Merrill Reese | |
---|---|
![]() Reese in August 2008 at Eagles Training Camp | |
Born | Merrill Alan Reese September 2, 1942 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Sports commentary career | |
Team | Philadelphia Eagles (1977–present) |
Genre | Play-by-Play |
Sport | Football |
Merrill Alan Reese (born September 2, 1942) is an American sports radio announcer best known for his role as the play-by-play radio announcer for the Philadelphia Eagles on SportsRadio 94.1 WIP-FM. He has been the voice of the Eagles since 1977. He is the 2024 recipient of the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award.
Reese grew up in Overbrook Park, Philadelphia and attended Overbrook High School. He is Jewish.
Reese is a graduate of Temple University, earning a bachelor's degree in communications and broadcasting. While in college, he learned his craft by doing play-by-play over the college's radio station, WRTI FM. At WRTI, Reese also had a music show every Wednesday afternoon where he spun 45-rpm records from his own personal collection.
After college, he served as a public affairs officer in the United States Navy and became a lieutenant. He then set out to obtain his first paid broadcasting gig auditioning at WCOJ in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, and WPAZ in Pottstown, Pennsylvania.
Reese eventually landed a job in Philadelphia as a newscaster and sportscaster at WHAT and its FM companion, WWDB-FM. After a few years he moved on to WIP as a backup for that station's Sports Director, Charlie Swift, who did drive-time sportscasts and Philadelphia Eagles play-by-play. While Swift was vacationing, Reese began doing the pre-game and post-game shows for the Eagles on WIP and later was assigned to do color commentary during the games. Hours after Swift died from suicide on December 7, 1977, [1] Reese was immediately promoted to Eagles play-by-play voice. His debut in that capacity was a 17–14 home victory over the New York Giants four days later on December 11. [2] [3] Herb Adderley took over the color commentary for the remainder of the season.
He is the longest-serving current play-by-play announcer in the NFL. Reese's current broadcast partner is former Eagles wide receiver Mike Quick, who joined Reese in the booth in 1998. Aside from Swift and Adderley, Reese has previously been joined in the booth by Jim Barniak (1978–82), Bill Bergey (1982–83, and who also filled in when Quick had knee surgery during the 2004 preseason), and Stan Walters (1984–97).
In addition to his play-by-play radio coverage of the Eagles, Reese hosts The WIP Coach's Show the day after Eagles games with the Eagles head coach, Eagles players and other guests.
Reese was inducted to the Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame in 2016. He was announced on June 13, 2024 as a Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee upon receiving the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award. [4]
On Sunday, February 4, 2018, Reese called Super Bowl LII, as the Eagles defeated the New England Patriots 41–33 for their first Super Bowl title. With 38 seconds remaining in the 2nd quarter, he called the Eagles' 4th and Goal play which would later be known as the "Philly Special" thus:
“Foles in the gun. Clement to his right. Now lines up behind Foles. Foles moves to the right and it goes directly to Clement and Clement reverses it and it goes into the end zone...AND IT'S A TOUCHDOWN BY NICK FOLES!"
Then, in the 4th quarter, Reese called the game's final play:
"Batted around...and incomplete! And the game is over! The game is over! The Philadelphia Eagles are Super Bowl champions. Eagles fans everywhere, this is for you. Let the celebration begin!”
Reese is co-owner of 1490 WBCB (AM) in Levittown, Pennsylvania, a Bucks County suburb north of Philadelphia.
Reese's autobiography, It's Gooooood!, was published in 1998. The title is a reference is to his distinctive and well recognized "field goal" call, which is usually delivered excitedly and at a high pitch that contrasts starkly with his usual baritone broadcasting voice.
His wife Cynthia was a former sixth grade science teacher at Keith Valley Middle School in Horsham, Pennsylvania, a Philadelphia suburb. His son Nolan has been an assistant editor of such films as Avatar, Iron Man 2 & The Muppets. His daughter Ida is a graphic designer.
Reese's mother was also a teacher at Robert E. Lamberton School in Overbrook Park, Philadelphia, where the Reeses lived in the 1960s. Her love of musical theater was passed onto many of her students.
In 2022, Reese provided vocals on the Christmas album A Philly Special Christmas .
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays its home games at Lincoln Financial Field in the South Philadelphia Sports Complex.
Michael Anthony Quick is an American color commentator and former football player. He played as a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) with the Philadelphia Eagles for nine seasons, from 1982 to 1990. Quick played college football for the NC State Wolfpack.
