday. Retrieved 2023-06-10.
  21. ↑ Nidetz, Steve (1994-04-18). "LITTLE WONDER PANG A TOP HOCKEY ANALYST". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  22. ↑ "Sean McDonough '84 receives Marty Glickman Award for Leadership in Sports Media (slideshow): Newhouse School - Syracuse University". Newhouse School. Retrieved 2017-12-17.
  23. ↑ "ESPN's Sean McDonough '84 Given Marty Glickman Award for Leadership in Sports Media by Newhouse School". SU News. Retrieved 2017-12-17.
  24. ↑ "Sportscaster tells grads nice is key". The Bennington Banner. Retrieved 2017-12-17.
  25. ↑ "Red Sox announce 'more permanent and consistent' 2020 radio broadcast team". 17 January 2020.
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.