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CBS
Names Its Team
AQB Previews 27 Announcers Who Will Cover 64 Teams.
By
George Stahl and Randy
Williams
NEW YORK (AQB)--Plenty
of resources offer facts, trivia and scouting reports on the 64
schools that make the NCAA Tournament, but few offer information
on the most important teams during March Madness - CBS' announcing
crews.
Below
you will find background, trivia and the skinny on each of the 27
announcers CBS will use throughout the tournment. The 27 broadcasters
are comprised of eight three-person game teams, the network's two-man
studio and Dean Smith, who will join the studio crew during the
Final Four.
Jim
Nantz, Billy Packer & Bonnie Bornstein
Midwest Regional Finals in St. Louis - Friday/Sunday
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Jim
Nantz
Jim Nantz,
voice of CBS Sports and recently named Sportscaster of the
Year, has played a major role in nearly every sport that CBS
has had rights to since joining the network in 1985.
Some
of his more prominent positions include anchor of The NFL
Today, primetime host of the 1998 Olympic Winter Games
and anchor of CBS's golf coverage, including The Masters and
the PGA Championship.
The 39-year-old
took over as lead play-by-play announcer for college basketball
in 1990. Before that, from 1986 to 1990, Nantz served as host
of CBS's coverage of the NCAA Tournament and Final Four.
Nantz,
who had a part in Kevin Costner's Tin Cup movie, also
has had prominent roles in the network's college football
and U.S. Tennis Open coverage.
Did
ya know?: Nantz has called the play-by-play on more network
broadcasts of the Final Four and the Championship game than
any other announcer in the tournament's history.
Skinny:
The best college basketball play-by-play announcer; knows
the game and its history very well; isn't afraid to offer
his opinion.
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Billy
Packer
Billy
Packer is covering his 25th NCAA Men's Basketball Championships
as an analyst, the last 18 for CBS Sports. In 1993, Packer
won the Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Sports Personality/Analyst.
Packer
joined CBS in 1981 from NBC Sports, where he formed one of
the most popular broadcasting trios ever with Dick Enberg
and Al McGuire. The threesome announced the 1979 National
Championship between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. The game
remains the highest-rated championship ever (24.1/38).
The 59-year-old
author of three basketball books has been inducted into the
North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, the Wake Forest University
Hall of Fame, the National Basketball Hall of Fame (Gowdy
winner) and the National Polish Hall of Fame.
Did
ya know?: Packer's father was basketball coach at Lehigh
University, alma mater of AQB's Randy Williams. Packer also
is the co-founder of the Tour DuPont, a U.S. cycling event,
and the Tour of China.
Skinny:
The best college basketball play-by-play analyst - there is
a reason why he has done 25 championships; like his partner
Nantz, Packer knows the game and its history very well; will
criticize players, coaches and officials.
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Bonnie
Bernstein
Bonnie
Bernstein, a rising star at CBS, was a reporter for The
NFL Today and a sideline reporter during the NFL playoffs.
The 28-year-old
joined CBS from ESPN, where she covered the NBA Finals, Major
League Baseball playoffs and NCAA Women's Basketball Championship
for SportsCenter.
Did
ya know?: Bernstein, an Academic All-American, competed
on the gymnastics team at
Maryland. While there, she also received
an award for academic and athletic excellence.
Skinny:
Good reporter; usually makes a statement and then asks a solid
question; new to CBS' NCAA Tournament coverage but placed
with the most experienced college hoops team in the sport's
history.
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Back
to the list
Sean
McDonough, Bill Raftery & Michele Tafoya
South Regional Finals in Knoxville, Tenn. - Thursday/Saturday
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Sean
McDonough
Sean
McDonough, who joined
CBS in 1990 for the NCAA Tournament, is CBS' lead play-by-play
announcer for college football. He also calls golf, college
basketball and College World Series broadcasts.
The 36-year-old's
duties for CBS Sports have included play-by-play for the NFL,
ice hockey at the 1998 Olympic Winter Games, and bobsled and
luge at the 1992 and 1994 Olympic Winter Games.
McDonough
also has worked on the U.S. Open Tennis Championships and
the NCAA Women's Final Four and Championship games.
In 1992,
he was paired with analyst Tim McCarver to form CBS' top announcing
team for Major League Baseball. McDonough has been the television
voice of the Boston Red Sox since 1988.
