A chat with legendary producer Fred Gaudelli — from Marv Albert disciple to the king of NFL primetime

Considered 1 of the champion NFL TV producers of each time, Fred Gaudelli will person the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award from the Pro Football Hall of Fame successful Canton this August.

Gaudelli, 62, is receiving the grant for his decades arsenic primetime’s pb NFL producer, from ESPN’s Sunday nights to ABC’s Mondays to NBC’s Sundays and past twelvemonth connected Amazon’s Thursdays.

Before helium receives the grant successful August, Gaudelli spoke with america connected a scope of topics:

• How helium went from the ESPN mailroom to Canton
• Inside his moves from ESPN to ABC to NBC to Amazon
• Who is the champion play-by-player and expert ever?
• What helium would archer Tony Romo
• If helium thinks Tom Brady volition beryllium a broadcaster

It was enjoyable to speech with Fred, and I anticipation you bask it.

Where did you turn up? What were you similar arsenic a kid?

Fred Gaudelli: I grew up successful Harrison, New York. I was an obsessed sports fan. I work everything astir sports. I played each sport. It was my extremity to person a vocation successful sports.

How bully were you? What was your champion sport?

FG: I was an mean athlete, astatine best. I would astir apt accidental my champion athletics was baseball, but I wasn’t supra mean successful anything. But I was supra mean successful my cognition of sports.

How did you get truthful funny successful sports?

FG: My dada grew up successful Brooklyn, but was a Yankees fan. I was a Yankees fan, a Giants fan, Knicks instrumentality and a Rangers fan. I conscionable became obsessed with the teams and the past of the teams. I watched everything, and evidently we’re talking astir mode earlier the net oregon thing similar that. I work everything I could read.

Let’s accelerated guardant you to college: Where and why?

FG: I went to LIU, which was past known arsenic C.W. Post.

I had applied to 1 school, Emerson, due to the fact that I knew I wanted a vocation successful broadcasting. I got accepted. My begetter conscionable took maine up for what helium thought was going to beryllium conscionable a requisite sojourn — registry for classes and that would beryllium it.

Fred Gaudelli (pictured alongside newsman Andrea Kremer) liked playing sports arsenic a kid successful New York, but enjoyed learning astir them adjacent more.Photo courtesy of Fred Gaudelli

I didn’t recognize determination wasn’t a campus. It was fundamentally a clump of buildings successful the mediate of the city. And my conception of assemblage was field and each those things. We’re driving location and I said, “I don’t privation to spell here.” He said, “What are you talking about? It’s the lone schoolhouse you applied to.” I said, “Yeah, it conscionable doesn’t acceptable my conception of college.” He’s like, “Well, you amended fig it out.”

My aunt was a schoolhouse teacher, and had a pupil who was sports-obsessed similar me. She said, “Hey, helium went to C.W. Post, and helium does sports connected the vigor there.” At that point, I wanted to beryllium Marv Albert. That’s what I wanted to be. So I was looking to bash on-air work. So I went determination for a visit.

It was astir apt aboriginal May, and it was similar an 80-degree time with a beauteous field and Frisbees flying and each those things — that acceptable the representation of assemblage that I had. I went for the visit, and I enrolled that day. The pupil that my aunt had taught is simply a feline named Dan Reagan, who directed the Islanders, the Mets and was a twelvemonth up of me. And helium benignant of took maine nether his helping and we did a batch of games unneurotic connected the vigor — shot and hoops — astatine C.W. Post.

What was your archetypal job?

FG: I was moving at, I deliberation it was called WVOX successful New Rochelle. I was doing play sports connected the vigor …  conscionable doing a one-minute study astatine the apical of the hour.

The proprietor of the presumption was a beauteous well-known guy. His sanction was Bill O’Shaughnessy. He came successful 1 time and helium said, “Hey, person you heard of ESPN?” I said, “Yeah, I’ve heard of it. I’ve ne'er seen it.” (We didn’t person cablegram successful Westchester backmost then.) He said, “A bully person of excavation runs production. Would you similar to spell for an interview?”

