#MoversandShakers #LenBerman #WhomYouKnow MOVERS and SHAKERS: Len Berman, Emmy-Award winning broadcaster and New York Times Best Selling Author and Co-host "Len Berman and Michael Riedel in the Morning." WOR Radio 710 iHeart Media @LenBermanSports @LenMichaelWOR @TheEmmys @710WOR @iHeartRadio Our Coverage Sponsored by Cosmopolitan Dental, Official Dentist of Whom You Know @GaroNazarianDDS #cosmopolitandental #loveyoursmile
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Len Berman is an Emmy-Award winning broadcaster and New York Times Best Selling Author who has covered just about every major sports event including multiple Super Bowls, World Series and Olympics during his 50-year career in broadcasting.
He is the creator of “Spanning the World,” a monthly collection of sports bloopers, a staple of NBC’s Today Show. He is also the creator of “Sports Fantasy,” which aired on NBC and pitted regular viewers against famous sports stars.
He joined NBC Sports in 1982 where he hosted a Super Bowl and a World Series. He was a long-time sports anchor for WNBC-TV, the recipient of eight Emmy Awards and a 6-time winner of New York Sportscaster of the Year. Before joining NBC he worked in Dayton Ohio and Boston where he called Celtics game on television along side Hall of Famer Bob Cousy.
His credits include HBO Sports, WCBS-TV sports as well as being the original TV voice of the Big East Conference.
He has written six books (five of them for young readers). The Greatest Moments in Sports (Sourcebooks) made the New York Times Best Seller List.
He is currently the co-host of “Len Berman and Michael Riedel in the Morning” on 710 WOR Radio in New York City.
A native New Yorker, he graduated from Syracuse University where he began his broadcasting career at WAER Radio. He later received a Masters Degree from the Newhouse School.
WAER marks his third Hall of Fame having been previously inducted into the New York State Broadcasters Hall of Fame and the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.
He resides on Long Island with his wife, Jill. They have three children. We are absolutely thrilled to present Len Berman as our latest Mover and Shaker! Peachy Deegan, who started off in sports and loves them, interviewed Len for Whom You Know.
Peachy Deegan:
What is your first sports memory?
Len Berman: The 1954 World Series. We were playing in the playground and the older kids were talking about a catch that Willie Mays made at the Polo Grounds. Turned out to be arguably the greatest catch in World Series history.
What do sports mean to you?
Competition and drama. The richer the drama, the better the story.
What are your favorite sports to play and participate in and what do you enjoy about them?
I play golf. You are constantly competing with yourself. There’s no one else to “blame.”
What are your favorite sports to professionally cover?
The Olympics, particularly minor sports like biathlon and archery for example. Four years of training and your moment is over in a blink for better or worse.
What are the greatest five moments in sports history over time and why?
In American sports the 1980 U.S. hockey team beating the Russians at Lake Placid and then winning the gold medal is #1. An upset of monumental proportions. A group of kids beating grizzled veterans. And in no particular order I'd also choose:
Super Bowl III, Jets beating Baltimore. The AFL upstarts were overwhelming underdogs.
Villanova beating Georgetown for the 1985 NCAA basketball championship. Nobody gave them a chance.
Babe Ruth’s famous “called shot” in the 1932 World Series at Wrigley Field. To this day nobody knows if he really pointed.
The 1969 Miracle Mets winning the World Series. Two major events happened in 1969. Man walked on the moon and the Mets won the World Series. To this day only one of them is called a miracle, the sports event.
Today’s world can be quite divisive but we believe sports unites people. Do you agree and why or why not?
I do agree. There are no politics. No gray areas. In sports you either win or lose. It’s not a matter of opinion. Think back to that 1980 hockey game. Chants of “U-S-A, U-S-A" were heard all across the country.
How do you like being on the radio as opposed to being on tv and what do you find are the pros and cons of each?
Very different. On TV the pictures tell the story. On radio you have to paint the word picture. You might reach more people on TV but on Radio you have more time to tell your story. There aren’t the strict time constraints. You might have 3 minutes on a TV newscast but 4 hours on a radio show. And for the listener and broadcaster, radio is more “intimate.”
What should everyone know about Len and Michael?
We have different political beliefs and we both have vast interests outside of the political arena. Michael is a Broadway legend in the New York Post. And I’m known for sports. We have one common goal. To have a fun, entertaining morning show. We hope to make the commute a bit more palatable.
We know in Manhattan you can listen to Len and Michael from 6am to 10am weekdays on 710am WOR however if you are beyond this geography, how would one listen to your show? The free iHeart radio app. You can hear us virtually anywhere in the world.
What athletes that you have worked with firsthand are the best human beings in your opinion and what makes them so?
I’ll choose two out of many. Boston Celtics great John Havlicek and former Yankees first baseman Don Mattingly. They were both superstars yet humble, gracious and approachable. And they didn’t charge for autographs. They were good people first. Great athletes second.
