Verne Lundquist | |
|---|---|
 Lundquist at the 2009 NCAA tournament. | |
| Born | Merton Laverne Lundquist Jr. July 17, 1940 Duluth, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Other names | The Golden Throat |
| Sports commentary career | |
| Genre | Play-by-play |
| Sports | |
Merton Laverne Lundquist Jr. (born July 17, 1940) is an American former sportscaster known for his long career with CBS Sports.
Lundquist was born in Duluth, Minnesota. [1] He graduated from Austin High School in Austin, Texas, [2] before attending Texas Lutheran University (formerly Texas Lutheran College), where he was one of the founders of the Omega Tau Fraternity in 1958 before graduating in 1962. [3] He is a former member of the Board of Regents for his alma mater. [4]
Lundquist attended Augustana Seminary in Rock Island, Illinois, in 1962. His father was a Lutheran pastor and President of the Texas Synod of the Augustana Lutheran Church. [5] Lundquist was a disc jockey at WOC, Davenport, Iowa. [6] His 'Golden Voice' was the highlight of the seminary class on preaching.
He began his broadcasting career as sports anchor in Austin for KTBC, [7] moved from there to WFAA in Dallas where he also became the radio voice of the Dallas Cowboys. Lundquist joined the Cowboys Radio Network in 1967 [8] and remained with the team until the 1984 season. He was paired with future (and now current) play-by-play man Brad Sham starting with the 1977 season, the year Dallas went 12–2 and captured their second NFL title in Super Bowl XII. [9] He was sportscaster at WFAA during their 6pm news, while his eventual successor Dale Hansen did the 10pm news. [10]
Before becoming a nationwide sports commentator, from 1970 to 1974, Lundquist was announcer for the sports show, Bowling for Dollars , in Dallas, Texas. It aired weekday evenings on the ABC station, WFAA-TV, from 6:30 to 7:00, in north central Texas. [11] During these four seasons, Lundquist started interviewing Cowboys players and their first head coach, Tom Landry, at their sidelines, during halftimes, practices, pre-season and pre-game warm-ups in Dallas. [12]
Nationally, Lundquist worked for ABC Sports from 1974 to 1981, CBS from 1982 to 1995 and TNT cable from 1995 to 1997 before returning to CBS in 1998. [13] Lundquist's patented belly laugh and contagious enthusiasm for the events he covers have made him one of the more prominent and recognizable on-air talents on network TV. [14]
Lundquist is among the key voices of NFL Films and in past years had called regional NFL games for CBS, NBA games for CBS and TNT and TNT's Sunday Night Football telecasts. [15] He called television play-by-play on Seattle Seahawks preseason games from 2006 to 2008. [16]
During the 1992, 1994 and 1998 Winter Olympics, whose rights were held by CBS and TNT, Lundquist and Scott Hamilton served as the announcers for figure skating events. [17] Their performances were parodied by Saturday Night Live cast members Phil Hartman and Darrell Hammond (as Lundquist) with Dana Carvey, David Spade and Will Ferrell (both as Hamilton): in 1992 with Jason Priestley and 1994 with Nancy Kerrigan and Chris Farley. They did a spoof of the Olympics figure skating events as both Hartman and Myers went "Oh!" when Priestly or Farley (in a pre-recorded performance) did an on-ice pratfall. Lundquist, after seeing the original footage in 1992, commented that Hartman "nailed it dead on." [18]
Lundquist filled in for Ernie Johnson Jr. as host of TNT's coverage of the PGA Championship twice, in 2006 as Johnson was battling cancer and in 2011 when Johnson left after the second round following the death of his father on that Friday night. [19]
After his return to CBS, Lundquist served as the long-time lead play-by-play announcer for CBS Sports’ coverage of college football on the SEC on CBS from 2000 to 2016. [20]
Lundquist retired from broadcasting college football games after calling the Army–Navy Game on December 10, 2016. [21] He planned to contribute to other CBS Sports programs, including its college basketball and golf coverage, for the foreseeable future. [22]
In March 2018, Lundquist announced he would not work the 2018 NCAA men's basketball tournament and would retire from calling college basketball. [23]