I had done an internship my past semester astatine Metro Media, Channel 5, which is present Fox. I worked connected “Sports Extra.” That was the amusement with Bill Mazer. It was similar the week-in-review of New York sports. I worked successful production, and I thought, “You know, this mightiness beryllium a amended way for me. I don’t person the dependable of an Al Michaels or a Dick Enberg oregon a Pat Summerall, and, to me, the dependable is huge, if you’re a talent.”

So I said, “Yeah, I’d emotion to get interviewed.” I went up to Bristol. This would person been similar July of ’82. I met his person for astir 30 seconds. He sent maine straight to HR. HR said we person a occupation successful the message country if you’d similar to use for it. They called maine similar the archetypal week successful August and said, “Hey, we’re offering you the job.” I started astatine ESPN successful the message country connected August 24, 1982.

Gaudelli went to assemblage successful hopes of pursuing successful Marv Albert’s nonrecreational footsteps, but soon realized helium didn’t person the dependable to beryllium an on-air star.Getty Images

Take maine done however you got from the message country to doing “Monday Night Football.”

Well, six months later, determination was an opening successful distant production, which is the section that produced each the events and the games. From March 1983 until March 2001, I was successful that department.

I roseate to elder coordinating producer. I was conscionable nether Jed Drake, who was the enforcement producer. I started producing assemblage shot successful 1987. And past successful 1990, I took implicit “Sunday Night Football” from John Wildhack. I produced the draught from 1990 to 2001. I produced the ESPY Awards, the X Games, you know, each those things.

From similar ’95 to ’99, Howard Katz ran accumulation astatine ESPN. We forged a large relationship. He near for ABC. He told maine astatine immoderate point, helium would similar maine to nutrient “Monday Night Football” for him. He brought Don Ohlmeyer in for 1 year. After that year, Don decided that helium nary longer wanted to nutrient it. Howard called maine and offered maine the job.

That’s however I got to Monday nighttime successful wintertime of 2001. The booth was Al [Michaels], Dennis [Miller,] Dan [Fouts] with Melissa [Stark] and Eric [Dickerson] connected the sidelines.

And you had that booth for conscionable 1 year. Then it went to Al and John [Madden]. What is your champion communicative astir however that happened?

FG: The regular play had ended, and I was successful my bureau connected West 66th. Howard Katz asked maine to travel to his office. He said to me, “Sit down.” I sat down and helium said, “What would you accidental to maine if I told you you could person John Madden for the adjacent 4 years?”

I was like, “What?” I said, “Just Al and John?”

He said, “Yeah.”

I said, “Well, look, I emotion the guys I’m moving with, but that would beryllium an all-time booth. I don’t cognize however you would crook it down.”

He said, ‘I deliberation there’s a bully accidental we’re going to get him.’

I said, “Fantastic.”

Four years later, ESPN gets Monday night. You were successful enactment to perchance enactment connected MNF arsenic it moved from Sunday to Monday. Meanwhile NBC got “Sunday Night Football.” How did everything enactment retired for you?

Drew Esocoff, Howard Katz and Fred Gaudelli (l. to r.) person shaped the look of shot connected Sunday and Monday nights for overmuch of the past 2 decades.Photo courtesy fo Fred Gaudelli

FG: The time that it was announced that ABC was losing “Monday Night Football” and ESPN was picking it up, I received a telephone from George Bodenheimer, who had tally ESPN and, astatine that point, was moving ABC Sports.

He said, “Hey, listen, we person 2 large accumulation teams and 2 large denote teams, and we’re not definite what we’re going to do.” That would person been similar March of 2005.

Then, astir six weeks later, helium called maine and helium said, “Listen, I conscionable wanted to archer you, you’re not our penchant to stay the shaper of ‘Monday Night Football,’ but we’d similar you to enactment astatine ESPN. And I’d similar you to acceptable up a gathering with [ESPN enforcement VP of programming and production] Mark Shapiro.” I acceptable up a gathering with Mark. It wasn’t a large meeting. I near determination beauteous definite that I needed to leave, that determination wasn’t truly a relation that I was going to bask astatine ESPN.

So astatine that point, I decided, hey, conscionable absorption connected this past play and everything other volition instrumentality attraction of itself. It was a Super Bowl play astatine ABC. We were going to beryllium doing Super Bowl 40. [Director] Drew [Esocoff] immediately went to NBC. Madden followed quickly. At that point, Tommy Roy was going to beryllium the shaper of “Sunday Night Football” for NBC.

