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Home , Cawood Ledford, Craig Bolerjack, Dan Shaughnessy, Frank Deford, Grantland Rice, John Forslund

Contact: Dave Goren, Executive Director [email protected] PO Box 5394 336-655-2976 Winston-Salem, NC 27113 nationalsportsmedia.org

PATRICK, VERDUCCI, WILBON VOTED TO NSMA HALL OF FAME HARLAN, WOJNAROWSKI WIN NAT'L AWARDS CARAY, LEDFORD, YOUNG ALSO VOTED TO HALL 110 WIN STATE SPORTSCASTER, SPORTSWRITER OF YEAR AWARDS

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (January 13, 2020) – Dan Patrick, , and have been voted into the National Sports Media Association Hall of Fame, NSMA executive director Dave Goren announced.

Three deceased legends, , , and Dick Young will also enter the Hall, the results of the annual vote of the NSMA's membership.

The NSMA will also honor the 2019 national sportscaster of the year, , 2019 national sportswriter of the year, Adrian Wojnarowski, and 110 state sportscasters and sportswriters of the year from 49 states, plus the District of Columbia. They will be honored at the 61st annual NSMA awards banquet, June 29, 2020 in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Patrick, host of , got his start in local television, before becoming a sports reporter at CNN. But it was after moving to ESPN and teaming with on the network's nightly SportsCenter shows that he made his mark. After leaving ESPN, Patrick went out on his own with nationally-syndicated radio show. The show is now in more than 300 markets in the U.S., and is simulcast on TV. Patrick is a two-time winner of the NSMA's national sportscaster of the year award.

Verducci is senior writer at , where has written for 27 years. Winner of three straight NSMA national sportswriter of the year awards, he has branched out to television in the last decade, serving as a baseball analyst and sideline reporter for FOX Sports, , and the MLB Network. Verducci is also the author of several books.

Wilbon began his newspaper career at The Washington Post in 1980. While serving as a reporter and columnist in 2001, he ventured into television, co-hosting with Post colleague , a 2019 NSMA Hall

“We Tell America’s Sports Stories” The National Sports Media Association, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization of Fame inductee. Wilbon left the Post for a full-time position at ESPN in 2010. During that time, he has filled several reporting and analyst roles.

Caray joins his father, , to become the first father and son duo elected to the NSMA Hall of Fame. After starting out calling play-by-play for St. Louis University and the St. Louis Hawks, Caray moved to to call ' games on WTBS. WTBS became one of the first local stations carried on other cable systems throughout the country. As a result, Caray became one of the most well-known faces and voices in televised sports. His 33-year career with the Braves ended upon his death in 2008.

Ledford was the 39-year "voice" of the University of Wildcats, calling Wildcats' basketball and football games on a network that stretched beyond the borders of the Commonwealth. Ledford also called play-by-play on the national broadcast of the NCAA Men's Final Four on the CBS Radio Network, as well as several Kentucky Derbies. Ledford died in 2001.

Young spent 45 years as a sportswriter and columnist at the Daily News, before moving to the rival New York Post in 1982. Known for his abrasive personality and style, Young was elected to the writers' wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1978, and was a former president of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. He died in 1987.

NATIONAL AWARDS

Now a two-time winner of the NSMA national sportscaster of the year award, Harlan can be seen and heard on several platforms. He calls NFL football and college basketball on CBS, the NBA on Turner Sports, and on . He spent his early career in Kansas City, where he was the radio and TV voice of the NBA’s Kansas City Kings, then called college basketball on the University of Radio Network, and spent nine seasons as the radio voice of the NFL’s .

Wojnarowski becomes the sixth person to win three straight NSMA national sportswriter of the year awards, joining Verducci, Rick Reilly, , Jim Murray, and . Now ESPN's Senior NBA Insider, "Woj" had a newspaper career that included stops at The Record (Bergen County, NJ), Fresno Bee, and Waterbury Republican-American, before a near 10-year stint at . The two-time winner of the Sports Editors’ “Columnist of the Year” award is also an award-winning author.

NOTABLE AMONG STATE WINNERS

“We Tell America’s Sports Stories” The National Sports Media Association, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization

● University radio play-by-play announcer Don Fischer was voted Indiana sportscaster of the year for the 27th time;

● Jack Ebling, a three-time Michigan sportswriter of the year, was voted Michigan sportscaster of the year for the second time;

● Davis Potter, who won the 2015 sportswriter of the year award, was voted Wyoming sportscaster of the year for the first time;

● John Canzano, who won five Oregon sportswriter of the year awards, was voted Oregon sportscaster of the year for the second time.

HALL OF FAME, NATIONAL AND STATE WINNERS

2020 Hall of Fame Inductees HALL OF FAME SPORTSCASTERS Skip Caray, Atlanta Braves TV (D) Cawood Ledford, Univ of Kentucky radio (D) Dan Patrick, ESPN, NBC Sports, The Dan Patrick Show

HALL OF FAME SPORTSWRITERS Tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated, Newsday, Today Mike Wilbon, Washington Post Dick Young, New York Daily News (D)

2019National Winners NATIONAL SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR Kevin Harlan, CBS, Turner, Westwood One (2)

NATIONAL SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN (3)

2019 State Winners SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR JD Byars, U. of S. Alabama/Jaguar Sports Properties, Mobile (1) ALABAMA SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR Cecil Hurt, Tuscaloosa News, TideSports.com, Tuscaloosa (3)

ARIZONA SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR Dave Pasch, Radio Network/ESPN, Phoenix (4) ARIZONA SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR (TIE) Doug Haller, The Athletic, Phoenix (3) “We Tell America’s Sports Stories” The National Sports Media Association, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization

Caitlin Schmidt, Arizona Daily Star, Tucson (1)

ARKANSAS SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR Steve Sullivan, KATV-TV, Little Rock (4)

ARKANSAS SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR (TIE) Bob Holt, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/arkansasonline.com, Fayetteville (3)

CALIFORNIA SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR Dave Flemming, SF Giants TV/Radio/ ESPN, San Francisco (1) CALIFORNIA SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR Sam Farmer, , Los Angeles (2)

COLORADO SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR Troy Renck, KMGH-TV, Denver (1) COLORADO SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR Ryan O'Halloran, Denver Post, Denver (1)

CONNECTICUT SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR Wayne Norman, UConn Sports Properties/Learfield IMG College/WILI-AM/97.9 ESPN, Hartford (1) CONNECTICUT SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR Dave Borges, Hearst Connecticut Media, New Haven (1)

DELAWARE SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR Scott Klatzkin, Blue Hens Radio Network/Learfield IMG College, Newark (4) DELAWARE SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR Kevin Tresolini, The News Journal, Wilmington (12)

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR Dave Johnson, Wizards/WTOP Radio/NBC 4/DC United, Washington(1) DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR (TIE) Thomas Boswell, Washington Post, Washington (2) Brittany Ghiroli, The Athletic, Washington (1)

FLORIDA SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR Steve Goldstein, Panthers/FOX Sports Florida, (1) FLORIDA SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR Dave Hyde, South Florida Sun Sentinel, Ft. Lauderdale (3)

GEORGIA SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR Steve Holman Radio Network, Atlanta (3) SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR Steve Hummer, Atlanta Journal Constitution, Atlanta (11) “We Tell America’s Sports Stories” The National Sports Media Association, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization

HAWAII SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR Bobby Curran, ESPN Honolulu, Honolulu (6) HAWAII SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR Stephen Tsai, Honolulu Star Advertiser, Honolulu (7)

IDAHO SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR Bob Behler, Bronco Sports Properties/Learfield IMG College, Boise (5) IDAHO SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR B.J. Rains, Idaho Press, Nampa (3)

ILLINOIS SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR , Blackhawks/NBC Sports (1) ILLINOIS SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, Chicago (3)

INDIANA SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR Don Fischer, IU Sports Properties/Learfield IMG College, Bloomington (27) INDIANA SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR Gregg Doyel, Indianapolis Star, Indianapolis (3)

IOWA SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR Gary Dolphin, Hawkeye Sports Properties/Learfield IMG College, Iowa City (3) IOWA SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR Mike Hlas, Cedar Rapids Gazette, Cedar Rapids (6)

