View source for Kenny Albert

{{short description|American sportscaster}}
{{Infobox person
| image       = Kenny Albert 2015.jpg
| image_size  =
| caption     = Albert in 2015
| birth_name  = Kenneth Gary Albert
| birth_date  = {{birth date and age|1968|2|2}}
| birth_place = [[New York City]], U.S.
| death_date  = 
| death_place =
| years_active = 1990–present
| parents      = [[Marv Albert]]<br />Benita Oberlander
| relatives    = [[Al Albert (sportscaster)|Al Albert]] (uncle)<br />[[Steve Albert]] (uncle)
| website      =
| spouse       = Barbara Wolf (m.1996)
| children     = 2
| module      = {{Infobox sports announcer details
 | genre = [[Play-by-play]]
 | sport = [[National Football League|NFL]], [[National Basketball Association|NBA]], [[Major League Baseball|MLB]], [[National Hockey League|NHL]]
 }}
}}

'''Kenneth Gary Albert'''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.si.com/vault/1992/11/02/127466/born-to-the-booth-holy-cow-the-example-set-by-the-carays-and----yes----the-alberts-is-being-followed-by-other-gabby-clans-as-sports-broadcasting-becomes-more-and-more-a-family-business|title = Born to the Booth}}</ref> (born February 2, 1968) is an American [[sportscaster]], the son of [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] sportscaster [[Marv Albert]] and nephew of sportscasters [[Al Albert (sportscaster)|Al Albert]] and [[Steve Albert]]. He is the only sportscaster who currently does play-by-play for all four major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada ([[National Football League|NFL]], [[National Basketball Association|NBA]], [[Major League Baseball|MLB]], [[National Hockey League|NHL]]).

==Early life==
Albert's parents gave him a [[tape recorder]] for his fifth birthday to practice his broadcasting.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlny/like-father-like-son-kenny-albert-talks-about-growing-up-with-legendary-dad_b56137|title=New York Media Jobs - Jobs in NYC|website=www.mediabistro.com|access-date=1 April 2018}}</ref> On his sixth birthday in [[1974–75 New York Rangers season|1974]], his father took him along to a [[New York Rangers]] game. One of the statisticians had to leave in the middle of the game, so Albert got to do the stats for the rest of the game. At 14, he became the official statistician for the Rangers on the radio. At 16, he wrote content for the Rangers program. Aside from his [[Marv Albert|father]], his idol was [[Vancouver Canucks]] play-by-play broadcaster [[Jim Robson]]. From 1981 to 1986, Albert, growing up in [[Sands Point, New York|Sands Point]], covered high school sports for the ''Port Washington News''<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20101019041635/http://antonnews.com/portwashingtonnews.html Port Washington News]</ref> at Paul D. Schreiber High School, an [[Anton Community Newspapers]] publication.<ref>[http://www.antonnews.com/hicksvilleillustratednews/news/11640-the-voice-of-a-generation-rangers-kenny-albert.html The Voice of a Generation: Rangers’ Kenny Albert] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101114112533/http://antonnews.com/hicksvilleillustratednews/news/11640-the-voice-of-a-generation-rangers-kenny-albert.html |date=2010-11-14 }}. Antonnews.com (2010-11-12). Retrieved on 2011-01-08.</ref>

Albert graduated from [[New York University]]<ref name="nytimes1996">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/08/11/style/kenny-albert-barbara-r-wolf.html|title=Kenny Albert, Barbara R. Wolf|newspaper=The New York Times|date=11 August 1996|access-date=1 April 2018}}</ref> in 1990<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web |url=http://preview.msg.com/television/kenny-albert.html |title=MSG.com - Kenny Albert |access-date=2012-05-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120720161633/http://preview.msg.com/television/kenny-albert.html |archive-date=2012-07-20 }}</ref> with a degree in broadcasting and journalism. He was a member of the [[Sigma Phi Epsilon]] fraternity. Albert worked in the sports department at [[WNYU]] radio. While working there he was able to pick up his quick responses while announcing local games.

==Broadcasting career==
Albert is the primary radio and occasional TV voice of the New York Rangers, as well as a [[play-by-play]] announcer and field-level reporter for [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]'s coverage of [[Major League Baseball on Fox|Major League Baseball]],<ref name="nytimes1996"/> the [[NFL on Fox|National Football League]],<ref name="nytimes1996"/> and previously, the [[Sugar Bowl]]. 