Halfway done that summer, Shapiro leaves to spell to Six Flags. Norby Williamson takes over, and Norby calls maine and helium fundamentally says, “Listen, I can’t springiness you ‘Monday Night Football,’ but I tin beauteous overmuch springiness you immoderate different occupation you want.” I started laughing. Norby goes, “Why are you laughing?” I said, “Well, that’s what Shapiro told maine until I told them the occupation I wanted, and helium said, ‘Oh yeah, you can’t person that 1 either.’” Norby asked, “What’s the job?” I said, “I privation the NBA Finals.” Norby said, “Done.” I said, “You mightiness privation to cheque the declaration of Ed Feibischoff because I deliberation he’s guaranteed this,” which is what Shapiro told me.

He goes, “Are you kidding me?” I said, “No, cheque it. If it’s not there, and you privation to springiness maine the job? Yeah, I’ll instrumentality it, but I don’t deliberation it’s there.” He was connected my voicemail, 7 a.m. the archetypal time of his job, truthful I truly springiness Norby a batch of props for that.

After our conversation, helium calls maine backmost astatine astir 2 o’clock. He goes, “Man, you were right. I can’t springiness it to you. Is determination immoderate different occupation you want?” I said, “Norby, I truly admit it. Here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to nutrient this season. And past astatine the extremity of the season, I’ll fig retired what I’m going to do. But, you know, I conscionable don’t privation the distraction of trying to find a occupation and going done my past play and the Super Bowl.”

Norby stayed connected apical of it: “Hey, what astir this? What astir that?” Some of those were jobs my friends had. I wasn’t going to effort to spell successful and instrumentality a occupation distant from 1 of my friends. Some of the jobs were not thing I was truly funny in. And I conscionable kept repeating, “Hey, let’s get to the extremity of the play and spot what happens.” Because astatine that point, NFL Network had “Thursday Night Football,” the afloat slate. I figured I could get that job.

I conscionable wanted to clasp retired anticipation for NBC due to the fact that Drew was going and John was going. At immoderate point, Howard Katz and Sandy Montag convinced Dick Ebersol just to person a gathering with me.

A small much than a period aft gathering Gaudelli, NBC Sports main Dick Ebersol offered the “Sunday Night Football” shaper relation to the then-longtime ESPNer.Getty Images

So I met with Dick. I privation to accidental it was the archetypal week successful November of 2005. I went to 30 Rock. We sat successful his office. We spoke for astir 2 hours, had a large conversation. And astatine the extremity of it, helium said, “Listen, if I didn’t person somebody, I would prosecute you successful 2 seconds, but I person to beryllium loyal to my people. Tommy Roy has done an astonishing occupation for maine and has produced a mates of Super Bowls. I beryllium it to him.” I said, “Look, I respect that, but if thing ever changes, delight telephone me.”

So present we fast-forward to December. And Dick calls maine and says, “Hey, listen, I’d truly emotion to travel beryllium successful the motortruck for a Monday nighttime game. I’d emotion to bring Tommy. I’d similar to bring Cris Collinsworth. Are you OK with that?”

I said, “I’m 100 percent OK with it, but I astir apt conscionable request you to get the OK from George Bodenheimer since you guys are connected a antithetic level than I’m at.” He said, “No problem. I’ll instrumentality attraction of it.”

It’s a Monday nighttime crippled successful Baltimore. He sits successful the motortruck for the archetypal fractional with Tommy. And past astatine halftime, helium comes up to maine and helium says, “Hey, bash maine a favor. When you get backmost to the hotel, conscionable telephone me. I conscionable privation to speech to you for a fewer minutes.” So I was like, “Great.” I’m walking out. Madden’s connected the bus, and Madden’s like, “Fred, Fred, Fred, travel here.” So I spell connected to the bus.

He goes, “You gotta enactment surprised, but Dick Ebersol is going to connection you the Sunday nighttime job.”

I’m like, “What?”

“You’ve got to enactment surprised, but I wanted to archer you.”

Now, I spell backmost to the hotel, telephone and spell up to my room. Tommy’s there. Sandy Montag, who is my agent, is there.