Despite his retirement from announcing college football and basketball, Lundquist remained active as a commentator, continuing to call golf for CBS Sports. [24] Lundquist continued calling the PGA Championship for CBS through 2021, and the Masters Tournament through 2024. [25] [26]
On February 14, 2024, CBS announced that the 2024 Masters would be Lundquist's final broadcast, marking his 40th year covering the event for CBS. [27]
Currently, Lundquist resides in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. [28]
Lundquist played himself commentating on golf tournaments in the 1996 motion picture Happy Gilmore . [29]
Lundquist was a play-by-play announcer in the NBA Live 98 video game [30] and was also the play-by-play announcer in the College Hoops 2K8 video game. [31]
A famous pet phrase Lundquist used on occasion is "How do you DO!"; on a huge offensive or defensive play, a phrase he took from USC football broadcaster Pete Arbogast (who in turn took the phrase from venerable broadcaster Vin Scully). [32]
Bless his heart, he's got to be the sickest man in America! [33]
Maybe...YES, SIR! [34]
There's the pass to Laettner...puts it up...YES!!! [35]
Well, this bizarre real life movie continues. [36]
Here it comes...Oh, my goodness!...OH, WOW!! IN YOUR LIFE, have you seen anything like that? [37]
By George, the dream is alive! [36]
Blocked! It is blocked! Jarvis Moss...AGAIN! [38]
Snap from Patrick Lewis … 4-man Alabama rush … got him … no, they didn't. Oh, my GRACIOUS! HOW ABOUT THAT!? [39]
Fourth-and-18 … lets it GO … OH MY GOSH! OH MY GOSH! OH NO! Ricardo Louis! Talk about a Hail Mary. [40]
On the way … No, returned by Chris Davis. Davis goes left. Davis gets a block. Davis has another block! Chris Davis! No flags! Touchdown, Auburn! An answered prayer! [41]
Dobbs heaves it. They're bunched up in the end zone. It's tipped up. It's caught! It is caught! Jauan Jennings! Jauan Jennings! [36]
I am compelled to say...Oh my goodness. [42]
Well well! Oh my GRACIOUS! [43]
It’s my honor, my privilege. [44]
At the 2005 Sun Bowl, Lundquist was inducted into the Sun Bowl Hall of Fame along with former UCLA Bruins football coach Terry Donahue. [45] [46]
From 1977 to 1983, the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association named Lundquist as Texas Sportscaster of the Year for his accomplishments from his time in Dallas. The organization later inducted him into its Hall of Fame in 2007. [47]
In broadcasting circles, Lundquist is affectionately known as "The Golden Throat". [48]
In May 2012, Lundquist delivered the commencement address at Hampden–Sydney College, an honor he calls "one of the true achievements of my lifetime." [49]
Lundquist is on the board of directors of the summer music festival, Strings Music Festival in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. [50]
On October 22, 2016, Lundquist was a Celebrity Guest Picker on College GameDay on ESPN. [51]
Lundquist has had many broadcasting partners over his long career, including:
George Allen "Pat" Summerall was an American professional 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. His daughter Susie Wiles is President Donald Trump’s chief of staff.
James William Nantz III is an American sportscaster who has worked on telecasts of the National Football League (NFL), NCAA Division I men's basketball, the NBA, and the PGA Tour for CBS Sports since the 1980s. He has anchored CBS's coverage of the Masters Tournament since 1989 and been the lead play-by-play announcer on CBS's NFL coverage since 2004. He was also the lead broadcaster for the NCAA men's basketball tournament from 1990 to 2023.
College Football on CBS Sports is the blanket title used for broadcasts of college football games that are produced by CBS Sports, for CBS and CBS Sports Network.
Brad Michael Sham is an American sportscaster who is known as the "Voice of the Dallas Cowboys". Sham is currently the play-by-play announcer on the Dallas Cowboys Radio Network.
The 1991 Chicago Bears season was their 72nd regular season and 21st postseason completed in the National Football League (NFL). The Bears returned to the playoffs for a second consecutive season as one of three NFC Wild Cards, finishing with an 11–5 record and in second place in the NFC Central. They were beaten 17–13 by the Dallas Cowboys in their first playoff game. This was Mike Ditka's last playoff game as a head coach.