Previously, Albert was the radio broadcaster for the [[American Hockey League]]'s [[Baltimore Skipjacks]] from 1990 to 1992. He later handled TV play-by-play for the [[Washington Capitals]] and [[Washington Bullets]] (now the Washington Wizards), and was a part-time announcer on [[Washington Nationals]] telecasts in [[2005 Washington Nationals season|2005]]. Additionally, he does TV play-by-play for the [[Washington Commanders]] (formerly the Washington Redskins) preseason games with [[Joe Theismann]].{{cn|date=June 2024}} Albert called the international broadcast of [[Super Bowl XLVI]] with Theismann.

When Fox had the network contract for the [[National Hockey League]] in the 1990s, Albert also worked on ''[[NHL on Fox|Fox NHL Saturday]]'' telecasts. Albert previously did play-by-play for the ''[[NHL on NBC]]'' and formerly with [[NHL on Versus|Versus]] (now called NBCSN). Albert called Game 1 of the [[2014 Stanley Cup Finals]] for NBC, filling in for [[Mike Emrick]], who was dealing with a death in the family.<ref>{{cite tweet|user=NBCSportsPR|author=NBC Sports PR|number=473322719812288512|date=2 June 2014|title=@KennyAlbert will call Gm 1 of Stanley Cup Final on Wed on NBC. Doc Emrick is dealing w a death in the family. He will return for Games 2-7}}</ref> He has done work for [[NBC]]'s [[Olympic Games|Olympics]] [[NBC Olympic broadcasts|coverage]], as a play-by-play announcer for men's and women's [[ice hockey]] at every [[Winter Olympic Games]] since [[Salt Lake City]] in [[2002 Winter Olympics|2002]].

Albert has also done [[college basketball]] for [[ESPN|ESPN Plus]] and is a substitute play-by-play announcer for televised [[New York Knicks]] games on [[MSG (TV network)|MSG Network]].<ref name="autogenerated1" /> For the 2011 playoffs, Albert broadcast for two playoff teams in the same market, doing the play-by-play for the New York Rangers on [[WEPN (AM)|WEPN]] 1050 ESPN radio and filling in on MSG Network doing play-by-play for the New York Knicks.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.timesunion.com/sportsmedia/monroe-king-added-to-knicks-playoff-studio-team/6596/|title=Monroe, King added to Knicks' playoff studio team|date=12 April 2011|website=timesunion.com|access-date=1 April 2018}}</ref>

Albert was the play-by-play announcer for the [[2015 American League Division Series]] between the [[2015 Texas Rangers season|Texas Rangers]] and the [[2015 Toronto Blue Jays season|Toronto Blue Jays]]. In the top of the 7th inning of Game 5, he helped explain the rule regarding the errant throw by Toronto Blue Jays catcher [[Russell Martin (baseball)|Russell Martin]], which resulted in Texas scoring the go-ahead run. In the bottom of the inning, he called [[José Bautista|Jose Bautista]]'s [[José Bautista's bat flip|go-ahead home run]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UdsVO7HaJg| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211118/-UdsVO7HaJg| archive-date=2021-11-18 | url-status=live|title=Jose Bautista hammers go-ahead three-run shot in ALDS Game 5, delivers epic bat flip|last=MLB|date=14 October 2015|access-date=1 April 2018|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

In 2016, Albert was nominated for the [[Sports Emmy Award]] for [[Outstanding Sports Personality, Play-by-Play]] in a list that included fellow Fox and NBC colleagues [[Kevin Burkhardt]], eventual winner Mike Emrick, and even his own father.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prnewschannel.com/2016/04/04/nbc-sports-group-garners-28-sports-emmy-award-nominations/|title=NBC Sports Group Garners 28 Sports Emmy Award Nominations - #PRNC|website=www.prnewschannel.com|date=4 April 2016 |access-date=1 April 2018}}</ref>

