Tom Hammond | |
|---|---|
| Born | Thomas Taylor Hammond (1944-05-10)May 10, 1944 (age 81) Lexington, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Kentucky |
| Occupation | Sports commentator |
| Years active | 1984–2021 |
| Employers |
|
| Television | NBC Sports (1984–2021) |
| Spouse | Sheleigh Hammond |
| Children | 3 |
Thomas Taylor Hammond (born May 10, 1944[1]) is an American formersports commentator. Hammond began working withNBC Sports in 1984. Hammond coveredThoroughbred Racing on NBC andNotre Dame Football on NBC.
Hammond also served as the play-by-play announcer for NBC's coverage oftrack and field at theSummer Olympic Games and speed skating events during the2018 Winter Olympics.
While working at WLEX-TV in Lexington, Kentucky, Hammond's tenure at NBC began in 1984, when he was named as a co-host of the inauguralBreeders' Cup alongsideDick Enberg. It was supposed to be a one-shot deal for Hammond, but network execs were so impressed, he ended up getting a long-term contract. He was the main host of the network'sthoroughbred racing coverage[2] untilMike Tirico took over in 2017.[3]
Hammond's duties at NBC expanded to covering many other sports. He was the network's play-by-play voice for its coverage of Notre Dame football alongside analystsPat Haden orMike Mayock from 2000 to 2012. He was also the lead play-by-play man forThe AFL on NBC.
From the 1985 NFL season until NBC lost theNFL on NBC after 1997 season, Hammond had a regular slot working regional Sunday games.
Hammond was considered the leading play-by-play candidate when NBC won the bidding forSunday night NFL coverage beginning with the 2006 season, but ended up losing out to formerABC announcerAl Michaels after the latter signed with NBC. Hammond teamed withCris Collinsworth to call the secondary Saturday Wild Card playoff game for NBC each year, includingChiefs-Colts in January 2007,Redskins-Seahawks in 2008, andFalcons-Cardinals in 2009, but teamed withJoe Gibbs andJoe Theismann for theJets-Bengals Wild Card playoff game in January 2010.[4] His final wild card game was Bengals-Texans on January 1, 2012.[5]
Hammond and Collinsworth also serve as the announcing team on theMadden NFL 09 video game in 2008 and 2009,[6]Madden NFL 10.[7]
Hammond also has been very much involved in NBC'sOlympic Games coverage. At theSummer Olympics, Hammond served as the chief commentator fortrack and field, a position for which he debuted at the1992 Summer Olympics inBarcelona, where his broadcast partner that year wasO. J. Simpson. Hammond has since said that, prior to theO. J. Simpson murder case, he and Simpson were great friends and got along well. Hammond also commentates on other track and field events shown on NBC.
Hammond continued as the lead track and field commentator for the NBC through the2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.
At theWinter Olympics, Hammond was the main commentator forfigure skating andice dancing[8] from the2002 Winter Olympics through the2014 Winter Olympics.
For the2018 Winter Olympics, Hammond moved to cover Speed Skating in what would be his final Olympic games.
Hammond was a play by play announcer for theNBA on NBC for its entire run from 1990 through 2002. In the final years of NBA coverage he often worked a memorable three man booth withSteve "Snapper" Jones andBill Walton.[9]
In 1980, Hammond began regionally broadcastingSoutheastern Conference basketball games. He continued with this package with various rights holders includingTVS, Sports Productions Inc.,Lorimar,Jefferson-Pilot,Lincoln Financial andRaycom Sports. Hammond concluded his work on SEC games at the end of the 2008–09 season after whichESPN became the rightsholder.[10]
He was the first recipient of the annual Outstanding Kentuckian Award given by the A.B. Chandler Foundation, is a charter member of the Lafayette High School Hall of Fame and has been inducted into the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame, University of Kentucky Hall of Distinguished Alumni and Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame. Inducted into the KY Pro Football HOF in 2006.[11]
| Year | Title | Role | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980–2009 | Regional SEC Basketball | Play-by-play | Various |
| 1984–2016 | Thoroughbred Racing on NBC | Host | NBC |
| 1985–1998 | NFL on NBC | Play-by-play | |
| 1990–2002 | NBA on NBC | ||
| 1992–2018 | NBC Olympics | ||
| 2000–2012 | College Football on NBC | ||
| 2003–2006 | AFL on NBC | ||
| 2006–2012 | NFL on NBC | ||
| 2007 | Thursday Night Football | Play-by-play (fill-in) | NFL Network |
Tom Hammond hosts NBC's horse racing coverage, including the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes, as well as Summer at Saratoga and Autumn at Keeneland.
