This Comeback Worth Voicing

It was less than five years ago that Marv Albert’s broadcasting career appeared over. Now he is in demand everywhere, picking up jobs left and right.

He may have worked his last NBA Finals, because ABC begins carrying them next year. But don’t feel sorry for him.

On Tuesday, Turner Broadcasting announced Albert would be TNT’s lead NBA play-by-play announcer next season, and as such he’ll be announcing the Western Conference finals.

On Thursday, Albert officially became Westwood One/CBS Radio’s play-by-play announcer for Monday night football, paired with Boomer Esiason.

Albert also announces about 55 New York Knick games a season for the Madison Square Garden Network.

It’s estimated the three jobs will pay him between $3.5 million and $3.8 million a year.

“I’m very fortunate,” Albert said Thursday.

That’s an understatement. His comeback may be one of the greatest in sports history.

It was in September 1997 that he was fired by NBC after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge three days into a trial filled with lurid allegations about his sex life. He was fired because he told his employers he was innocent.

He became the butt of jokes, and not only on late-night television.

These days, he’s the subject of glowing praise, particularly from television executives who hire him and revere him.

On Thursday, Joel Hollander, Westwood One president and chief executive, called Albert “one of the legendary voices in all of broadcasting.”

He said once it became apparent Albert was available, “It was an opportunity we could not pass up.”

Falling victim to Hollander’s eagerness to hire Albert was Howard David, one of the best football play-by-play announcers anywhere. Hollander said if Albert hadn’t been available, David would have been retained.

David was informed of the change last week. He said from his home in Boca Raton, Fla., that he didn’t see it coming.

On Tuesday, Mike Pearl, Turner Broadcasting’s executive producer, said, “If you were to blindfold somebody and turn on the television, if you were a broadcaster and there was one voice that you would want associated with your brand and for people to know that, ‘Hey that’s the NBA and in this case TNT,’ the voice you would want to hear is Marv Albert’s.

“In my day, when I listened to the news, there was a certain thing when you’d hear Walter Cronkite say something. It gave weight to it. When you hear Marv Albert call a game on television or radio, there is a certain weight to it. You don’t need anything else. It’s just hearing his voice that gives the importance to the event.”

But there’s more to Albert’s comeback than simply a distinctive voice and a professional style. There’s also a pleasing personality.

Mike Weisman, former NBC Sports executive producer who remains close to Albert, said, “He’s self-effacing and low key and that makes him very likable. Not only are people who work with Marv aware of that, but I also think the public senses it.”

Popular Analyst

One of the most popular analysts in sports television is NBC’s Johnny Miller, at least with the public. The key is his honest approach.

He talked about that this week from Farmingdale, N.Y., where he’s working the U.S. Open and also watching his son Andy compete.

Of his broadcasting style, Miller said, “The bottom line is that I was brought up with the adage to ‘be true to yourself.’ And be ‘true and honest.’ As an announcer, I try to be very observant with what is going on and I try to show the finite details that a lot of people do not see.”

Initially, that led to a bluntness that didn’t go over with everyone.

“I think the players are pretty much at ease with what I am doing now,” he said. “For a while they were not quite sure, and there may have been somewhat of a shock factor because before I came on the scene I think there was a softer approach to the

game.

“I am trying to be very honest from a pro’s eyes. I am not trying to cover up anything, like saying a wedge shot is a ‘great shot’ when it is 20 feet from the hole. I am willing to talk about a shot even though a player might wish that I ignored or forgot about it.”

Injustices

With New York Yankee pitcher Roger Clemens scheduled to bat against the New York Mets on Saturday, that’s the game most people want to see. But Fox, with its regional coverage, is giving the West Coast Oakland at San Francisco.

Maybe it’s time for Fox to go with a national game of the week, plus a backup game in case of a rainout. That’s the way it was in the old days.

One incentive for Fox: lower production costs.

Meanwhile, English soccer fans were hoping to see live English-language coverage of their team’s World Cup game against Denmark at 4:30 a.m. Saturday. But ABC has taken that game away from ESPN and will show it at 12:30 p.m.

At least ESPN planned to show U.S.-Poland live at 4:30 this morning. ABC will replay that game Saturday at 10 a.m.

Ratings Game

The NBA Finals may have been a ratings bust, but that wasn’t the case with NBC’s Triple Crown coverage. Saturday’s Belmont Stakes got a national rating and share of 7.6/21, the highest since 1989, and it pushed the three-race average to 6.8/18, the highest since ABC averaged a 7.5/21 in 1990.

ABC has been getting decent ratings for the Stanley Cup finals--a 3.3 for Saturday’s Game 3 marathon and a 3.5 for Monday’s Game 4. The 3.5 is a 52% increase over the 2.3 for Game 4 last year.... When it comes to impressive ratings, the 9.0 Channel 34 got in L.A. for Saturday’s Mexico-Ecuador World Cup game is amazing. The game was on at 11:30 p.m., resulting in a 32% share of the L.A. television audience at the time.... The 1.62 national rating for Sunday night’s U.S.-South Korea World Cup game made it the most-watched soccer game ever on ESPN.

Short Waves

CBS has landed Coca-Cola as a sponsor for 22 NCAA championships, including basketball. The 11-year deal has a value in excess of $500 million.... The Dodgers and Spanish- language station KWKW (1330) have reached a new five-year agreement in which the Dodgers control all sales and marketing efforts.... Where’s Andres Cantor? His famous “goooooooal” call is only heard on radio--KWKW in L.A.--during the World Cup. That’s because he left Univision, which owns U.S. Spanish-language broadcast rights, for Telemundo two years ago, and is calling games for the Futbol de Primera radio network. Cantor, from Southern California, is one of the founders of the network.... “World Soccer Weekly,” with Steven Cohen and Nicholas Geber, which has been on KXTA (1150) Saturdays, 7-8 a.m., has moved to KMPC (1540), where it will be heard Sundays, 7-9 a.m. And there are plans to expand to show to Sporting News radio affiliates in New York and Chicago.

Recommended viewing: Sammy Sosa, whose story is one of the most uplifting ever in baseball, is featured in “Beyond the Glory” on Fox Sports Net Sunday at 8 p.m.... “Arli$$,” featuring Robert Wuhl as a sports agent, begins a new season on HBO Sunday at 9:30 p.m. A guest star on the first episode is James Coburn, who plays a crotchety baseball legend. The case of troubled Southland prep basketball star DeAngelo Collins will be examined on “Outside the Lines” Sunday on ESPN at 7:30 a.m. and ESPN2 at 10:30 a.m.... Fox Sports Net 2’s “Sports Roundtable,” which made its debut in 1997, celebrates its 200th episode Monday at 9 p.m. Versatile Bill Macdonald has been the show’s only host.

In Closing

Barry Bonds, a guest on HBO’s “On the Record With Bob Costas” Thursday night, said he has never used steroids.

Asked by Costas if he ever would consider it, Bonds said: “No, I don’t have to. I’m a good enough ballplayer as it is. I don’t need to be any better.”