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| Dick Enberg was a prolific broadcaster through the 1980s and beyond, covering the national Football League, Major League Baseball, professional tennis and much more. Source: https://www.paulickreport.com/news/people/ dick-enberg-broadcast-legend-hosted-inaugural-breeders-cup-telecast-dead-82/ (May be subject to copyright) |
There may have not been a better example than Dick Enberg.
His voice was synonymous with American football, but he also covered Major League Baseball and tennis among other things.
He brought a lot to any telecast he was part of, but nothing signalled Dick Enberg was on the air like his signature phrase: “Oh my!”
And Oh my, did he have a career.
Smelling the roses
When he passed away just about two years ago, it brought back a lot of memories, starting with my first Rose Bowl.
When he passed away just about two years ago, it brought back a lot of memories, starting with my first Rose Bowl.
In the aftermath of his death, I discovered it was Dick Eberg’s first Super Bowl too.
It was a doozie too. The Pac-10 Champion USC Trojans and Heisman Trophy-winning runningback Charles White took on the Big-10 Champion Ohio State Buckeyes. The Buckeyes led late until the Trojans essentially rode White’s back into the end zone for the winning touchdown.
I learned it all from Dick Enberg.
NFL on NBC
Enberg would go on to broadcast NFL games on NBC, most often with partner Merlin Olsen, through the 1980s. The network had the rights to the AFC or American Football Conference, so it was Enberg who called many of the games I enjoyed in the decade.
Enberg would go on to broadcast NFL games on NBC, most often with partner Merlin Olsen, through the 1980s. The network had the rights to the AFC or American Football Conference, so it was Enberg who called many of the games I enjoyed in the decade.
Since we here in Canada did not start receiving NFL broadcasts in the three-channel universe until the CFL season had ended, there were maybe six weeks of NFL games to watch. Again, it was more or less divided by network. CTV got the AFC and the CBC broadcast the NFC.
So it was Enberg who was there to describe Mike Davis' end zone interception in the 1980 AFC Divisional Game, more commonly called the “Mistake on the Lake”. It was Enberg who was there to describe the 1986 and 1987 AFC Championship Games that the Cleveland Browns, a team I cheered for, lost in the last minutes of the game. In 1986, he told me all about the last-minute drive Denver Quarterback John Elway took his team on to tie the game then win it in overtime. In 1987, he punctuated a last-minute fumble by Brown runningback Earnest Byner recovery by the Broncos with one of his “Oh My”s.
Major League Baseball on NBC
In the midst of writing this, something really cool happened. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when every professional sport was shut down, one of the sports channels played Game 1 of the 1981 National League East Divisional Series, between the Montreal Expos and the Philadelphia Phillies.
In the midst of writing this, something really cool happened. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when every professional sport was shut down, one of the sports channels played Game 1 of the 1981 National League East Divisional Series, between the Montreal Expos and the Philadelphia Phillies.
I had watched that game when it happened but, because CBC had the Canadian broadcast rights, I watched Dave Van Horne and Duke Snider call the game.
TSN instead aired the American broadcast.
So there, staring me in the face, to talk about all the US college baseball players the Expos had was none other than Dick Enberg.
It was awesome. Sorry, OH my, it was awesome.
Seeing that game reminded me again of how much value Dick Enberg brought to a broadcast. He compared the Expos roster, with a lot of college-trained players, against the Phillie roster, comprised of a lot of players they developed in their minor league system.
It was just one example of how much Dick Enberg added to the game.
At your service
When he was not on the gridiron or diamond, Dick Enberg was teaming up with Bud Collins at the All England Tennis Club to televise Wimbledon.
When he was not on the gridiron or diamond, Dick Enberg was teaming up with Bud Collins at the All England Tennis Club to televise Wimbledon.
My most outstanding memory is of a young German teenager coming out of nowhere to win the tournament. It was 1985 and improbably, this 17-year-old just kept coming. He was also aided by upsets of the some of the top players. His opponent in the final, an American named Kevin Curren, had engineered two of those upsets – defeating defending champion John McEnroe in the quarter-finals and Jimmy Connors in the semi-finals. He would be the only player in history to defeat McEnroe and Connors in the same Grand Slam tournament.
However, his luck ended in the final, when Becker, who was renowned for his diving, scrambling and relentless pursuit of the ball, defeated Curren in four sets, by scores of 6-3, 6-7, 7-6, and 6-4.
Becker’s victory also achieved a number of firsts. He was the first unseeded player, first German, and youngest to win the men’s singles title at Wimbledon.
And who filled me in on all these milestones – Dick Enberg.
Go north young man
NFL players went on strike in 1982 and NBC was looking for something to fill the airtime. They settled on the CFL for a brief, three-week experiment. Dick Enberg was dispatched to Canada where he and Merlin Olsen called games for three weeks. Unfortunately, the games were blowouts and really did not showcase what the Canadian game was like.
NFL players went on strike in 1982 and NBC was looking for something to fill the airtime. They settled on the CFL for a brief, three-week experiment. Dick Enberg was dispatched to Canada where he and Merlin Olsen called games for three weeks. Unfortunately, the games were blowouts and really did not showcase what the Canadian game was like.
One other interesting memory. I think it was the Saturday night before the first game, I was watching Hockey Night in Canada, and they zoomed in on Enberg and Olsen watching the game. The hockey announcers explained the two were in town to do a football game for NBC the next day. They also noted this wasn’t Enberg’s first exposure to hockey. He had actually called some minor league hockey games in Los Angeles years earlier.
Parting thoughts
Dick Enberg would continue to work until he called his last baseball game in 2016. Less than a year later he was gone.
Dick Enberg would continue to work until he called his last baseball game in 2016. Less than a year later he was gone.
Yet he left behind a legacy of achievement.
Beyond awards, hall of fame inductions, and other honours, Dick Enberg added value to every game he broadcast. He taught me something about the sport, whatever it was. Moreover, he was a great story teller and he had this ability to heighten drama and build suspense, capped off with that trademark, “Oh my!”
For me, the voice of Dick Enberg is synonymous with sports in the 1980s, especially NFL football, Major League Baseball, and Wimbledon tennis.
Thanks for the memories Dick.
“Oh My!” what a career.
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