Marv Albert

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Marv Albert : biography

June 12, 1941 –

Popularity

Marv has gained credibility and popularity among younger television viewers during his many guest appearances on David Letterman’s late night talk shows for NBC and CBS. Each time Albert appears, he brings with him a group of clips featuring sports bloopers and outstanding plays, which he narrates and dubs the "Albert Achievement Awards." The music accompanying the bloopers is "12th Street Rag."

Albert was placed as number 14 on David J. Halberstam’s list of Top 50 All Time Network Television Sports Announcers on Yahoo! Sports.

In 1992, he appeared as himself on Roger Waters’s rock album Amused to Death, giving a mock commentary on the destruction of an oil rig on the song "Perfect Sense, Part II".

An "Albert Achievement Awards" video was released in 1993. It featured cameos by Mike Fratello, Ahmad Rashad, Charles Barkley, David Letterman, O.J. Simpson, Bob Costas, and Tom Brokaw.

Albert became first guest commentator in Celebrity Death Match cartoon series. He appeared in the pilot episode before being replaced with Stacey Cornbred.

Albert also appeared as a special guest on The Simpsons’ Season 20 episode The Burns and the Bees in 2008.

Albert’s voice is imitated in the popular video game NBA Jam. The announcer was modeled on Albert although there is no mention of Albert in the game and was actually voiced by Tim Kitzrow.

Albert did play by play commentary in a video game, Acclaim’s NFL Quarterback Club ’98.

Honors and awards

  • Cable ACE Award – six times.
  • Curt Gowdy Media Award – awarded by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, 1994.
  • American Sportscasters Association Sportscaster of the Year (Play-by-Play) – 1996. Other honorees included Sportscaster of the Year (Studio Host) Chris Berman, Hall of Fame inductee Jack Whitaker, Sports Legend Joe Frazier and Honorary Sportscaster Dr. Henry Kissinger. American Sportscasters Association
  • Emmy Award – for national sports: five times; for New York: three times.
  • Nassau County Sports Hall of Fame – inducted in 2006.
  • National Jewish Museum Sports Hall of Fame – inducted in 1992.
  • New York State Sportscaster of the Year – twenty times.