After Emrick's retirement, Albert became NBC's lead play-by-play announcer for the [[2020–21 NHL season]], paired with Emrick's long-time partner [[Eddie Olczyk]], having previously filled in for Emrick in game one of the [[2014 Stanley Cup Finals]] due to a death in the latter's family.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2014-06-02|title=NEW YORK RANGERS FACE LOS ANGELES KINGS IN STANLEY CUP FINAL – GAME 1 WEDNESDAY AT 8 P.M. ET ON NBC|url=https://nbcsportsgrouppressbox.com/2014/06/02/new-york-rangers-face-los-angeles-kings-in-stanley-cup-final-game-1-wednesday-at-8-p-m-et-on-nbc/|access-date=2021-07-02|website=NBCSportsGroupPressbox.com|publisher=NBC Universal|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|first=Pete|last=Dougherty|date=2014-06-04|title=Albert to fill in for Emrick on Game 1 of Stanley Cup Final|url=https://blog.timesunion.com/sportsmedia/albert-to-fill-in-for-emrick-on-game-1-of-stanley-cup-final/14977/|access-date=2021-07-02|website=blog.timesunion.com|publisher=Hearst|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-07|title=TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING LOOK TO WIN THE STANLEY CUP TONIGHT AT 8 P.M. ET ON NBC AND PEACOCK|url=https://nbcsportsgrouppressbox.com/2021/07/07/tampa-bay-lightning-look-to-win-the-stanley-cup-tonight-at-8-p-m-et-on-nbc-and-peacock/|access-date=2021-07-13|website=NBC Sports Pressbox|language=en}}</ref> With NBC losing its NHL rights starting in the [[2021–22 NHL season|2021–22 season]], the pair moved to [[NHL on TNT|Turner Sports]] to serve in the same capacity.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gretzky joins Turner Sports as NHL studio analyst |url=https://www.nhl.com/news/wayne-gretzky-joins-turner-sports-as-nhl-studio-analyst/c-325009610 |access-date=2022-08-29 |website=NHL.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Chiari |first1=Mike |title=Wayne Gretzky, Kenny Albert, Eddie Olczyk Join Turner Sports' NHL Coverage Team |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10003820-wayne-gretzky-kenny-albert-eddie-olczyk-join-turner-sports-nhl-coverage-team |website=Bleacher Report |publisher=Turner Sports}}</ref>

Albert is a frequent guest on WNYU-FM's sports talk program, ''The Cheap Seats''. He has also made many appearances on the popular New York sports internet radio show ''Sports Heaven with Mark and Evan''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.longislandexchange.com/press/2009/01/20/kenny-albert-joins-sports-heaven/ |title=Long Island News - Kenny Albert Joins Sports Heaven &#124; Long Island Exchange |website=www.longislandexchange.com |access-date=22 May 2022 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120907043559/http://www.longislandexchange.com/press/2009/01/20/kenny-albert-joins-sports-heaven/ |archive-date=7 September 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Four sports in four days===
On October 25, 2009, Albert called the play-by-play of the [[2009 Minnesota Vikings season|Minnesota Vikings]] – [[2009 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Pittsburgh Steelers]] NFL game for Fox and then hosted the [[2009 New York Yankees season|New York Yankees]]' locker room celebration after clinching the [[2009 American League Championship Series|American League Championship Series]] that night. The following night he broadcast a Rangers game on radio, and on October 28, he called the play-by-play of the New York Knicks season opener on MSG Network.<ref>[http://www.newsday.com/blogs/sports/watchdog-1.812020/kenny-albert-wins-travel-trophy-1.1558909 Kenny Albert wins travel trophy]. Newsday.com (2009-11-01). Retrieved on 2011-01-08.</ref>

==Personal life==
Albert currently resides in New Jersey with his wife of 20 years, Barbara (Wolf), and their two daughters, Amanda and Sydney. Albert was introduced to his wife by close friend and [[Baltimore]] sports reporter, Jerry Coleman.<ref name="FOX bio">{{cite web|url=https://www.foxsports.com/personalities/kenny-albert/bio|title=Kenny Albert bio - Fox Sports |website=Fox Sports|access-date=23 June 2023}}</ref>
 
Albert has frequently cited his love of all sports, but mainly hockey and basketball. He has cited baseball as the hardest sport to commentate.<ref name="FOX bio" />

Kenny Albert released his first book, an autobiography entitled "A Mic For All Seasons", on October 10, 2023, with Triumph Publishing. The book documents his 30 years of broadcasting, citing stories about his career rise, relationships with broadcasters and athletes, and his family.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scatteredbooks.com/book-reviews/a-mic-for-all-seasons-by-kenny-albert/|title=A Mic For All Seasons Reviewed|website=www.scatteredbooks.com|access-date=9 February 2023}}</ref>

