Don Criqui (born May 5, 1940, Buffalo, New York) is an American sportscaster, currently employed as a play-by-play announcer for CBS Sports. Criqui's duties include occasional television coverage of National Football League games, women's and men's college basketball, occasional college football and radio play-by-play of ISP Sports' coverage of Notre Dame Fighting Irish football. Since 1995, he has been the voice of the New England Patriots pre-season football with Randy Cross.
Career[]
Criqui began with CBS in 1967 before moving to NBC Sports in 1979. When CBS reacquired the NFL in 1998, Criqui rejoined the network, and continues to serve as a play-by-play announcer as part of the NFL on CBS. From 1999 to 2004, Criqui and Steve Tasker were the designated play-by-play team for most Buffalo Bills games on CBS. He has also announced a number of other sports for CBS, NBC and ESPN including college football, college basketball, the ABA, the NBA, the NHL, professional golf and tennis tournaments, Triple Crown horse racing, the Canadian Football League [1] and several Summer Olympics events. During his tenure at NBC, Criqui called fourteen Orange Bowl games. Criqui's most memorable call was the 1984 Orange Bowl between undefeated Nebraska and Miami. Nebraska was on a 22-game winning streak coming into the game, but lost to Miami 31–30 when the Cornhuskers failed on a two-point conversion attempt which would have won the game. His most famous college basketball call was most likely the last second upset by St. Joseph's over top seeded DePaul in the Mideast regional second round of the 1981 NCAA Tournament. Criqui is currently the radio play-by-play voice of The Notre Dame Fighting Irish on the Notre Dame IMG Sports Network.
Other projects[]
Though never the top announcer for a network, Criqui has always been a featured announcer in the American sports scene. His other projects include hosting radio talk shows about sports, and since 1995, he has been the TV play-by-play announcer for New England Patriots pre-season broadcasts on WBZ-TV, Boston. Criqui was also for many years the key spokesperson for Trans World Airlines, appearing as himself in many television, radio and print advertisements as part of the Ogilvy & Mather-produced advertising campaign: "You're Gonna Like Us (sm). TWA.", which successfully ran between the years 1978 and 1984 in support of the airline's domestic US marketing efforts.
For years, he also served as co-host of the weekend version of the newsmagazine Inside Edition. He also served as a sportscaster on WOR radio in New York on the Rambling with Gambling show, as well as on WNBC radio on Imus in the Morning.
Memorable NFL calls from Criqui[]
One of Criqui's memorable NFL calls came on November 8, 1970: Tom Dempsey's 63-yard field goal that lifted the New Orleans Saints to a 19–17 victory over the Detroit Lions at New Orleans' Tulane Stadium. Other memorable NFL games that Criqui took part in were the 1978 "Miracle at the Meadowlands" and the 1982 "Epic in Miami". Criqui also did play-by-play of the 1985–86 seasons of Monday Night Football and Super Bowls XX and XXI (alongside Bob Trumpy) for NBC Radio. He also called "Red Right 88" in 1980, when Brian Sipe threw an interception in the end zone to end the Cleveland Browns' season. He along with Randy Cross called the Detroit Lions' comeback victory over the Browns in 2009.
He was presented with the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award from the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2003.
Personal[]
Criqui is a native of Buffalo, New York. He graduated from St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute in Kenmore, New York, before attending the University of Notre Dame. He now lives with his wife in Essex Fells, New Jersey.[1]
See also[]
References[]
- ↑ Don Criqui, CBS Sports. Accessed May 8, 2012. "He was born in Buffalo, N.Y., and lives with his wife, Molly, in Essex Fells, N.J."
External links[]
- Don Criqui Profile
- Profile of Don from Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame
- 5 questions interview
- Rare Sports Films: 1971 ABA All Star Game
| Preceded by Jack Buck |
Monday Night Football national radio play-by-play announcer 1985-1986 |
Succeeded by Jack Buck |