Bruce Beck

Bruce Beck (born September 18, 1956) is the lead sports anchor at WNBC-TV. He is in his 18th year with News 4 New York. He is also the host of Sports Final, NBC 4's popular Sunday night sports show. Beck is the host and sideline reporter for New York Giants pre-season football.

The sportscaster has covered a multitude of events for News 4 New York, including 5 Super Bowls, 3 NBA Finals, 6 Stanley Cup Finals, 6 World Series, The U.S. Open Tennis Championship, The U.S. Open Golf Championship, and The NCAA Final Four. In addition, Beck has covered 6 Olympics, most recently the Sochi Games in 2014.

Beck has hosted and contributed to a number of WNBC-TV specials including the live broadcast of the New York City Marathon, The Belmont Stakes, The U.S. Open Golf Championship and "Deja Blue", which preceded Super Bowl XLVI.

In addition, Beck has hosted the Sun America Sportsdesk and the Allstate Sports Update for NBC Sports and has served as a sideline reporter for the network's coverage of the NBA and WNBA on NBC. Beck has been a studio anchor for NBA-TV and is the host of the weekly Rutgers University basketball and football shows which air on MSG Network. He was one of the first play by play voices for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) from 1994 to 1997.

Career

From 1982 to 1994, Beck was a staff broadcaster with the MSG Network. Among his many duties, he hosted the station's coverage of the Knicks, Rangers, and Yankees. He was the play-by-play announcer for college football and basketball, professional and Golden Gloves boxing and professional tennis. He hosted the Millrose Games, The Virginia Slims Championship, The National Horse Show, and the Lou Carnesecca Show.

From 1994 to 1997, Beck hosted "Sportstalk" and "Sports Images" on CN8, the Comcast Network. He also was the play-by-play voice of Atlantic 10 Conference Basketball and Hofstra University Football, while calling college basketball games for CBS Sports. He was the host of CBS' coverage of the Hambletonian and The American Championship Harness Series on ESPN. He was a play-by-play voice and host of Showtime Championship Boxing.

Beck was the play by play announcer for the Ultimate Fighting Championship from 1994 to 1997, calling UFC 4 through UFC 15 with partner and olympic gold medalist Jeff Blatnick.

Beck was hired by WNBC-TV in 1997 as the weekend sports anchor and weekday reporter. He became the lead sports anchor in 2009.

From 2000 to 2008, Beck was a studio anchor for NBA TV.

Beck began calling professional boxing in 1986 with MSG Network. He has also called the blow by blow for USA Network, Showtime Championship Boxing, and numerous international broadcasts. Most notably, Beck manned the headset for Evander Holyfield vs. Mike Tyson II on June 28, 1997.

From 2011-2013, Beck handled blow by blow duties for Epix (TV network). In 2015, he called the action for HBO2's boxing presentation from Macau.

Awards

Beck has been named New York State Sportscaster of the Year 7 times, including six in a row from 2007 until 2012, by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association.^[2] In the 1990s, Beck was twice named New Jersey Sportscaster of the Year.

Beck received the 2006 New York Emmy as Outstanding Sports Anchor. In 2011, Beck won a New York Sports Emmy for his interview with former Rutgers football player Eric Legrand. Overall, he has received eight New York Sports Emmys, one Mid-Atlantic Sports Emmy and three national Cable Ace Awards.

Beck was chosen by St. John's University to deliver the 2009 Commencement speech to its Staten Island Campus on May 16. He received an Honorary Doctor of Letters Degree.^[3]

Bruce was inducted into the MetroWest Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.^[4]

Personal life

A graduate of Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York, Beck received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1978. Bruce grew up in Livingston, New Jersey, where his mother Doris Beck twice served as mayor. She was the first female mayor of any Essex County municipality.

Beck currently resides in White Plains, New York with his wife Janet (JJ) and dog Madison.^[5] The Becks have two sons, Jonathan and Michael, and a daughter-in-law, Jordana.

Each Thanksgiving, Beck and his family serve those in need at the St. John's Bread and Life Program, the largest soup kitchen in Brooklyn. In 2015, the Becks received the Johnny's Angel Award for their work in the St. John's community.

Every summer, Beck, along with CBS Sports announcer Ian Eagle run the foremost Sports Broadcasting Camp in the country at the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center in Montclair, New Jersey.^[6] The camp, now in its 15th year, teaches the fundamentals of broadcasting and features lectures by big name broadcasters. It culminates with students calling play-by-play of a minor league baseball game. Dozens of former campers are now working in the sports entertainment industry.

Beck is notorious for his insistence on using team aliases during his reports. These include Bronx Bombers (Yankees), Amazins' (Mets), Gang Green (Jets), Big Blue (Giants), and Blueshirts (Rangers). His signature catchphrase is "One for the Ages".

References

External links

• Bruce Beck & Ian Eagle Sports Sports Broadcasting Camp
• NBA TV Talent: Bruce Beck
• Can Someone Make Sense of Marbury's Interview?