KANSAS SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR Wyatt Thompson, K-State Sports Properties/Learfield IMG College, Manhattan (5) KANSAS SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR Rick Peterson, Topeka Capital-Journal, Topeka (4)

KENTUCKY SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR (TIE) Tom Leach, UK Sports Network, Lexington (6) KENTUCKY SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR Mark Story, Lexington Herald-Leader, Lexington (2)

LOUISIANA SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR Ken Trahan, Cumulus NO/Crescent City Sports, New Orleans (1) LOUISIANA SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR (TIE) Jeff Duncan, The Athletic, New Orleans (1) Les East, Crescent City Sports, New Orleans (2)

MAINE SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR Bill Green, WCSH-TV, Portland (3) MAINE SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR Travis Lazarczyk, Morning Sentinel, Kennebec (1) “We Tell America’s Sports Stories” The National Sports Media Association, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization

MARYLAND SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR Pete Gilbert, WBAL-TV/Radio, (3) MARYLAND SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR Pat Stoetzer, Carroll County Times, Westminster (1)

MASSACHUSETTS SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR , Red Sox/NESN (2) SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR (TIE) Mike Reiss, ESPN.com (Boston), (1) , , Boston (14)

MICHIGAN SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR Jack Ebling, Spotlight Radio Network & Fox 47, Lansing (2)* MICHIGAN SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press, Detroit (3)

MINNESOTA SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR Mike Grimm, Gopher Radio Network/Learfield IMG College, Minneapolis(4) MINNESOTA SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR (TIE) LaVelle E. Neal III, Minneapolis Star Tribune (1) Michael Russo, The Athletic, Minneapolis (4)

MISSISSIPPI SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR Bart Gregory, MSU Bulldog Sports Properties/Learfield IMG College, SEC Network, Starkville (1) MISSISSIPPI SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR Rick Cleveland, Syndicated Columnist, Jackson (12)

MISSOURI SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR Mike Kelly, Mizzou Sports Properties/Learfield IMG College, Columbia (7) MISSOURI SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR Dave Matter, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis

MONTANA SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR Riley Corcoran, Grizzly Sports Properties/Learfield IMG College, Missoula (2) MONTANA SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR Greg Rachac, 406MTSports.com, Billings (5)

NEBRASKA SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR Matt Lothrop, KETV-TV, Omaha (1) NEBRASKA SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR Parker Gabriel, Journal Star, Lincoln (1)

NEVADA SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR Chris Maathuis, KLAS-TV, Las Vegas (3) NEVADA SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR “We Tell America’s Sports Stories” The National Sports Media Association, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization

Dave Schoen, Las Vegas Review-Journal, Las Vegas (1)

NEW HAMPSHIRE SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR Justin McIsaac, Wildcat Sports Properties/Learfield IMG College, Durham (2) SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR Mike Zhe, Portsmouth Herald, Portsmouth (2)

NEW JERSEY SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR Mike Frankel, Jersey Sports Zone, Trenton (1) NEW JERSEY SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR Steve Politi, NJ Advance Media, Newark (2)

NEW MEXICO SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR Jack Nixon, NM State Sports Properties/Learfield IMG College, Las Cruces (5) NEW MEXICO SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR Will Webber, Santa Fe New Mexican, Santa Fe (2)

NEW YORK SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR , Brooklyn Nets/YES Network/CBS Sports, (5) NEW YORK SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR Mike Vaccaro, New York Post (3)

NORTH CAROLINA SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR (TIE) , TV/, Raleigh (2) David Glenn, David Glenn Show (2) SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR Ed Hardin, News & Record, Greensboro (4)

NORTH DAKOTA SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR Dom Izzo, WDAY-TV, Fargo (1) NORTH DAKOTA SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR Tom Miller, Grand Forks Herald, Grand Forks (1)

OHIO SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR Dan Hoard, Bengals Radio/Bearcats Sports Properties/Learfield IMG College, (3) SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR Paul Daugherty, Cincinnati Enquirer, Cincinnati (2)

