Anatomy of a Broadcaster: Mike Tirico

Don’t be fooled by his boyish looks, Mike Tirico has been around the block in the world of sports broadcasting. Tirico has done it all in the industry and at a high level. He’s been a play-by-play announcer on TV, radio play-by-play man and studio host. Tirico’s career spans many sports as well, including football, basketball, golf, the Olympics and even the NHL. 

Tirico grew up in Queens, New York, going to high school there, before attending Syracuse and the Newhouse School of Public Communications. He was never the most athletic kid in his neighborhood. Like a lot of us (me included), he loved sports but knew he’d never make a career playing anything. The only way to be involved? Broadcasting. 

Tirico during an interview on “Talks at GS” said even his mom had a better arm than him and perhaps it was the best arm of any mom in the neighborhood. “She’d go out and play catch with me during my Little League days, which didn’t advance very far,” Tirico said.

During the same interview he revealed his first “microphone” was actually a spoon, which he could usually be found holding in his younger days. 

“As a kid, for whatever reason, I took a liking for sports on TV. My mom will tell you, as a little kid I would run around with a spoon and pretend to be an announcer instead of being a ballplayer or an athlete. I guess 50 years later, I’m still living my childhood dream of being a TV sportscaster. I still love the job every second of the day.”

Pretty cool story. 

ROAD TO NBC

Tirico got his start as an undergrad at Syracuse, working for the CBS affiliate, WTVH-TV from 1987 through 1991. He was the sports director and served as the play-by-play voice for Syracuse basketball, football, volleyball and lacrosse. 

From Syracuse it was on to Bristol and ESPN. He joined the network in 1991 and was given a variety of assignments. Tirico handled stints on SportsCenter and was actually the first face seen on ESPN News when it debuted. 

While at ESPN Tirico did some play-by-play as well. He was the voice of ESPN’s Thursday night college football package, college basketball coverage, NBA coverage, and golf coverage for ESPN/ABC. Tirico did some games on ESPN Radio as well, including the call of the NBA Finals. 

Tirico also hosted studio coverage of various ESPN and ABC covered events, including a stint on ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown and ABC’s NBA studio shows. He anchored the 2009 US Open (tennis) and co-anchored the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and UEFA Euro 2016. The latter was his last assignment at ESPN, before leaving after 25 years, for NBC Sports.

NBC SPORTS

In May of 2016 Tirico moved over to NBC. His first appearance was during the network’s coverage of the 2016 Open Championship on NBC’s the Golf Channel. Tirico called the action for the first few hours of the 2^nd round. He then transitioned into the host role for the Open coverage on NBC itself for the weekend. 

Tirico has served in a myriad of roles on the network. He was a studio host for the 2016 Summer Olympics. Tirico has done both Thursday Night and Sunday Night Football play-by-play. He has been tabbed to take over the booth for SNF, when Al Michaels retires. Tirico was also named the host of Football Night in America, the Sunday night pre and postgame show for Sunday night Football.

College football and the NHL are also on his resume at NBC, having done games for Notre Dame as part of the network’s television package with the school. In February of 2019, Tirico called his first ever NHL game, a Wednesday Night Hockey broadcast between the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings. 

OLYMPICS

When it was announced Bob Costas was stepping away from his role as the primetime host of the Olympic Games on NBC, Tirico got the call. He will take over the chair from fellow Syracuse grad Costas when the games get going later this month in Tokyo, Japan. Tirico Costas had been the host for 11 Olympic games. 

Tirico helped anchor the Rio Olympics as host of daytime programming and later hosted coverage of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, so he does have some experience in the chair.

He recently told the Times Union in Albany, “I grew up watching Jim McKay and Bob Costas do this,” Tirico said. “The opportunity in Pyeongchang was exciting. Now, I feel like an old veteran; I’ve got a couple Olympics under my belt. I’ve prepared for Tokyo for about three years. We are ready to get this thing on the road.”

The irony in the “passing of the torch” is that Tirico was the first student at Syracuse to receive the Bob Costas Scholarship at Syracuse, back in 1987 during Tirico’s junior year. 

Tirico recently told People Magazine, “We’ve (Tirico and Costas) gotten to know each other through Syracuse. That’s left such an impression upon me. It led me to be involved at Syracuse and to try to follow that the example that Bob set,” he says. “To be the person who gets to the front of all of that is something that is a great responsibility and one that I’m honored to share and to carry on after Bob did it so well for so long.”

WHY IS HE SO GOOD?

I think the biggest thing making Tirico so good, is his versatility. There aren’t too many broadcasters than can be at the top of their game, either in the booth or in the studio. The worlds are so different. The preparation is different. The expectations are certainly not the same when it comes to performance, but Tirico is able to excel in both roles and makes it look easy. The ability to differentiate what information needs to be relayed during a broadcast and what is vital to a studio show is critical. Tirico handles that with no trouble at all. 

Tirico’s sense of humor works during a broadcast as well. He always seems to have a smile in his voice, it’s noticeable while he’s on the air. That’s not just during a stint as a play-by-play guy, it also applies to his studio work. The audience can pick up on this smile and it makes for a pleasant listen/view. 

He has the ability to work with pretty much anyone. Because he understands whatever role he is in at that given moment. Tirico is a traffic cop in both of his main assignments. Setting up his analyst during a game broadcast is something he’s not afraid to do. Making the person that played the game at a high level the star and the one to disseminate analysis is what he does best. I know Tirico knows the answer to most of the questions he poses, but it speaks to his understanding of the credibility of those he’s working with. This also applies to his studio work.  

I think that Tirico sometimes gets a bum rap. He is described at times as milquetoast or bland. I don’t necessarily feel like that is a bad thing.

Tirico is solid, not flashy, not gimmicky. He’s just a terrific broadcaster. This style of his allows him to be as versatile as he is, not painting him with a specific brush. It makes Tirico a man for all, and I mean all seasons. 

CONCLUSION

Give me a solid, professional broadcast every single time and I’d never be disappointed. That’s what you’re getting in Mike Tirico. His passion comes through in every broadcast, from the booth and studio alike. He is a rare talent with the ability to handle multiple high-profile roles.