What are you proudest of in “Spanning the World”?
Bringing people laughs. You didn’t have to be a sports fan to enjoy Spanning. Of all the things I’ve done people recognize me most for Spanning.
What are you proudest of in “Sports Fantasy”?
We allowed the “common man” to challenge superstars. My favorite moment was a wheelchair basketball game between a Chicago teenager confined to his chair beating Michael Jordan who also played in a wheelchair. It was wonderful.
What did you love most about writing your books and the end results?
Writing books is similar to being on the air. It’s all about the story telling. It’s just a longer form. And I got a huge kick out of landing on the New York Times Best Seller list for “Greatest Moments in Sports.” Many of my books were for young readers. And I had adults tell me they didn’t realize it. I take pride in bridging the generations.
We love the Big East Conference and quite concur with our buddy Mickey Curley in terming it wicked awesome (it was for Boston College!). What did you love about covering the Big East?
It was the beginning of the conference and great players like Patrick Ewing of Georgetown and Chris Mullin of St. John’s stayed in college for 4 years, unlike today’s “one and done.” Talk about building rivalries.
What do you love most about your wife and what should everyone know about her?
She’s quite simply the nicest person I’ve ever met. She treats everyone the same from the gardener to Donald Trump. And she’s met both of them.
What do you love most about your kids – each- and what should everyone know about each of them?
I’m very private about my kids. I can honestly say they are all “good hard working people.” And that’s what I’m proudest of.
What is it like to be on the air with Michael Riedel and what can you teach him about social media?
We have fun on the air and like each other’s company. As far as teaching him about social media or sports? He’s hopeless.
What or who has had the most influence on your pursuit of excellence?
My wife and parents. My father was the most honest person I ever met. And my mom was the “grammarian” of the family. My wife keeps me grounded.
What are you proudest of and why?
I’m proud that I’ve had the chance to do just about everything in the world of sports broadcasting. I’m always pleased that non-sports fans tell me they enjoy my work. And after leaving WNBC-TV I was able to reinvent myself in the news/talk radio genre.
What would you like to do professionally that you have not yet had the opportunity to do?
I can’t think of anything.
What honors and awards have you received in your profession?
I’ve received 8 Emmy Awards and 6 “New York State Sportscaster of the Year awards.” I’ve been inducted into 3 Halls of Fame. The New York State Broadcasters Hall of Fame. The National Sports Jewish Hall of Fame. And the WAER Radio Hall of Fame. (My College radio station at Syracuse.)
What one word best describes you and why?
I would hope it would be “honest.” That’s how I’ve approached my work
What do you take your sense of identity from?
Family/religion/friends.
What is your favorite place to be in Manhattan?
My grandson’s apartment.
What is your favorite shop in Manhattan?
Barney’s New York.
If you could hire anybody who would it be and why?
Any of my 3 kids. I think they are wonderfully hard working and they could rise to any occasion.
What is your favorite drink?
Vodka on the rocks with a drizzle of cranberry.
What is the funniest thing that has ever happened to you at a cocktail party?
Several years ago my wife and I spent 10 minutes talking with Donald and Melania Trump. Never in a million years did I think we were talking to a future president and first lady.
What is your favorite restaurant in Manhattan?
Daniel
What is your favorite Manhattan book or favorite character in Manhattan literature?
The Godfather
Who would you like to be for a day and why?
I’d like to be the Yankees centerfielder and hit a home run at Yankee Stadium like my hero Mickey Mantle.
If you could have anything in Manhattan named after you what would it be and why?
Why not Madison Square Garden? I spent more time there than anywhere else.
What has been your best Manhattan athletic experience?
Covering the New York City Marathon. The best day in New York City.
What is your favorite thing to do in Manhattan that you can do nowhere else?
Broadway shows.
If you could have dinner with any person living or passed, who would it be and why?
Paul McCartney, my wife’s all-time favorite. Can a bring my wife?
What has been your best Manhattan art or music experience?
I sang in the All City Chorus while a student at Stuyvesant High School. We performed our year end concert at Carnegie Hall and the next year at Lincoln Center.
What do you personally do or what have you done to give back to the world?
I hope I’ve educated and entertained. At least that’s what a lot of people tell me I’ve done.
What do you think is most underrated and overrated in Manhattan?
Underrated: the subway system.
Overrated: street corner hot dogs.
Other than Movers and Shakers of course, what is your favorite WhomYouKnow.com column and what do you like about it?
Peachy on the Links! Love playing and reading about golf. Good insight Peachy. Fore!
What else should Whom You Know readers know about you?
I’ve been married to the love of my life for almost 49 years. And I’m also crazy about my kids (3) and grandkids (3).
How would you like to be contacted by Whom You Know readers?
