Tom Hammond

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For former NBA player, see Tom Hammonds.

Tom Hammond (born May 10, 1944 in Lexington, Kentucky) is an American sportscaster for NBC television. Hammond is one of the network's staple on-air presenters, along with Bob Costas and Dan Hicks. Hammond is also the chief play-by-play commentator for Lincoln Financial Sports' coverage of Southeastern Conference men's college basketball. He has known his color commentator on the Lincoln Financial broadcasts, Larry Conley, since junior high school.

Hammond's duties at NBC involve covering many sports. He is the main host of the network's thoroughbred racing coverage, in addition to serving as the main play-by-play announcer for NBC's Notre Dame football coverage. He was also the lead play-by-play man for The AFL on NBC. Hammond is also very much involved in NBC's Olympic Games coverage. At the Summer Olympics, Hammond is the chief commentator for track and field, a position he has held since the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, where his broadcast partner that year was O. J. Simpson, who ran track at the University of Southern California. Hammond has since said that, despite the personal problems Simpson would have two years later, he and Simpson were great friends and got along well. Hammond also commentates on other track and field events shown on NBC. At the Winter Olympics, Hammond is the main commentator for figure skating and ice dancing.

Hammond's past work at NBC includes doing play-by-play commentary for The NBA on NBC and The NFL on NBC. He also called gymnastics, the WNBA, and the Orange Bowl. Hammond never did call the XFL, though, as NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol said to someone who asked if Hammond would be an XFL commentator, "Anyone that needs credibility will not be doing XFL."

Tom's tenure at NBC began in 1984, when he was named as a co-host of the inaugural Breeders' Cup alongside Dick Enberg. It was supposed to be a one-shot deal for Hammond, but NBC execs were so impressed, he ended up getting a long-term contract.

Over the past few years, Hammond's health has somewhat deteriorated. On March 24, 2001, under two months before NBC was supposed to broadcast the Kentucky Derby for the very first time, he underwent an operation for diverticulitis, a disease that affects the colon. During the surgery, a portion of Hammond's colon was removed. However, even with the short amount of time between the Derby and his operation, Hammond managed to get healthy enough to make his dream of broadcasting his homestate's most famous sporting event become a reality on May 5, 2001.

Hammond wasn't so lucky in October 2002, when he underwent open-heart surgery. He ended up missing the Breeders' Cup that year. Bob Costas took Hammond's place at the hosting desk. It is the only Breeders' Cup Hammond has not yet been a part of. Costas is, by the way, already a part of NBC's Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing and Breeders' Cup coverage, working as mainly the "story set-up man."

Tom is a 1967 graduate of the University of Kentucky, earning a bachelor's degree in animal science. He and his wife, Sheilagh, have three grown children, sons David and Christopher, and daughter Ashley. David has followed in his father's footsteps, becoming a radio commentator for Syracuse University's basketball and football teams, but now working as a play-by-play announcer for The AFL on NBC. Tom Hammond has criticized ESPN's SportsCenter, calling it a "comedy show."

[edit] Quotes

• "...Johnson is fouled...AND HITS! Larry Johnson has hit his career quota of wild shots!"- Said during Game 3 of the 1999 Eastern Conference Finals between the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers when Knick forward Larry Johnson was fouled by Antonio Davis. The Knicks were down by three, and the four point play gave them the game.

[edit] External links

• "Making the Call"-a February 2001 cover story from Kentucky Business Online, a story that was written by Tom's half-brother, Claude Hammond
• "Shades of Williamsburg"-a May 4, 2002 story about the Hammonds' home in Lexington from The Courier-Journal