Ebersol says to me, “Well, your bully friends astatine ESPN decided to dump each their golf. We acquired astir of it. I gave Tommy the prime of producing each the play and being capable to unrecorded successful Florida oregon staying connected ‘Sunday Night Football.’ He decided to nutrient the golf, truthful we’re offering you ‘Sunday Night Football.’ Sandy and I person worked retired the numbers, bash you privation the job?”

I said, “Hell, yeah.”

Now he, Tommy, Sandy and I locomotion down to the bar. The archetypal idiosyncratic we spot is Drew. I said, “Drew, you’re not going to judge this, but I’m present the shaper of ‘Sunday Night Football.'”

John Madden, who had worked with Gaudelli astatine ESPN, gave his longtime shaper (fourth from l.) an aboriginal heads-up that the 2 would beryllium moving unneurotic again astatine NBC.Photo courtesy of Fred Gaudelli

Drew starts laughing, says, “Tommy, it was large moving with you.” Then Ebersol makes a beeline for Al. Tells Al that helium has hired me. Now it’s Madden, Drew and myself each going to Sunday night.

And past that began the courtship of Al and the eventual trade.

The adjacent morning, I called George Bodenheimer to archer him. I say, “Listen, Dick Ebersol offered maine Sunday night, and I’m accepting it.”

And helium said, “I understand. I’m atrocious to spot you leave, but I understand.” Then I called Norby, who was large astir it. I said, “I’m truly sorry, you were large to me, but this is the occupation that I truly wanted, and since you didn’t person Monday night, I’m taking it.”

[Editor’s note: Jay Rothman and Chip Dean were the shaper and manager for Monday nighttime aft Gaudelli and Esocoff went to NBC.]

Before Al followed you to NBC, did you effort retired Collinsworth connected play-by-play with Madden?

FG: Oh, yeah, we had that rehearsal. We did a chaotic paper crippled connected a Saturday night. It was New England astatine Denver. We were astatine John’s workplace successful Pleasanton, Calif. Cris came in. Cris did play-by-play. John was color. We had the unrecorded provender coming back. We had a mates of our ain cameras there. And we did similar 3 quarters of the game.

How was it?

FG: It was fine. It was going to instrumentality work. We were going to person to bash a batch much games to get the bushed and each that, but it surely had potential.

But it wasn’t going to beryllium the surefire fastener that Al and John were.

Al had a signed declaration to stay with Disney. I reported astir that backmost then. Did you deliberation Al wasn’t coming? How did that spell down?

FG: I knew Al wanted to come. There was a large delta betwixt what Disney had signed him for and what NBC was offering.

I deliberation helium was conscionable trying to fig retired however to span that delta, but, successful his heart, I cognize helium wanted to come, [that] helium wanted to enactment with the remainder of the team.

What’s the happening you’re astir arrogant of from your clip connected SNF?

Gaudelli, pictured present with manager Drew Esocoff, oversaw a “Sunday Night Football” franchise that won 11 Emmy awards successful 12 years.Photo courtesy of Fred Gaudelli

FG: We were the No. 1 amusement successful primetime for 12 consecutive years. We rapidly made Sunday nighttime the primetime destination implicit Monday night, which Al and I, I don’t deliberation … saw happening, either ever oregon that quickly. Because “Monday Night Football” was portion of the American cloth for 35 years, and radical were conscionable conditioned that the large games were connected Monday night.

Through the league, and, really, Howard Katz and commissioner [Roger] Goodell truly making definite that we had a large and flexible schedule, [and] the mode that Dick was capable to marketplace the full thing, that enabled america to crook that tide truly quickly.

You tin accidental what you privation astir the Emmys, but determination was 1 clip wherever we won “Best Live Series” six years successful a row, past we mislaid and past we won it 5 years successful a row. No amusement had ever won that much than 3 times. We won it 11 times. Three of our 5 Super Bowls won “Best Live Special.” It’s been a highly acclaimed amusement from viewership and from captious acclaim for the full duration. Those would beryllium the things I’m astir arrogant of.

How did Amazon travel astir for you?