WIP-FM is a commercial radio station licensed to serve Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The station is owned by Audacy, Inc. and broadcasts a sports radio format. The WIP-FM offices and studios are co-located in Audacy's corporate headquarters in Center City, Philadelphia, and the broadcast tower used by the station is located in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia.
Ray Eugene Scott was an American sportscaster, best known for his broadcasts for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). His brother Hal Scott was also a sportscaster.
WTEL, branded "Philadelphia's BIN 610", is a commercial all-news AM radio station licensed to serve Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. While owned by the Beasley Broadcast Group, the station is currently operated by iHeartMedia, Inc. as part of their Philadelphia cluster under a long-term local marketing agreement. The station services the Greater Philadelphia and Delaware Valley area as the market affiliate of the Black Information Network.
Bill Campbell was a sportscaster in the Philadelphia area. He was born in the Logan section of North Philadelphia.
Robert “Bob” Perkins is an American retired radio personality who worked as a jazz program host and DJ in Philadelphia. His radio career began in 1964 in Detroit, Michigan. In 1969, Perkins began working for Philadelphia's WDAS, where he worked for 19 years before moving to WHYY in 1988. In 1997, he joined Temple University's WRTI Radio, where he worked until his retirement in 2023.
Isaiah "Ike" Reese is an American sports radio host and former professional football player. He played as a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL).
Ray Didinger is an American sportswriter, radio personality, sports commentator author and screenwriter.
Andrew J. Musser Jr. was an American sportscaster. He is best known for his time as a play-by-play announcer for Philadelphia Phillies baseball from 1976 to 2001.
The 2013 Philadelphia Eagles season was the franchise's 81st season in the National Football League (NFL), and the first under head coach Chip Kelly. The Eagles improved on their 4–12 record from 2012, finishing 10–6 and clinching the NFC East division title and the playoffs for the first time since 2010, but after a close game, they lost on a last-second field goal to the New Orleans Saints in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, by a score of 26–24. The season was noted for LeSean McCoy winning the NFL rushing title, and the extremely successful season by Nick Foles where he produced 27 touchdowns to only 2 interceptions. Foles also threw seven touchdowns against the Oakland Raiders, tying an NFL record for most touchdowns in a single game.
Super Bowl LII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2017 season. The National Football Conference (NFC) champion Philadelphia Eagles defeated the American Football Conference (AFC) and defending Super Bowl LI champion New England Patriots, 41–33, to win their first Super Bowl and their first NFL title since 1960, making the NFC East the first and currently only division where every team has won a Super Bowl. The game was played on February 4, 2018, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This was the second time that a Super Bowl was played in Minneapolis, the northernmost city to ever host the event, after Super Bowl XXVI at the Metrodome during the 1991 season. It was also the sixth Super Bowl held in a cold-weather city, although the stadium is indoors.
The 2017 Philadelphia Eagles season was the franchise's 85th season in the National Football League (NFL), their 15th playing their home games at Lincoln Financial Field and the second under head coach Doug Pederson. Philadelphia won its first-ever Super Bowl title, the franchise's first championship since 1960. They defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII.
The 2018 season was the Philadelphia Eagles' 86th season in the National Football League (NFL) and their third under head coach Doug Pederson.
The Philly Special, also known as Philly Philly, was an American football trick play between Philadelphia Eagles players Corey Clement, Trey Burton, and Nick Foles on fourth-down-and-goal toward the end of the second quarter of Super Bowl LII on February 4, 2018 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
The Double Doink was a game-ending field goal attempt by Chicago Bears kicker Cody Parkey in the National Football League (NFL)'s 2018 NFC Wild Card game. Parkey's failed 43-yard field goal attempt against the Philadelphia Eagles was partially blocked by Eagles defensive lineman Treyvon Hester, hit the left upright, then bounced off the crossbar, and finally fell back out onto the goal line finishing on the 3-yard line. The sixth-seeded, defending Super Bowl champion Eagles won the game over the third-seeded Bears, 16–15, at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois, and advanced to the Divisional Round of the playoffs.
Rickie Ricardo is a Spanish- and English-language sportscaster, talk show host, and voice-over actor. He calls games in Spanish for the New York Yankees, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Philadelphia Phillies. He also hosts programs related to these teams.
Joseph DeCamara is an American sports radio personality for 94.1 WIP in Philadelphia. He currently serves with Jon Ritchie as the host of the WIP Morning Show on the station. DeCamara previously worked as a host at WBCB 1490 and 97.5 The Fanatic, along with hosting nationally syndicated shows for ESPN Radio.
Charles A. Swift was an American sportscaster who was the play-play-play announcer for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1969 to 1977.