Brian Kenny (sportscaster)

Brian Kenny (born October 18, 1963 in New York City) is a studio host for MLB Network and a boxing play by play announcer for Fox Sports and DAZN. The television face of sabermetrics and baseball analytics, he is the host of the weekday program MLB Now, known as “the show for the thinking fan".[1] He previously worked for ESPN, and had his own show on ESPN Radio named The Brian Kenny Show.[2] One of the most respected baseball historians and broadcasters in the country, he is also the host of the Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies in Cooperstown, New York.[3]

Brian Kenny
Born (1963-10-18) October 18, 1963
New York City, New York, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
EducationNew York Institute of Technology
St. John's University
Notable credit(s)
MLB Network
DAZN
ESPN
WTZA-TV
TitleMLB Network Host; DAZN boxing announcer; SportsCenter Anchor; ESPN Radio & ESPN2 Friday Night Fights Studio Host
Children5

Broadcasting career

Kenny graduated magna cum laude from New York Institute of Technology in Old Westbury, NY in 1985. He also attended St. John's University (New York City) from 1981-1982.[4] In college, Kenny began his broadcasting career as a reporter for "LI News Tonight," New York Tech’s long-time daily news program. In May 1985, he joined WLIG, TV 55 Long Island as a reporter. He was named the station’s Sports Director in September in 1985, beginning his sportscasting career. In August 1986, Kenny was named Sports Director at WTZA-TV (later WRNN-TV) in Kingston, NY. He hosted a late-evening talk show “Sports Line Live,” and called play-by-play for Marist Red Foxes men's basketball and Hudson Valley Renegades minor-league baseball. He would remain at the station until 1997, winning 11 New York State Broadcasters Awards and 6 Associated Press Awards for his coverage of local sports.[5][6]

ESPN

After joining ESPN in 1997, Kenny anchored the 6:00 pm SportsCenter, and was the host of Friday Night Fights on ESPN2. On Friday Night Fights, he was known for his heated debates with some of the best boxers in the world, particularly Floyd Mayweather.[7] He also hosted Baseball Tonight,[8]The Hot List on ESPNEWS, plus "Classic Ringside" and The Top 5 Reasons You Can't Blame... on ESPN Classic.[9]

In 2005, he hosted a special series called Ringside.[10] It runs three to six hours long an episode and featured on each episode one great boxer.

Kenny appears as himself in the 2006 film Rocky Balboa and in the 2007 film Resurrecting the Champ,[11] 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).[12]

Prior to hosting The Brian Kenny Show on ESPN Radio, he co-hosted Kellerman and Kenny with Max Kellerman on ESPN Radio in New York City.[13]

MLB Network

Kenny announced on the August 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 p.m. edition of SportsCenter alongside Jonathan Coachman. Kenny made his debut on MLB Tonight on September 19, 2011.[14]

Since 2013, Kenny has been the host of MLB Now on MLB Network. Kenny also appears on MLB Network's flagship program "MLB Tonight", the offseason countdown series "Top 10 Right Now!," and on-site coverage of the All-Star Game and World Series.

Since 2017, Kenny has served as the Master of Ceremonies for the Baseball Hall of Fame induction.[15]

His first book, Ahead of the Curve: Inside the Baseball Revolution, was published in 2016 by Simon and Schuster and won the National SABR Research Award in 2017.[16]

Other Work & Appearances

Kenny was previously the boxing host and blow-by-blow announcer for Showtime Championship Boxing, Fox Sports, and Top Rank. He also hosted "The Brian Kenny Show" on NBC Sports Radio.[17]

Kenny appeared as himself in the movie "Rocky Balboa" (2006) and "Resurrecting the Champ" (2007), while appearing in the television shows "The Dead Zone" (2003) and "Brockmire" (2016).

Awards

Brian won a National Sports Emmy for Baseball Tonight in 2003, was the 2004 Sports Illustrated Media Personality of the Year and the recipient of the 2005 Sam Taub Award for excellence in boxing broadcasting.[18]

Personal

Kenny is married to Nicole Jacqueline Desy. They have five children.[19]

Works
  • Kenny, Brian (2016). Ahead of the Curve: Inside the Baseball Revolution. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 9781501106330.

References
  1. Kenny, Brian (April 2, 2019). "MLB Network Insider: Big-Time Contracts Have an Impact Off the Field, Too (Guest Column)". HollywoodReporter.com. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  2. "Brian Kenny - MIT Sloan Analytics Conference". SloanSportsConference.com. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  3. Bodig, Chris (July 30, 2018). "Glorious Day in Cooperstown: Six Enter the Hall". CooperstownCred.com. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  4. "Brian Kenny-MLB Network". MLB.com. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  5. "MLB Network host Brian Kenny, NYIT Class of '85, to headline Feb. 26 First-Pitch Dinner". nyitbears.com. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
  6. McMillan, Ken (September 16, 2011). "Kenny lands MLB dream job". Times Herald-Record.
  7. Christ, Scott. "Friday Night Fights Studio Host Brian Kenny Leaving ESPN". SB Nation. Vox Media. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  8. "Throwing In The Towel: Brian Kenny Leaving ESPN In September". SportsBusiness Daily. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
  9. "The Top 5 Reasons You Can't Blame...(TV Series 1999-)". IMDb. IMDB. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  10. McCarthy, Michael. "Sugar Ray Leonard, Brian Kenny in talks to call DAZN fights, sources say". SportingNews.com. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  11. Appearance in Rocky Balboa: Filmography at the Internet Movie Database.
  12. Poe, Margaret. "'Extreme Makeover' tackles Geneva house". mpmnow.com. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  13. Yoder, Matt. "The rise, fall, and rise of Max Kellerman at ESPN". Awfulannouncing.com. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  14. Michael McCarthy (September 14, 2011). "One-on-one with Brian Kenny as he joins MLB Network". USA Today. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
  15. Francis, Bill. "Induction Weekend Begins With Ozzie Smith's PLAY BALL". Baseballhall.org. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  16. "Kenny, Swanson, Schiff, Jarvis win 2017 SABR Baseball Research Awards". SABR.org. Society for American Baseball Research. April 7, 2017. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  17. Lepore, Steve (March 21, 2013). "NBC Sports Radio completes lineup with Brian Kenny". SB Nation. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  18. "Brian Kenny". SportsOnEarth.com. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  19. Rosner, Ron. "Former Kingston resident, MLB Network host Brian Kenny 'Ahead of the Curve' with book on Sabermetrics". DailyFreeman.com. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
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