Thursday, 07 May 2026

    Graham McNamee

    • Contest: The US Athletic Hall of Fame - Commentators 2026
    • Embed from Getty Images
    • Sport(s): Baseball, Football & Boxing
    • Statistics & Accolades: National Sports Media Association Hall of Fame
      Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame
      Ford C. Frick Award
      Radio Hall of Fame
      NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame
      Hollywood Hall of Fame
    • You can tell the history of early sports broadcasting on the radio without discussing Graham McNamee.

      A radio icon of the 1920s and 1930s, McNamee was the pioneer of play-by-play sports broadcasting. Using his distinct baritone and natural energy, McNamee did not call sports with a matter-of-fact style. He described everything he could, including the event's atmosphere, and he knew when to accelerate his cadence. A master of the improv, McNamee was the first person to become synonymous with sports on the radio, and he lent that skill to Baseball, Football, and Boxing, most notably the famed Jack Dempsey vs Gene Tunney fight, and did the first national sports broadcast with the 1927 Rose Bowl. He also called 12 consecutive World Series, from 1923 to 1934.

      He was not just a sports broadcaster; he covered news and politics throughout his lengthy career.

      As sportscasting became a billion-dollar industry, it was McNamee who created the blueprint that everyone followed.

      We are proud to nominate Graham McNamee for the United States Athletic Hall of Fame.
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