FG: [NBC Universal CEO] Jeff Shell got a telephone from [Amazon SVP, Prime Video] Mike Hopkins and said, “Hey, we’re looking for idiosyncratic to nutrient our Thursday nighttime telecasts. Would your institution beryllium interested?” So Jeff threw it to [NBC Sports chairman] Pete Bevacqua, who threw it to [NBC enforcement producer] Sam Flood and I and the lone prerequisite was, “You can’t suffer money.” But there’s truly nary mode to suffer wealth connected this unless you onslaught the worst imaginable woody of each time.

At that point, we were losing hockey. We didn’t person Big 10 shot yet, and we had a batch of talented radical that would truly thrive connected different large primetime shot show, truthful we aggressively bid for it.

I knew this past season, whether I stayed connected Sunday nighttime oregon immoderate else, this was going to beryllium my past twelvemonth successful the truck. I beauteous overmuch decided that. I conscionable said to Pete and to Sam, “Hey, if you guys deliberation it makes a difference, if it helps us, archer them I’ll nutrient the games for the archetypal year. And past I’ll beryllium the enforcement shaper for the remaining 2 years.” They were like, “Hey, are you definite you privation to bash that?” I said, “Yeah. Look, this is my past twelvemonth anyway. We tin get [new SNF producer] Rob Hyland successful a twelvemonth sooner. He gets different twelvemonth nether his loop earlier helium has to bash a Super Bowl.

I said, “I deliberation this would beryllium bully for maine personally, due to the fact that it’ll springiness maine a batch of vigor to effort to make something.”

They agreed to fto maine bash it. I’m truly gladsome I did. It truly provided for maine what I hoped it would, and that was a batch of vigor and a batch of foodstuff due to the fact that you were perpetually reasoning astir what we were going to bash connected this show, and however we were going to make this amusement and however we were going to marque this amusement suitable for the NFL fan.

Jeff Bezos (third from l.) and Amazon welcomed the accidental to person Gaudelli (third from r.) nutrient their archetypal twelvemonth of Thursday nighttime broadcasts.Photo courtesy of Fred Gaudelli

I told Amazon, “Look, here’s the deal: If you privation my opinion, you person 1 accidental to marque a archetypal impression. NFL fans are precise particular. They’re precise peculiar astir what goes successful primetime. If you privation to person a high-quality shot broadcast, I’m your guy. If you privation to bash a batch of experimentation and gimmick stuff, I’m not your guy.”

They said, “No, no, we bargain what you’re saying. We privation to found credibility close away.”

How volition it enactment present for this coming play and beyond?

FG: I’m the enforcement shaper of Sunday nighttime and Thursday night. Right now, I’m sitting successful connected each the meetings for some those shows arsenic we cogwheel up for the 2023 season. I’m moving with Rob Hyland connected Sunday nighttime and [producer] Mark Teitelman connected Thursday night.

On Sundays, I’ll beryllium successful the workplace with the “Football Night successful America” pack and past connected Thursday nights, I’ll astir apt spell to a fistful of games … but I’ll person a unrecorded provender successful my house. I’ll beryllium capable to pass successful existent clip to the truck, which I don’t expect to beryllium doing a batch of, but I’ll beryllium location watching, taking notes and trying to assistance them lick immoderate problems that mightiness arise.

Let’s get to immoderate sentiment stuff. Who’s the champion NFL TV expert of each time?

FG: I’d accidental John Madden.

Because?

FG: I deliberation John redefined the position. First of all, John is similar 1 of the smartest radical I’ve ever met astir a batch of things. He’s worldly. He ne'er truly fto that broadside retired connected television. He played the shot manager connected TV.

John evidently understood football, but helium understood the mean of television. There person been a batch of imitators, but there’s ne'er been another. There won’t beryllium another. He was capable to bring retired each facet of shot — from X’s and O’s to the sidelines to the instrumentality manager to the trainer to each the things that nary 1 other ever talked astir — helium knew would beryllium absorbing oregon comic oregon compelling to the viewer. He was capable to bash that earlier anyone other ever adjacent thought astir it.

He besides trained — and enactment myself connected this database — countless radical connected however to nutrient shot and however to screen football. What we were doing earlier was not adjacent scratching the aboveground of what we could beryllium doing. He trained generations of radical connected however to screen football.

Who’s the champion play-by-play guy?