Frank John Glieber was a versatile American sportscaster known primarily for his play-by-play commentary on NFL telecasts for CBS Sports. Along the way, he served as a mentor to several athletes and coaches who made the transition to the broadcast booth, a list that included Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Joe Greene, Oakland Raiders head coach John Madden and Philadelphia Eagles head coach Dick Vermeil among others.
The 1988 Dallas Cowboys season was the franchise's 29th season in the National Football League. The team failed to improve on their 7–8 record from 1987, finishing at 3–13 and missing the playoffs for a third consecutive season. The 3–13 record in the 1988 season was the Cowboys' second worst season to that point in team history, surpassed only by its winless inaugural season in 1960.
Carter Blackburn is an American sportscaster. He currently works for CBS Sports after leaving ESPN in 2014.
The 1991 New York Giants season was the franchise's 67th season in the National Football League (NFL). The Giants entered the season as the defending Super Bowl champion but failed to qualify for the playoffs. They were the eighth team in NFL history to enter a season as the defending Super Bowl champion and miss the playoffs, and became the first organization in NFL history to do so twice.
The 1992 New York Giants season was the franchise's 68th season in the National Football League. The Giants finished in fourth place in the National Football Conference East Division with a 6–10 record. Head coach Ray Handley was fired after this season, when the Giants lost six of seven games, after starting the season at 5–4.
The 2009 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2009 college football season. The Gators competed in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and played their home games at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on the university's Gainesville, Florida campus. They were led by fifth-year head coach Urban Meyer, who coached the Gators to a first-place finish in the SEC East, a 51–24 Sugar Bowl victory over the Cincinnati Bearcats, and an overall win–loss record of 13–1 (.929).
The Kick Six was the final play of the 78th Iron Bowl college football game played on November 30, 2013, at Jordan–Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama. The game featured the No. 1–ranked and two-time defending national champion Alabama Crimson Tide as a 10-point favorite over the No. 4-ranked Auburn Tigers. The game had significant postseason implications, with both teams ranked in the top 5 and a berth to the SEC Championship Game and, potentially, the BCS National Championship Game, at stake.
The 2014 Ole Miss Rebels football team represented the University of Mississippi in the 2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Hugh Freeze, in his third season with Ole Miss. The Rebels played their home games at Vaught–Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi, and competed in the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
The 2015 Auburn Tigers football team represented Auburn University in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Tigers played their home games at Jordan–Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama and competed in the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by third-year head coach Gus Malzahn. They finished the season 7–6, 2–6 in SEC play to finish in last place in the Western Division. They were invited to the Birmingham Bowl where they defeated Memphis.
The 2015 Ole Miss Rebels football team represented the University of Mississippi in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Rebels played their home games at Vaught–Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi and competed in the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by fourth-year head coach Hugh Freeze.
The 2015 LSU Tigers football team represented Louisiana State University as a member of the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) during the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by 11th-year head coach Les Miles, the Tigers finished the season with an overall record of 9–3 and mark of 5–3 in conference play, tying for third place in the SEC's Western Division. LSU was invited to the Texas Tech, where the Tigers defeated Texas Tech. The team played home games Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
The 2015 Georgia Bulldogs football team represented the University of Georgia in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Bulldogs played their home games at Sanford Stadium. They were members of the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference. This was head coach Mark Richt's 15th and final season leading the program. Richt was relieved of his duties at the end of the regular season. Richt was originally slated to remain head coach for the team's bowl game, but he was replaced after he reached an agreement to become head coach of the Miami Hurricanes football team. Wide receivers coach Bryan McClendon was named interim head coach for the TaxSlayer Bowl against Penn State.
The 2016 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama in the 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season. This season marked the Crimson Tide's 122nd overall season, 83rd as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and its 25th within the SEC Western Division. They played their home games at Bryant–Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and were led by tenth year head coach Nick Saban. They finished the season 14–1, were SEC champions and advanced to the College Football Playoff National Championship game, for the second consecutive year, where they were defeated by Clemson.
The 2016 Texas A&M Aggies football team represented Texas A&M University in the 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Aggies played their home games at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas and competed in the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by fifth-year head coach Kevin Sumlin. They finished the season 8–5, 4–4 in SEC play to finish in fourth place in the Western Division. They were invited to the Texas Bowl where they lost to Kansas State.