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Dick Enberg: Oh My!
What does a play-by-play announcer do when he loses his voice during a basketball telecast? If you are Dick Enberg, suffering from a cold with a voice reduced to croaks and whispers as you try to call your fourth game in two days, you turn to your broadcast partner, the eccentric Al McGuire, during a commercial and ask him to take over. You have never missed a game, but your voice is nearly gone, and you fear the squawking sound that is left must be driving viewers crazy. You get no sympathy from McGuire, however. He shakes his head at your plea. "Dicksie," he says, "if you’re goin', I'm goin'." So you have no choice. You finish the game. In 50 years of broadcasting, it is the only time that Enberg has come close to missing even one minute of a broadcast. A tireless worker whose boyish enthusiasm for sports has never diminished, he is the most versatile sportscaster in America. He has called everything from baseball to tennis in a career that has taken him not only all over the country, but also all over the world. Since he first walked into a radio station to apply for the job of janitor (and wound up on the air), Enberg has called football games in weather so frigid that his coffee froze before he could drink it, been challenged to a fight by an irate baseball player, led the Notre Dame band in a rendition of "The 1812 Overture," and been threatened with ejection at Wimbledon because he was shouting too loudly into his microphone. Those stories and hundreds more are told in Dick Enberg, Oh My!, with wit and candor, as Enberg not only relives some of sport's greatest moments, but takes readers into the booth and behind the camera. "Sportscasting is a kid's dream come true," he says, "which is one of the reasons that I keep doing it. I can't let my dream go. I'm still in love with what I do." Dick Enberg, Oh My! also includes an in-depth interview with Dick Enberg that will take readers Beyond the Book. This very candid, personal interview will give fans even more insight into Dick's life. Highlights from the DVD include hilarious stories about some of the biggest names in the history of sports. This is a true must-see.
254 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 29, 2017
I love Dick Enberg anyway and when I realized he grew up near Detroit, like myself, I was dying to read his autobiography. I am glad I did, he did a great job putting his life and career on paper and bringing the reader into the world of sports.
Enberg is on a short list of national level announcers who endured many decades and many sports, so the stories and the experiences are priceless. I had no idea of his accomplishments before my fan hood (circa 1979) and was quite impressed to learn he was the voice of the Angels, Rams, and UCLA Basketball simultaneously for a decade.
He is a class act and he has written a class book, though it doesn't include his last job as the announcer for the Padres and his retirement last fall. It is on a par with the autobiographies I've read of Al Michaels and Howard Cosell, in my mind.
Enberg is on a short list of national level announcers who endured many decades and many sports, so the stories and the experiences are priceless. I had no idea of his accomplishments before my fan hood (circa 1979) and was quite impressed to learn he was the voice of the Angels, Rams, and UCLA Basketball simultaneously for a decade.
He is a class act and he has written a class book, though it doesn't include his last job as the announcer for the Padres and his retirement last fall. It is on a par with the autobiographies I've read of Al Michaels and Howard Cosell, in my mind.
January 19, 2018
A breezy fun read. RIP Dick Enberg. A true spinner of tales. Glad I spent so many late nights listening to him wax poetic during West Coast Padres games. It was fun to read his tales from the booth, he had a great seat for many a sports moment, and along with wandering through this tome I have gone back and forth to YouTube to hear his calls, see some of his specials, listen to his stories. This was a good book and I am glad he told his story.
July 18, 2017
Fire Up, Chips!
November 27, 2018
an excellent autobiography by one of the best sports announcers. A fast paced, easy to read by a great story teller.
November 27, 2014
Dick Enberg is one of my favorite sports broadcasters and should rank as one of the best all-time. However, this autobiography was somewhat disappointing. I wanted more insights into how he did his job, especially the NFL and Super Bowls. Enberg also covered several Olympics and very little was spent in the book on that part of his career. (Enberg was reportedly considered to be the prime-time host of the U.S.-boycotted Moscow Summer Olympics in 1980. NBC ended up cancelling its prime time coverage.) Still, it's an important part of sports history and I would have liked to have read about Enberg's memories and insights.
I only watched a portion of the DVD that accompanies the book. Unless, I'm mistaken it should have shown Enberg's most memorable calls and broadcasts. Basically, I wanted a miniature highlight reel. An Oh My! factor is somewhat lacking overall here.
I only watched a portion of the DVD that accompanies the book. Unless, I'm mistaken it should have shown Enberg's most memorable calls and broadcasts. Basically, I wanted a miniature highlight reel. An Oh My! factor is somewhat lacking overall here.
August 14, 2012
Picked this book up on a whim from one of the used bookstores in the area and Oh My! this book was a very good read.
I've always enjoyed Dick Enberg and his sportscasting over the years...this is his story from his beginnings in Michigan to his years working in College Basketball alongside Al McGuire to his other sportscasting duties.
Its a very easy read and there is also the CD that comes with it (will be listening to that at my leisure soon enough).
Definitely recommended for the sports nut...especially with the whos who that hes met and worked with over the years (Merlin Olsen, John McEnroe, Chris Everet, and others)....when you get done with this book, I'll bet you'll be saying "Oh My!"
I've always enjoyed Dick Enberg and his sportscasting over the years...this is his story from his beginnings in Michigan to his years working in College Basketball alongside Al McGuire to his other sportscasting duties.
Its a very easy read and there is also the CD that comes with it (will be listening to that at my leisure soon enough).
Definitely recommended for the sports nut...especially with the whos who that hes met and worked with over the years (Merlin Olsen, John McEnroe, Chris Everet, and others)....when you get done with this book, I'll bet you'll be saying "Oh My!"
June 23, 2012
If you are a Dick Enberg fan, this book is a must-read but even the casual sports fan would enjoy this behind-the-scenes view of sports broadcasting. My only regret is I don't have the CD. I would love a CD with some of his best calls. He is truly one of the best ever. I read this book in two days because I couldn't put it down.
July 14, 2014
I've enjoyed Enberg's work over the years but after reading this I almost don't like him. I guess I have a problem with autobiographies. Only one I've ever liked was Ben Franklin's.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews