Sports
In December 2001, WCBS won the rights to carry radio broadcasts of the New York Yankees beginning with the 2002 season. This contract has been extended through the 2013 season (WFAN, a CBS Radio property, continues to air the crosstown New York Mets). The station had previously carried the Yankees from 1939 to 1940, (when the outlet had the WABC call letters) and from 1960 to 1966, a period that included a time in which the team was owned by CBS (prior to WCBS's conversion to an all-news format). CBS bought a majority interest in the Yankees in 1964, and sold the club to George Steinbrenner in 1973.
Until WFAN began broadcasting in 1987, WCBS was the primary outlet for CBS Radio Network coverage of professional sports events, including Major League Baseball and the National Football League. It also served as the flagship commercial station for St. John's University basketball games during the Johnnies' renaissance in the 1980s and 1990s. WCBS also served two tenures as the flagship station of the New York Jets.
In its pre-all-news days, WCBS also carried the New York (Baseball) Giants (as part of the 1930s-40s Giants-Yankees home game package), the New York (Football) Giants and the New York Knicks. The station currently serves as an overflow station for Giants radio broadcasts and carried the Dial Global/Westwood One feed for each of the team's 2011 playoff games.
WCBS served as a springboard to athletes-turned-broadcasters in its pre-all-news period. Most notably, former football Giants Pat Summerall and Frank Gifford were employed in various capacities by WCBS and the CBS Radio Network late in their playing days. One of New York sports broadcasting's legendary figures, Marty Glickman, served as sports director during a time in the 1960s.
Mel Allen gained renown as an all-purpose broadcaster on WCBS and the CBS Radio Network before and during his tenure as a renowned sportcaster and the Voice of the Yankees. Decades later, Ed Ingles (now at public WRHU-FM) established a 25-year career as sports director and morning sports anchor at WCBS, reporter for the Jets and St. John's broadcasts, and mentor to several veteran local and national broadcasters such as Barry Landers, Bill Schweizer, Spencer Ross and Bill Daughtry.
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Famous quotes containing the word sports:
“...I didn’t come to this with any particular cachet. I was just a person who grew up in the United States. And when I looked around at the people who were sportscasters, I thought they were just people who grew up in the United States, too. So I thought, Why can’t a woman do it? I just assumed everyone else would think it was a swell idea.”
—Gayle Gardner, U.S. sports reporter. As quoted in Sports Illustrated, p. 85 (June 17, 1991)
“It was so hard to pry this door open, and if I mess up I know the people behind me are going to have it that much harder. Because then there’s living proof. They can sit around and say, “See? It doesn’t work.” I don’t want to be their living proof.”
—Gayle Gardner, U.S. sports reporter. As quoted in Sports Illustrated, p. 87 (June 17, 1991)
“Falling in love is the right adventure for those who dislike sports and travel.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)