MSG plays hardball, Marv gone
Wednesday, June 16, 2004
FROM NEWS SERVICE REPORTS
Marv Albert, the voice of the Knicks for most of four decades, is leaving Madison Square Garden Networks, the cable television group said.
His contract was to expire at the end of next month and Newsday reported sources saying money and MSG's desire to limit Albert's criticism of its teams as reasons for his departure.
"We were unable to come to an agreement," Albert told the paper. "I felt it was time to go in a different direction."
"It's a mutual parting of the ways," MSG Networks spokesman Eric Gelfand said.
Albert's representatives have made an inquiry about calling Nets' games for the YES Network and they've fielded calls from the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat, sources told Newsday.
Mike Breen, the Knicks' radio voice, reportedly is the favorite to slide into the team's television booth.
Albert, whose trademark "Yes!" when a basket is scored is one of sportscasting's best-known calls, also does play-by-play for NBA games on TNT and Monday Night Football for Westwood One radio.
Albert, 63, has done play-by-play for MSG's Knick telecasts alongside analyst Walt Frazier since 2000, and has hosted the network's nightly news show, "SportsDesk."
He returned to the cable network in July 1998, nine months after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge after a trial that that included lurid testimony about his sex life. He received a suspended 12-month prison sentence.
Albert started doing Knicks' radio broadcasts in 1963 and moved to TV for the team's road games in 1979. From 1986-97, he was the Knicks' full-time TV voice, teaming with John Andariese. He also was the longtime radio voice of the Rangers until 1989.
Wednesday, June 16, 2004
FROM NEWS SERVICE REPORTS
Marv Albert, the voice of the Knicks for most of four decades, is leaving Madison Square Garden Networks, the cable television group said.
His contract was to expire at the end of next month and Newsday reported sources saying money and MSG's desire to limit Albert's criticism of its teams as reasons for his departure.
"We were unable to come to an agreement," Albert told the paper. "I felt it was time to go in a different direction."
"It's a mutual parting of the ways," MSG Networks spokesman Eric Gelfand said.
Albert's representatives have made an inquiry about calling Nets' games for the YES Network and they've fielded calls from the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat, sources told Newsday.
Mike Breen, the Knicks' radio voice, reportedly is the favorite to slide into the team's television booth.
Albert, whose trademark "Yes!" when a basket is scored is one of sportscasting's best-known calls, also does play-by-play for NBA games on TNT and Monday Night Football for Westwood One radio.
Albert, 63, has done play-by-play for MSG's Knick telecasts alongside analyst Walt Frazier since 2000, and has hosted the network's nightly news show, "SportsDesk."
He returned to the cable network in July 1998, nine months after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge after a trial that that included lurid testimony about his sex life. He received a suspended 12-month prison sentence.
Albert started doing Knicks' radio broadcasts in 1963 and moved to TV for the team's road games in 1979. From 1986-97, he was the Knicks' full-time TV voice, teaming with John Andariese. He also was the longtime radio voice of the Rangers until 1989.