Did
ya know?: McDonough earned the New England Sports Emmy
Award for Outstanding Play-by-Play in 1989, 1990 and 1992
for his work with the Boston Red Sox.
Skinny:
Solid, well-prepared announcer; works well with partner Raftery;
isn't afraid to offer his opinion.
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Bill
Raftery
Bill
Raftery joined CBS Sports in 1983 as an analyst for the NCAA
Tournament.
In addition
to his CBS duties, the 55-year-old does college basketball
games for ESPN, the Monday Night Game of the Week for Big
East Productions and New Jersey Nets games for Sports Channel.
Raftery
compiled a 156-140 record in 11 seasons as head coach at Seton
Hall (1970-1982). He also coached at Fairleigh Dickinson for
five years.
He was
named Coach of the Year in 1979 by the New Jersey Basketball
Writers Association.
Did
ya know?: Raftery began at ESPN just six months after
the network's launch, co-hosting
NCAA Tonight during the 1980 NCAA Championship.
Skinny:
One of the most enjoyable college basketball analysts; has
a good mix of insight and humor; known for shouting out the
defense and giving "da kiss."
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Michele
Tafoya
Michele
Tafoya is in her fifth year as a reporter for the NCAA Men's
Tournament. She
joined CBS in November 1994 as a reporter and host for college
basketball and the network's sports anthology show.
The
34-year-old calls play-by-play for the WNBA on Lifetime Television,
has served as a reporter for CBS' coverage of college football,
including the 1998 National Championship Orange Bowl, and
was late night co-host of the 1998 Olympic Winter Games.
Did
ya know?: Tafoya used to do the radio broadcasts for the
University of North Carolina-Charlotte men's team (1993) and
the University of Minnesota women's team (1994).
Skinny:
Solid reporter; generally asks the right questions.
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Back
to the list
Verne
Lundquist, Al McGuire & Armen Keteyian
East Regional Finals in East Rutherford, N.J. - Friday/Sunday
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Verne
Lundquist
Veteran
announcer Verne Lundquist returned
to CBS as an NFL play-by-play announcer in 1998. Lundquist
previously worked for the network from 1982 to 1995.
The 59-year-old's
work at CBS Sports includes play-by-play for figure skating
at the 1992, 1994 and 1998 Olympic Winter Games, the NFL,
the NBA, college basketball, The Masters and several other
golf events.
Lundquist
built
his reputation as the long-time radio voice of the Dallas
Cowboys from 1972 to 1984.
Did
ya know?: Lundquist
won seven consecutive Texas Sportscaster of the Year Awards
(1977-83).
Skinny:
Recognizable voice; a little slower in calling the action
but still remains a solid announcer.
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Al
McGuire
Al McGuire
has worked the NCAA Tournament for CBS since 1992. Before
that, he spent 16 years with NBC Sports, including four as
part of the legendary broadcasting team with Dick Enberg and
Billy Packer.
McGuire
arrived at NBC after coaching 13 years at
Marquette, where he won an NIT Championship (1970) and an
NCAA Championship (1977).
The
two-time "Coach of the Year" finished his coaching career
with 302 wins and 80 losses.
The 70-year-old
was elected into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992.
Did
ya know?: Al McGuire is one of three coaches to end his
coaching career by winning the NCAA championship. The other
two are John Wooden (UCLA, 1975) and Larry Brown (Kansas,
1988).
Skinny:
Makes decent points; very opinionated; can get bizarre at
times; seems to get tired as the doubleheader moves along.
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Armen
Keteyian
Armen
Keteyian is beginning his second year as a reporter for CBS'
tournament coverage. Keteyian joined
CBS Sports as a special features reporter in December 1997.
This
past year, he was the sideline reporter for the network's
No. 1 NFL broadcast team of Greg Gumbel and Phil Simms.
The 36-year-old
also is a correspondent for HBO's Real Sports With Bryant
Gumbel and writes a monthly column for Sport magazine.
He
has written or co-written eight books, including most recently
Money Players: Days and Nights Inside the New NBA.
Did
ya know?: Keteyian is a two-time Emmy Award winner.
Skinny:
Excellent reporter with good journalism instincts; will ask
the tough question; was forgotten on some NFL telecasts.
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to see Part
Two or Part Three
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Photos
courtesy of CBS Sportsline, ESPN.com, Sportsstarsusa.com, JPSports.com
and Newsradio88.com.
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