In Gaudelli’s view, John Madden changed the mode shot was covered connected TV and Al Michaels defined however a play-by-play idiosyncratic should grip large moments connected a broadcast.NBCUniversal via Getty Images

FG: I’m going to accidental Al Michaels. There’s conscionable nary 1 amended successful the large infinitesimal than Al, ever.

If you had to instrumentality 1 expert today?

FG: Cris Collinsworth

Because?

FG: Because I deliberation Chris does the astir implicit job. Chris evidently spent 15, 20 years successful a studio, wherever helium had to springiness opinions, wherever helium had to beryllium capable to speech connected a batch of antithetic topics and a batch of antithetic subjects and truly learned however to bash that successful a precise concise manner. He understands the X’s and O’s arsenic good arsenic anybody. He’s up to day with each the analytics obviously. He owns a institution that makes its mode successful analytics.

He has the widest breadth of a presumption of immoderate expert retired there. He tin archer stories. He tin bash replays. He tin speech analytics, and helium tin bash it successful an entertaining way.

What would you accidental to Tony Romo now if you were his producer?

FG: What I would accidental to Tony Romo? Keep doing what you’re doing. And excavation a small deeper.

What did you marque of each the announcer question — Joe Buck and Troy Aikman to Monday night, etc. — past year?

FG: I deliberation you’ve perfectly characterized what Jimmy Pitaro did. He went full–on Steinbrenner and got the 2 champion radical helium could perchance get. I’ve ne'er spoken to Eric Shanks astir this, but I’m guessing helium had a worth connected those positions and didn’t privation to transcend that value.

But what helium enactment retired determination was excellent. I truly liked listening to Kevin [Burkhardt] and Greg [Olsen]. I thought they did a truly bully occupation — particularly for 2 guys not successful their archetypal twelvemonth together, but their archetypal twelvemonth connected the biggest signifier and past the Super Bowl. I thought they some had a truly fantabulous Super Bowl.

It was surely unique. I’ve ne'er truly seen that successful my 40 years successful the business.

I was truly benignant of shocked astir the wealth that was being thrown around. But I get wherefore ESPN did it. I genuinely do. They wanted to person a first-class booth. They had been struggling to nutrient that for a while. And Jimmy did what helium had to bash to get it.

And what was your absorption erstwhile you heard Tom Brady agreed to become a Fox analyst?

While Gaudelli agelong saw Tom Brady’s easiness successful dealing with the media, helium is somewhat amazed the aboriginal Hall of Famer is readying to leap into the broadcast booth.Getty Images

FG: I was truly surprised.

Look, I’m not going to beryllium present and archer you that I cognize Tom, but I’ve been successful meetings with Tom for implicit 20 years. And portion helium decidedly knew our team, I ne'er heard him explicit immoderate involvement successful being an analyst. I knew helium was opening to dabble successful media. He had the TB Times, wherever helium had these cartoons aft games that he’d person his unit enactment unneurotic that were truly beauteous amusive and somewhat innovative.

And past you could spot him dipping much into media, but I saw him much similar Peyton [Manning], a media mogul and benignant of doing it connected his terms.

Like I said, I ne'er got the content erstwhile that being successful a booth and doing what we were doing was thing that appealed to him. It doesn’t mean it didn’t, I conscionable ne'er had that enactment with him wherever helium was funny astir what we were doing oregon however we were doing it and what our lives were similar oregon what the process was like. So I was surprised.

Does helium eventually bash it?

FG: I mean, he’s signed connected to bash it. I conjecture until you spot him successful the booth, there’s ever that question whether helium does it oregon not, but astatine this point, I person to instrumentality him for his word.

When you spell into Canton and you deliberation astir your speech, who is astatine the apical of the database that you privation to thank?

FG: Well, obviously, my parent and father. They would beryllium one, 2 oregon co-No. 1s. But determination are truthful galore people. Dick Ebersol, Howard Katz, Steve Anderson, Steve Bornstein, John Walsh, John Wildhack, Mark Lazarus, Al, Madden, Cris, Michelle Tafoya, Mike Patrick, Joe Theismann, Paul McGuire, Andrea Kremer, Drew Esocoff, obviously, Marc Payton, who was my manager astatine ESPN for each those years, Commissioner Goodell, he’s been a large protagonist of excavation done the years.