==Career timeline==
*1990–1992: [[Baltimore Skipjacks]] – play-by-play<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.msg.com/television/kenny-albert.html|title=MSG.com – Kenny Albert<!-- Bot generated title -->|website=msg.com|access-date=1 April 2018}}</ref>
*1992–1995: [[Washington Capitals]] – play-by-play on [[NBC Sports Washington]]
*1993–1994: ''[[ESPN National Hockey Night|NHL on ESPN2]]'' – play-by-play
*1994–1995, 2016–2020: [[NHL Radio]] – lead play-by-play
*1994–present: ''[[NFL on Fox]]'' – play-by-play 
*1995–1999: ''[[NHL on Fox]]'' – play-by-play<ref name="autogenerated1"/>
*1995–present: [[New York Rangers]] – radio play-by-play<ref name="autogenerated1"/>
*1999–2000: ''NTRA on Fox'' – host
*2001–2019, 2022–present: ''[[Major League Baseball on Fox]]'' – play-by-play
*2002: [[2002 Winter Olympics|Winter Olympics]] – hockey play-by-play
*2005: [[Washington Nationals]] – fill-in television play-by-play
*2005–2006: ''[[NHL on Versus]]'' – play-by-play
*2006: [[2006 Winter Olympics|Winter Olympics]] – hockey play-by-play
*2007–2009: [[Sugar Bowl]] – play-by-play
*2009–present: [[New York Knicks]] – fill-in television play-by-play
*2010: [[2010 Winter Olympics|Winter Olympics]] – hockey play-by-play
*2010–2023: [[Washington Commanders|Washington Redskins/Commanders]] Broadcast Network – preseason play-by-play
*2011: ''[[NHL on Versus]]'' – playoffs play-by-play
*2012–2021: ''[[NHL on NBC]] –'' secondary play-by-play and then lead play-by-play
*2014: [[2014 Winter Olympics|Winter Olympics]] – hockey play-by-play
*2016: [[2016 Summer Olympics|Summer Olympics]] – track and field play-by-play
*2018: [[2018 Winter Olympics|Winter Olympics]] – hockey play-by-play
*2021: [[2020 Summer Olympics|Summer Olympics]] - baseball and volleyball play-by-play
*2021–present: ''[[NHL on TNT]]'' - Lead play-by-play
*2022: [[2022 Winter Olympics|Winter Olympics]] - hockey play-by-play
*2024: [[2024 Summer Olympics]] - Water polo play-by-play<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-07-23 |title=Here are the commentators for the 2024 Paris Olympics |url=https://www.9news.com/article/sports/olympics/2024-paris-olympics-paris-comentators/73-ebd1d8e7-019d-4a05-9a77-1934f55d2c01 |access-date=2024-08-17 |website=KUSA.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Books==
* {{cite book |first1=Kenny |last1=Albert |title=A Mic for All Seasons |publisher=Triumph Books |date=October 10, 2023 |isbn=9781637272176}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Navboxes|list1=
{{New York Rangers}}
{{Major League Baseball on Fox}}
{{NHL on Fox}}
{{NHL on Versus}}
{{NFL on Fox}}
{{NHL Radio}}
{{NHL on NBC}}
{{NHL on TNT}}
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{{succession box|before=[[Mike Emrick]]| title=[[Stanley Cup Finals]] [[List of Stanley Cup Finals broadcasters|American]]network television play-by-play announcer | years=[[2014 Stanley Cup Finals|2014]] <small>(with Mike Emrick; Albert called Game 1)</small><br />[[2021 Stanley Cup Finals|2021]]-present<br />(alternating with [[NHL on ABC|ABC]]'s [[Sean McDonough]] in odd numbered years beginning in [[2022 Stanley Cup Finals|2022]]) | after=[[Mike Emrick]]<br />Incumbent}}
{{s-end}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Albert, Kenny}}
[[Category:1968 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century American Jews]]
[[Category:21st-century American Jews]]
[[Category:American Hockey League broadcasters]]
[[Category:American horse racing announcers]]
[[Category:American radio sports announcers]]
[[Category:American television sports announcers]]
[[Category:College basketball announcers in the United States]]
[[Category:College football announcers]]
[[Category:High school basketball announcers in the United States]]
[[Category:Jewish American sports announcers]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball broadcasters]]
[[Category:MSG Network people]]
[[Category:NBA broadcasters]]
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[[Category:National Hockey League broadcasters]]
[[Category:New York Knicks announcers]]
[[Category:New York Rangers announcers]]
[[Category:New York University College of Arts & Science alumni]]
[[Category:Olympic Games broadcasters]]
[[Category:Paul D. Schreiber Senior High School alumni]]
[[Category:Washington Bullets announcers]]
[[Category:Washington Capitals announcers]]
[[Category:Washington Nationals announcers]]
[[Category:Women's National Basketball Association announcers]]