| Brian Kenny | |
| Born | October 18, 1963 |
|---|---|
| Education | New York Institute of Technology St. John's University |
| Notable credit(s) | MLB Network ESPN WTZA-TV |
| Title | SportsCenter Anchor; ESPN Radio & ESPN2 Friday Night Fights Studio Host |
| Children | 5 |
Brian Kenny (born October 18, 1963) is a studio host for MLB Network. He previously worked for ESPN, where he most recently anchored the 6 p.m. edition of SportsCenter for ESPN, served as the host of ESPN2's Friday Night Fights, and had his own show on ESPN Radio named The Brian Kenny Show.
Early career[]
Kenny has a BFA from New York Institute of Technology and also attended St. John's University (New York City).[citation needed] He got his start as a journalist at Long Island News Tonight at NY Tech.
Before working for ESPN, he worked for WTZA in Kingston, New York.[1]
ESPN[]
Kenny anchored the 6:00 pm Eastern Time Zone SportsCenter, and was the host of Friday Night Fights on ESPN2. On Friday Night Fights, he was known[by whom?] for his heated, yet entertaining[peacock term] debates with some of the best boxers in the world, particularly Floyd Mayweather. He also previously hosted Baseball Tonight, and The Hot List on ESPNEWS. Kenny also hosted the ESPN Classic series The Top 5 Reasons You Can't Blame..., which debuted in 2005.
In 2005, he hosted a brand-new special series called Ringside. It runs three to six hours long an episode and featured on each episode one great boxer. Among the boxers that were spotlighted on the show were Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali, and Mike Tyson.[citation needed]
Kenny appears as himself in the 2006 film Rocky Balboa and in the 2007 film Resurrecting the Champ,[2] and also served with fellow ESPN personality John Saunders as the "announcing team" for a home demolition during an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition that aired on November 2, 2008. (The episode involved a project in which the Extreme Makeover team built a new home and gym for a family that operated a youth boxing gym in Geneva, New York.)
Prior to hosting "The Brian Kenny Show" on ESPN Radio, he co-hosted with Max Kellerman "Kellerman and Kenny" on ESPN Radio in New York City.
MLB Network[]
Kenny announced on the Aug. 31, 2011 edition of "The Brian Kenny Show" that he was leaving ESPN to become an anchor with MLB Network. His final show was on September 2, 2011, with the 6:00 edition of SportsCenter alongside Jonathan Coachman. Kenny made his debut on MLB Tonight on September 19, 2011, according to USA Today.[3] Kenny also provides studio updates during live games and hosts late night show Quick Pitch. Kenny also hosts his own show on the network entitled Clubhouse Confidential. He also has done commentary on Top Rank's Pay Per View boxing most recently Brandon Rios's controversial split points win over Cuban Lightweight Richard Abril.
Awards and nominations[]
Brian won a National Sports Emmy for Baseball Tonight in 2003, was named Sports Illustrated's Media Personality of the Year in 2004, and received the 2005 Sam Taub Award as the Boxing Writers Association's "Boxing Broadcaster of the Year". He also received ESPN's "Volunteer of the Year" award in 2007.
Personal[]
Kenny is married to the former Nicole Jacqueline Desy. They have 5 children. Their oldest daughter, Alexandra, is a ballerina with the Columbia City Ballet in Columbia, South Carolina.
References[]
- ↑ Career references from CyberBoxingZone Journal.
- ↑ Appearance in Rocky Balboa: Filmography at the Internet Movie Database.
- ↑ Michael McCarthy (September 14, 2011). "One-on-one with Brian Kenny as he joins MLB Network". USA Today. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gameon/post/2011/09/5-questions-with-brian-kenny-of-mlb-network-espn-jumps-moves-anchor/1. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
External links[]