Gary Nedrow Bender(born September 1, 1940)[1]is a retiredAmericansportscasterand 2008 inductee into theKansas Sports Hall of Fame.He officially retired, April 13, 2011,[2][3]fromFox Sports Arizonaafter 18 years calling theNBA'sPhoenix Sunsgames. Gary Bender has also worked as a play by play man for the NBA on TNT mainly during the NBA Playoffs.
Gary Bender | |
|---|---|
| Born | Gary Nedrow Bender September 1, 1940 Norton, Kansas,U.S. |
| Education | Wichita State(Undergraduate) University of Kansas(Masters) |
| Occupation | Sportscaster |
| Years active | 1969–2011 |
| Spouse | Linda Bender |
| Children | 2, includingTrey |
| Relatives | Landry Bender(granddaughter) |
| Sports commentary career | |
| Genre | Play-by-play |
| Sports | |
Biography
editEarly career
editBender, who was born inNorton, Kansas,and raised inUlysses, Kansas,[4]graduated from Ulysses High School in 1958. He then attendedWichita State University(then known as the University of Wichita), graduating with a journalism degree in 1962 and a master's degree from theUniversity of Kansasin 1964. Bender then began his broadcasting career calling games atHutchinson Community CollegeinHutchinson, Kansas.He then went on to do the same at theUniversity of Kansas'footballandbasketballprograms in the 1960s. He also spent years as a broadcaster in Wisconsin and called all of the Wisconsin Athletic Association championship games, as well asGreen Bay Packersradio andMilwaukee Brewerstelevision in the early 1970s.
CBS Sports (1975-1987)
editHe did play-by-play for theNFL on CBSfrom1975to1981,and again in1986(among his partners wereJohnny Unitas,Sonny Jurgensen,Hank Stram,andJohn Madden,all members of thePro Football Hall of Fame) and the1981 NBA Finalsalong with color commentatorsRick BarryandBill Russell,both members of theBasketball Hall of Fame.
He was CBS' first play-by-play announcer for thenetwork's coverageof theNCAA Division I men's basketball tournament,calling theFinal FouralongsideBilly Packerin1982,1983and1984.In1982and1983,he was CBS' leadcollege footballplay-by-play man.
ABC Sports (1987-1992)
editOn October 26,1987,Bender (along withLynn Swann) called theMonday Night Footballgame between theDenver Broncosand theMinnesota Vikings.That game had been scheduled for October 25, but when theMinnesota Twins(who at the time, shared theHubert H. Humphrey Metrodomewith the Vikings) played Game 7 of theWorld Seriesthat day, the football game was moved to Monday and shown to a regional audience.
In1988,Bender did play-by-play for theAmerican League Championship SeriesalongsideBaseball Hall of FamersJoe MorganandReggie Jackson.
He also announced college football games forABC Sports,where he formerly worked alongsideDick Vermeil.
Major League Baseball on ABC
editAs previously mentioned, Bender did play-by-play for the1988 American League Championship Series[5]between theOakland AthleticsandBoston Red Sox.Bender spent two years (1987-1988) as the #2 baseball play-by-play man for ABC behindAl Michaels.Bender worked the backupMonday Night Baseballbroadcasts (withTim McCarverin 1987 andJoe Morganin 1988) as well as serving as a field reporter/post-game interviewer for ABC's1987 World Seriescoverage.
Gary Bender would ultimately be taken off ABC's baseball team in favor ofGary Thornein1989.
TNT Sports
editBender also calledNFL gamesforTNTfrom1992to1994,teaming withPat Haden.Bender also did play-by-play forThe NBA on TNTfrom 1992 to 1995, calling games with various color commentators includingChuck Daly,Jack Givens,Mike Glenn,Dick Versace,as well as his former NBA on CBS partnersHubie BrownandDoug Collins.[6]He returned to the NBA on TNT to help with coverage for the 2004 NBA Playoffs, calling games withRex ChapmanandJohn Thompson.On December 17, 2009, Bender filled in forMarv Albert,who was battling throat problems, to call thePhoenix SunsatPortland Trail Blazersgame on TNT and called the game withReggie Miller.[7]
FSN-Arizona and Versus
editAs previously mentioned, for 18 years, Bender was the television play-by-play announcer onFox Sports Net(FSN-Arizona) for theNational Basketball Association'sPhoenix Suns;he worked alongside former Suns players Eddie Johnson and Scott Williams. In 2006, he was named as the play-by-play announcer for theVersus network'scoverageofMountain West Conferencefootball, where he would be partnered with formerNFLplayerGlenn Parker.
