Dave O'Brien (sportscaster)

Dave O'Brien
Born David O'Brien
(1963-08-03) August 3, 1963
Quincy, Massachusetts
Sports commentary career
Team(s) Boston Red Sox
Genre(s) Play-by-play
Sports Major League Baseball

David O'Brien (born August 3, 1963) is an American sportscaster who currently works as lead play-by-play announcer on the New England Sports Network (NESN) for telecasts of the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously broadcast for MLB's Atlanta Braves, Florida Marlins, and New York Mets, and has announced other sports including basketball, football, and soccer.

Early years

Born in Quincy, Massachusetts, O'Brien grew up in Marshfield, Massachusetts, and later New Hampshire before receiving a degree in broadcasting from the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University in 1986.

Broadcasting career

From 1987 to 1992, O'Brien worked as a sportscaster in Atlanta, Georgia, calling play-by-play for MLB's Atlanta Braves in 1990–91 as well as college football and basketball games for Georgia and Miami. He earned the Georgia Associated Press' "Best Sports Play-by-Play" accolade in 1988 and 1991. O'Brien broadcast for the Florida Marlins from the team's 1993 inaugural year through 2001, including their first World Series win in 1997. He has also occasionally called National Football League games for the Atlanta Falcons.

O'Brien recorded play-by-play "commentary" for the High Heat Major League Baseball video game series for its 2002, 2003, and 2004 installments, along with color commentator Chuck Valenches.[1] O'Brien provided commentary for MLB's international coverage of the World Series from 2004 until 2009. O'Brien was television voice of the New York Mets on WPIX-TV from 2003 through 2005.

ESPN

O'Brien worked for ESPN from 2002 through 2017, handling play-by-play of MLB, the NBA, college basketball, and soccer (including Major League Soccer's MLS Primetime Thursday and United States men's national soccer team telecasts). Prior to the 2005 season, O'Brien was denied permission by ESPN to join the Chicago Cubs' broadcast team.[2]

Boston Red Sox

In 2007, O'Brien joined the Boston Red Sox Radio Network, calling games alongside primary play-by-play announcer Joe Castiglione. In 2011, O'Brien became the primary play-by-play announcer with Castiglione becoming the secondary announcer. On August 25, 2015, it was announced that O'Brien would be the primary play-by-play announcer for Red Sox telecasts on NESN beginning in 2016, replacing Don Orsillo.[3][4]

Notable broadcasts

O'Brien won the Achievements in Radio (A.I.R.) award for Best Play-by-Play for his call of Mark McGwire's 59th home run in 1998.[5]

O'Brien called a triple-overtime college basketball game between Oklahoma State and Texas on January 16, 2007. He called the game—which Oklahoma State won, 105–103—on ESPN2 alongside Rick Majerus.

In 2007, O'Brien called play-by-play for ESPN's August 4 broadcast of the game between the San Francisco Giants and the San Diego Padres in which Barry Bonds tied the major league all-time home run record with his 755th home run. O'Brien also called the August 7 game between the Giants and the Washington Nationals in which Bonds hit his 756th home run, breaking the record that had been held by Hank Aaron for more than 33 years.

O'Brien also called David Ortiz's grand slam off Joaquin Benoit in Game 2 of the 2013 American League Championship Series between the Boston Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers.

On March 31, 2017, O'Brien called the Mississippi State Bulldogs women's basketball team's epic Final Four victory over the UConn Huskies, snapping the latter's record 111-game winning streak and advancing the Bulldogs to the tournament's championship game. During the broadcast, in the game's final minutes, O'Brien declared it to be "one of the greatest" women's basketball games ever played.

2006 FIFA World Cup

O'Brien joined Marcelo Balboa on the primary broadcast team for the 2006 FIFA World Cup coverage on ESPN and ABC Sports, despite having no experience calling soccer matches prior to that year. Because The Walt Disney Company, owner of both television outlets, retained control over on-air talent, the appointment of O'Brien as the main play-by-play voice was made over the objections of Soccer United Marketing, who wanted JP Dellacamera to continue in that role. Disney stated that their broadcast strategy was intended, in voice and style, to target the vast majority of Americans who do not follow the sport on a regular basis. Mispronunciation and incorrect addressing of names, misuse of soccer terminology, and lack of insight into tactics and history plagued the telecasts, resulting in heavy criticism from English-speaking soccer fans, with some either muting commentary or watching the tourney in Spanish on Univision instead.[6][7]

Personal life

Dave O'Brien has been married to his high school sweetheart, Debbie Nason O'Brien, for over 25 years. The couple have a son, Michael, and two daughters, Samantha and Katie. They lived in West Palm Beach, Florida, before moving to Rye, New Hampshire.[8]

References

  1. ↑ Todd, Brett (March 17, 2003). "High Heat Major League Baseball 2004 Review". GameSpot.
  2. ↑ Rozner, Barry (November 19, 2004). "Vasgersian back in lead for Cubs job". Daily Herald. Arlington Heights, Illinois. Archived from the original on November 29, 2004 – via Wayback Machine.
  3. ↑ Finn, Chad (August 25, 2015). "Don Orsillo will not return on Red Sox telecasts next season". The Boston Globe.
  4. ↑ "Dave O'Brien Named NESN's Red Sox Play-By-Play Voice For 2016 Season". NESN.com. August 25, 2015.
  5. ↑ ESPN MediaZone - A Resource for Media Professionals
  6. ↑ Fatsis, Stefan (July 5, 2006). "Fans Say ESPN's World Cup Coverage Deserves Penalty". The Wall Street Journal.
  7. ↑ Paulsen (December 19, 2009). "Decade in Review: 10 worst personnel moves". Sports Media Watch. #5: Dave O’Brien calls the World Cup (2006, ESPN)
  8. ↑ Leech, Adam (April 30, 2008). "Rye man is voice of Red Sox". seacoastonline.com. Retrieved July 20, 2018.

Further reading

  • Boccacino, John (January 26, 2017). "Sportscaster Dave O'Brien '86 Treasures Chance to Live His Dream". Syracuse University. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  • Hiestand, Michael (June 14, 2006). "Sports Television". USA Today. Dave O'Brien, the play-by-play announcer paired with analyst Marcelo Balboa on ABC/ESPN's lead World Cup soccer on-air team, says he faced hostility talking about balls hitting heads, not bats
  • Weintraub, Robert (July 7, 2006). "In Defense of the World Cup Announcers". Slate.
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