Al Trautwig

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Al Trautwig is a commentator with the MSG Network, NBC, Versus, and USA Network. He does the pre-game and post-game shows for the New York Knicks and New York Rangers, as well as fill-in play-by-play for both teams.

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life

Trautwig was a stick-boy for the New York Islanders in their early days in the NHL and a ball boy for the New York Nets when they played in the ABA. Both teams used the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York for their home games.

[edit] Broadcasting career

In the 1980s, Trautwig hosted USA Network's coverage of the National Hockey League; one off-beat feature that he did was to interview a water fountain. He occasionally guest hosts the NHL on Versus studio program Hockey Central.

From 1991–2001 Al was host of the MSG Network NY Yankees pre and postgame show and also was in the booth for a few innings per game.

Trautwig was one of the original hosts for Classic Sports Network when it was founded in 1996.

He has co-anchored coverage of the Tour de France (from 2004 to 2007 on Versus (formerly OLN) and in the 1980s for ABC), the Olympics, and NBC's coverage of the Arena Football League.

Since 2000, Trautwig has taken over the spot long covered by John Tesh of hosting U.S. national and international gymnastics competitions, including the 2000, 2004, and 2008 Olympic games. Trautwig's co-hosts are former Olympic Gold medalist Tim Daggett and former Canadian champion gymnast Elfi Schlegel.

The 2000 New York Sportscaster of the Year, Trautwig has covered the last eight Olympic games, and has won New York Sports Emmys for his coverage of the Yankees, Knicks, and Rangers.

From 2005–2008, he also co-anchored USA Network's coverage of the US Open tennis tournament. Trautwig also had a cameo in the movie Cool Runnings as an announcer for the bobsled competition.

In 2006, he hosted the new MSG show called Al Trautwig's MSG Vault, which featured vintage and sometimes discovered lost footage of the New York Knicks and New York Rangers from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

In addition to his current duties, at the beginning of the 2006 football season Trautwig became a radio host as well, hosting the radio version of NBC's Football Night in America for Westwood One, which co-produces the show (called NBC NFL Sunday) with the network. However, Trautwig left the show in the middle of the season.

Trautwig was from 2004 through 2007 a cycling commentator for the Versus cable network's coverage of the Tour de France. Despite his years of experience as a broadcaster, he was sometimes criticized by cycling fans, for his occasionally uninformed commentary, and his tendency to compare the Tour to various mainstream sports he covers.

He also hosts NBC's coverage of the Ford Ironman World Championship, Foster Grant Ironman World Championship 70.3 and ING New York City Marathon.

Trautwig also hosts a weekly video podcast on television show Lost.

[edit] External links

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