OKLAHOMA SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR John Holcomb, KOTV-TV & Cowboy Sports Properties/Learfield IMG College, Tulsa (3) OKLAHOMA SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR Bill Haisten, Tulsa World (2)

OREGON SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR John Canzano, 750-AM The Game (Portland), 1050-AM (Eugene), 960-AM (Klamath Falls) (2)** OREGON SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR “We Tell America’s Sports Stories” The National Sports Media Association, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization

Jason Quick, The Athletic, Portland (4)

PENNSYLVANIA SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR John Clark, NBC 10/NBC Sports Philadelphia, Philadelphia PENNSYLVANIA SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR Bob Ford, Philadelphia Daily News (7)

RHODE ISLAND SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR Ruthie Polinsky, WPRI-TV, Providence (1) RHODE ISLAND SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR Kevin McNamara, Providence Journal, Providence (2)

SOUTH CAROLINA SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR Scott Eisberg, WCIV-TV, Charleston (2) SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR (TIE) Manie Robinson, Greenville News, Greenville (2) Gene Sapakoff, Post and Courier, Charleston (7)

SOUTH DAKOTA SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR Scott Kooistra, KYNT-AM 1450, Yankton (1) SOUTH DAKOTA SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR Ryan Deal, Daily Republic, Mitchell (3)

TENNESSEE SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR Pete Weber, Predators Radio Network (102.5 The Game), Nashville (7) SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR Teresa Walker, Associated Press, Nashville (3)

TEXAS SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR (TIE) Dale Hansen, WFAA-TV, Dallas (4) John Morris, Baylor Bear Sports Properties/Learfield IMG College, Waco (1) TEXAS SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR (TIE) Kirk Bohls, Austin American-Statesman, Austin (5) Jenny Creech, Houston Chronicle (1)

UTAH SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR Craig Bolerjack, Jazz/AT&T SportsNet, (2) SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR Gordon Monson, Salt Lake Tribune, Salt Lake City (2)

VERMONT SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR Lauren Walsh, WFFF/WVNY-TV, Burlington (1) SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR Michael Beniash, Caledonian Record, St. Johnsbury (1) Austin Danforth, Burlington Free Press, Burlington (2)

“We Tell America’s Sports Stories” The National Sports Media Association, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization

VIRGINIA SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR Mike Burnop, Virginia Tech Sports Properties/Learfield IMG College, Blacksburg (1) VIRGINIA SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR David Teel, Daily Press, Newport News (13)

WASHINGTON SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR , Mariners/ROOT Sports, Seattle (2) WASHINGTON SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR Larry Stone, Seattle Times, Seattle (3)

WEST VIRGINIA SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR Steve Cotton, Thundering Herd Sports Properties/Learfield IMG College, Huntington (14) SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR Chuck McGill, Thundering Herd Illustrated/HerdZone.com, Huntington (8)

WISCONSIN SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR Matt Lepay, Badgers Sports Network/Learfield IMG College, FOX Sports , Madison (9) WISCONSIN SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR Tom Haudricourt, Journal Sentinel, Milwaukee (4)

WYOMING SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR Scott Mangold, KPOW Radio, Powell (1) WYOMING SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR Davis Potter, Casper Star-Tribune, Casper (1)***

* - Won Michigan Sportswriter of the Year award 3 times.

** - Won Oregon Sportswriter of Year 5 times.

*** - Won Mississippi Sportswriter of the Year award 1 time.

D - Deceased.

* * *

About the National Sports Media Association

The National Sports Media Association, Inc.is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, which seeks to develop educational opportunities for those who are interested in pursuing a career in sports media, through networking, interning, mentoring and scholarship programs. The NSMA also honors, preserves and celebrates the diverse legacy of sports media in the .

Founded in 1959 as the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association in Salisbury, N.C., the NSSA added its Hall of Fame in 1962, with as its first member. The organization rebranded to the National Sports Media

“We Tell America’s Sports Stories” The National Sports Media Association, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization

Association in 2016 and moved to Winston-Salem, N.C. one year later. For sponsorship and membership information, contact Dave Goren at [email protected].

“We Tell America’s Sports Stories” The National Sports Media Association, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization