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Don Criqui

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Don Criqui
Born(1940-10-01)October 1, 1940(age 83)
Buffalo, New York,U.S.
Years active1967–present
SpouseMolly Criqui (d. 2024)
Children5
Sports commentary career
GenrePlay-by-play
Sport(s)American football,basketball,ice hockey,golf,tennis

Don Criqui(born October 1, 1940) is an Americansportscaster.

He holds the record for longest-tenured NFL broadcaster in U.S. TV history, callingNFLfootball for 47 seasons (1967–2013) onNBCandCBS.[1]Criqui's final NFL broadcast came on December 8, 2013, when he filled in forBill Macateeas he was having traveling issues in an ice storm in Dallas, calling the 27-26New England Patriotsvictory over theCleveland Browns.[2]

Criqui also had a long career calling college football. Criqui called 11Orange Bowlgames while with NBC, including games that decided the college football national championship in1981,1983,1985and1987.From 2006 until 2017, Criqui served as the football radio play-by-play voice forNotre Dame,his alma mater.

Criqui's most recent network assignment was CBS Sports from 1998 until 2013, where he called theNFL,women's and men'scollege basketballandcollege football.From 1995 to 2012, he was the voice ofNew England Patriotspre-season football withRandy Cross.

Early life

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Criqui is a native ofBuffalo, New Yorkand grew up in the suburb ofKenmore.[3]

He graduated fromSt. Joseph's Collegiate Institutein Kenmore, before attending theUniversity of Notre Dame.[4]He served in theU.S. Air Force Reserve.[5]

Career

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Though he was theNFL on NBC's top announcer only once (Week 6 of the1990season), Criqui has always been a featured announcer in the American sports scene and is notable for his longevity.

Criqui began with CBS in 1967 before moving toNBC Sportsin 1979; he was 'traded' by CBS to NBC forCurt Gowdy.[6]When CBS reacquired the NFL in1998,Criqui rejoined the network, and continued to serve as a play-by-play announcer as part of theNFL on CBSuntil his retirement from that position after the 2012 season.[7]In 2013 he returned for the Cleveland Browns New England Patriots matchup on CBS with his former partnerSteve Tasker,asBill Macateecould not make it due to his flight being cancelled from a snowstorm.

He has also announced a number of other sports forCBS,NBCandESPNincludingcollege football,college basketball,theABA,theNBA,theNHL,professionalgolfandtennistournaments,Triple Crownhorse racing, theCanadian Football League(ArchivedOctober 27, 2009, at theWayback Machine) and severalSummer Olympicsevents.

During his tenure at NBC, Criqui called 14Orange Bowlgames. Criqui's most memorable call was the1984 Orange Bowlbetween undefeatedNebraskaandMiami.Nebraska was on a 22-game winning streak coming into the game, but lost to Miami 31–30 when the Cornhuskers failed on a two-point conversion attempt which would have won the game. His most famous college basketball call was most likely the last-second upset bySt. Joseph'sover top-seededDePaulin the Mideast regional second round of the 1981 NCAA Tournament.

Criqui was the radio play-by-play voice ofNotre Dame Fighting Irish footballon the Notre Dame IMG Sports Network from 2006 to 2018.[8]

Other projects

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His other projects include hosting radio talk shows about sports, serving as a part-time TV announcer for theNew York Metsin 1991, and working as the play-by-play announcer forNew England Patriotspre-season telecasts onWCVB-TV,Bostonfrom 1995 to 2008 and forWBZ-TV,Bostonfrom 2009 to 2012. Criqui was also for many years the key spokesperson forTrans World Airlines,appearing as himself in many television, radio and print advertisements as part of theOgilvy & Mather-produced advertising campaign: "You're Gonna Like Us (sm). TWA.", which ran between 1978 and 1984 in support of the airline's domestic U.S. marketing efforts.

For years, he also served as co-host of the weekend version of the newsmagazineInside Edition.He also served as a sportscaster onWORradio in New York on theRambling with Gamblingshow, as well as onWNBCradio onImus in the Morning.

Memorable NFL calls

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One of Criqui's most memorable NFL calls came on November 8,1970:Tom Dempsey's 63-yard field goal that lifted theNew Orleans Saintsto a 19–17 victory over theDetroit LionsatNew Orleans'Tulane Stadium.Other memorable NFL games that Criqui took part in were the1978"Miracle at the Meadowlands"and the 1982"Epic in Miami".Criqui also did play-by-play of the1985–86seasons ofMonday Night Footballand Super BowlsXXandXXI(alongsideBob Trumpy) forNBC Radio.He also called "Red Right 88"in1980,whenBrian Sipethrew an interception in the end zone to end theCleveland Browns' season. He along withRandy Crosscalled theDetroit Lions' comeback victory over the Browns in 2009.

He was presented with thePete Rozelle Radio-Television Awardfrom thePro Football Hall of Famein 2003.[9]He is also a member of the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame.[10]

Personal life

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Criqui lives inEssex Fells, New Jersey;He has four sons, one daughter, and fifteen grandchildren.[11]Don’s wife of over 60 years Molly died June 2, 2024.https://obits.nj /us/obituaries/starledger/name/molly-criqui-obituary?id=55293877

References

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  1. ^"Who is the longest tenured NFL announcer on national television?".20 December 2013.
  2. ^"Bill Macatee couldn't get out of the storm in Dallas, so Don Criqui is behind the mic for CLE-NE.: 506sports".Archived fromthe originalon December 14, 2013.RetrievedDecember 9,2013.
  3. ^"Buffalo Broadcasters Hall of Fame".Archived fromthe originalon 2014-11-03.Retrieved2014-11-03.
  4. ^"CBS Sports TV Team".Archived fromthe originalon 2013-12-30.Retrieved2014-03-06.
  5. ^"Don Criqui".buffalosportshallfame.3 August 2012.
  6. ^Fang, Ken (8 October 2014)."Once upon a time, NBC traded Curt Gowdy for Don Criqui".Awful Announcing.
  7. ^Pergament, Alan (August 21, 2013).American Pickers filming here, Criqui out of CBS gamesArchived2014-01-03 at theWayback Machine.The Buffalo News.Retrieved August 21, 2013.
  8. ^"Allen Pinkett, Don Criqui out amid changes to Notre Dame radio team".ESPN.June 18, 2018.RetrievedAugust 28,2018.
  9. ^"Don Criqui".Archived fromthe originalon December 30, 2013.RetrievedMarch 6,2014.
  10. ^"Don Criqui".buffalosportshallfame.3 August 2012.
  11. ^Don CriquiArchived2013-12-30 at theWayback Machine,CBS Sports.Accessed May 8, 2012. "He was born in Buffalo, N.Y., and lives with his wife, Molly, in Essex Fells, N.J."
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Preceded by Monday Night Footballnational radio play-by-play announcer
1985-1986 		Succeeded by
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