Personal life
editBender is also co-author with Michael Johnson of thebiographyCall of the Game,in which he shares his life story, tips on how to become a better broadcaster, and hisChristiantestimony.
Bender did a series of Kendall Motor Oil commercials in mid-1980s.
In the first five months of 2001, Bender presided as host of the nationally syndicatedFocus on the Familyradio show after the resignation of previous host Mike Trout (1985–2000) because of an extramarital affair. Bender was replaced on a full-time basis by Focus vice president of broadcasting John Fuller.
Gary Bender is an alumnus of the Kansas Delta chapter ofPhi Delta Thetaat Wichita State where he received his bachelor's degree. He received his master's degree in radio and TV from the University of Kansas.
His son,Trey,is also a sportscaster and playedPop Warner Little Scholars.He portrayed his father in season 2 of the HBO series,Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.His granddaughterLandry Benderis an actress who is best known inCrash & BernsteinandFuller House.
Career timeline
edit- 1969–1975:WKOW-TVMadison, Sports Director
- 1970–1974:Green Bay PackersPlay-by-play (radio)
- 1975:Milwaukee BrewersPlay-by-play (TV)
- 1975–1981, 1986:NFL on CBSPlay-by-play
- 1977,1979—1986:NBA on CBSPlay-by-Play (Lead Play-by-Play from1980—1981)
- 1981–1987:College Basketball on CBSPlay-by-Play (Lead Play-by-Play from 1981–1984)
- 1982–1986:College Football on CBSPlay-by-Play (Lead Play-by-play in 1982 and 1983)
- 1987–1988:MLB on ABC#2 Play-by-Play
- 1987:World SeriesReporter
- 1987–1992:College Football on ABCPlay-by-Play
- 1988–1991:Phoenix CardinalsPlay-by-Play[8]
- 1992–1994:NFL on TNTPlay-by-Play[8]
- 1992–1995, 2004, 2009:NBA on TNTPlay-by-play
- 1992–2011:Phoenix SunsPlay-by-Play onFSN Arizona[8]
- 1995–1998:St. Louis RamsPlay-by-play (radio)
- 1999–2000:Chicago BearsPlay-by-play (radio)
- 2003–2005:College Football on ESPNPlay-by-Play
- 2006:College Football on VersusPlay-by-Play
References
edit- ^"Kansas Sports Hall of Fame (KSHOF)".Archived fromthe originalon 2018-09-28.Retrieved2012-09-23.
- ^Young, Bob (28 March 2011)."Suns broadcaster Gary Bender announces retirement".azcentral.Retrieved28 January2012.
- ^Dougherty, Pete (29 March 2011)."Longtime network announcer Bender retires from broadcasting".timesunion.Hearst Communications Inc.Retrieved28 January2012.
- ^Kansas Sports Hall of Fame (KSHOF)
- ^Sarni, Jim (7 October 1988)."Abc Is Good Or Bad, Depending On Series".Sun Sentinel.Archived fromthe originalon 2015-04-16.Retrieved2015-04-11.
- ^"Gary Bender".
- ^"Suns have bad luck with TNT, losing 16 in row".17 December 2009.
- ^abcSandomir, Richard (27 March 1992)."SPORTS MEDIA: TV SPORTS; Specter of Strike Scrambles Cable Schedules".The New York Times.
External links
edit- http:// phideltatheta.org/at theWayback Machine(archived April 30, 2003)
- Hall-of-Fame sportscaster calls life as he sees itArchived2009-10-09 at theWayback Machine