American organization of sports media members
The
National Sports Media Association
(
NSMA
), formerly the
National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association
, is an organization of
sports media
members in the United States, and constitutes the American chapter of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS).
[1]
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
now serves as the headquarters for the NSMA, which is responsible for the organizing and counting of all the ballots for the National, State (49 states plus D.C.), and Hall of Fame winners. The organization had been based in
Salisbury, North Carolina
until 2017. There are now more than 100 inductees in the Hall of Fame.
[2]
The organization plans and funds the Annual Awards Program.
Former television sportscaster Dave Goren serves as the NSMA's executive director.
[3]
History
[
edit
]
The National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association (NSSA) was formed in 1959 by a local restaurant owner,
Pete DiMizio
, to honor regional
sportscasters
and
sportswriters
whom he had met at the Greensboro Open Golf Tournament in
Greensboro, North Carolina
. When DiMizio died,
Ed McKenzie
took over the leadership role and guided it through the expansion to a national association. Its first Annual Awards Program was held in
Salisbury, North Carolina
, on April 12, 1960.
Lindsey Nelson
was selected the 1959 National Sportscaster of the Year and
Red Smith
was voted the 1959 Sportswriter of the Year.
[4]
In 1962
Grantland Rice
was selected as the first Hall of Fame inductee. As Red Smith inducted Rice into the Hall of Fame, he said, "Who knows what will become of this Hall of Fame? It might never be heard from again. No matter, it cannot be improved, for it is perfect tonight with only Granny enshrined."
In April 1990, the NSSA celebrated its 31st Annual Awards Program, with
Chris Berman
of
ESPN
being selected as Sportscaster of the Year and
Peter Gammons
receiving the honor as Sportswriter of the Year. The Hall of Fame inductees were
Dave Anderson
,
Pulitzer Prize
winner from
The New York Times
, and
Jack Buck
, the long-time radio voice of the
St. Louis Cardinals
and a radio and television sportscaster for
CBS
.
Though located in Salisbury, "the NSSA office itself has bounced around town like a ping-pong ball."
[5]
The Hall of Fame opened officially on May 1, 2000 in the two-story, 10,000-square-foot former North Carolina Federal Savings and Loan building at 322 East Innes Street in Salisbury. When Claude Hampton became NSSA director, he was told the Hall of Fame was nothing more than a desk drawer with folders in the Chamber of Commerce building. He wanted an actual building and considered
Catawba College
as a location, but when he saw the branch of the failed bank in 1990, he made an offer which was accepted. The goal was to open the museum by 1992. A 23-foot sculpture of two
eagles
was moved from the bank to
Charlotte Motor Speedway
, but people wanted the eagles back, so they were returned and local people donated their services to put the eagles back and get the building ready. An opening reception and dedication took place in 1991. But due to lack of funding, it took ten years for the building to actually open. Until then, hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of memorabilia were stored in boxes. With the Hall of Fame open, visitors could hear
Babe Ruth
's
called shot
,
Hank Aaron
's
715th home run
, the
Ice Bowl
, the
1992 Duke-Kentucky game
, and young
Tiger Woods
on
The Mike Douglas Show
.
[6]
[7]
[8]
On November 1, 2005, Community Bank of
Rowan
(later part of
Yadkin Financial
) purchased the Innes Street location, opening its headquarters there in 2006. This required the NSSA to move to a temporary location on North Main Street in Salisbury, but visitors would not be allowed.
[7]
[9]
[10]
Veteran sports journalist Dave Goren, best known as sports director at
WXII-TV
in
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
, became NSSA executive director September 1, 2009. On December 1 of that year, the NSSA held a reception at its new office in 1,900 square feet at 325 Lee Street in Salisbury. The warehouse only included a few items such as shoes autographed by
Ralph Sampson
and a football signed by Berman; the rest remained in storage.
[5]
The NSSA has since moved to Summit Avenue in Salisbury, on the campus of Catawba College.
[11]
At the 54th annual program in June 2013,
Dan Patrick
of ESPN Radio received the award as National Sportscaster of the Year with
Peter King
of
Sports Illustrated
honored as National Sportswriter of the Year. The Hall of Fame inductees were
Mitch Albom
and
Dick Vitale
.
In June 2014, hockey broadcaster
Mike "Doc" Emrick
was voted National Sportscaster of the Year, with King repeating as National Sportswriter of the Year. Inducted into the Hall of Fame were sportscaster
Marv Albert
and sportswriter
Rick Reilly
.
Emrick and writer
Tom Verducci
were the national award winners honored on June 8, 2015. Four new
NSSA Hall of Fame
members were inducted: baseball writer
Hal McCoy
, basketball commentator
Bill Raftery
, sportswriter and sportscaster
Lesley Visser
and, posthumously, author, journalist and television personality
Dick Schaap
.
In April 2017, after 57 years in Salisbury, the National Sports Media Association moved to
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
.
[12]
Organization
[
edit
]
Our Mission
The National Sports Media Association, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit 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 United States.
Paul "Bear" Bryant Award
[
edit
]
The
Paul "Bear" Bryant Award
is an award that has been given annually since 1986 to
NCAA
college football
's national
coach of the year
. The Award was named in honor of longtime Alabama coach Bear Bryant after he died of a heart attack in 1983. It is voted on by the NSMA,
[13]
and proceeds from the awards ceremony benefit the
American Heart Association
. The College Football Coach of the Year Award began in 1957 and was renamed for Bryant in 1986. Bryant himself won the
AFCA Coach of the Year
award in 1961, 1971, and 1973. According to the official website:
The Paul "Bear" Bryant College Football Coaching Award ceremony is an exclusive event that honors a college football coach whose great accomplishments, both on and off the field, are legendary. The award recognizes the masters of coaching and allows them to take their deserved place in history beside other legends like Bear Bryant.
Clarence "Big House" Gaines Awards
[
edit
]
The NSMA established the Clarence "Big House" Gaines College Basketball Coach of the Year Awards in 2010, with the first presentation occurring in 2011.
[14]
The awards are presented to two head coaches ? one in
NCAA Division I
and one in
Division II
? at the annual NSMA awards banquet.
[14]
The purpose of the award is to recognize coaches who might not receive recognition from "mainstream outlets."
[14]
An NSMA committee votes after the end of the men's and women's championship tournaments.
[14]
The award is named for
Clarence Gaines
, the former head coach of
Winston-Salem State University
.
[14]
National Sportscaster of the Year
[
edit
]
- For list of winners, see footnote
[4]
- 1959 ?
Lindsey Nelson
(
NBC
)
- 1960 ? Lindsey Nelson (NBC)
- 1961 ? Lindsey Nelson (NBC)
- 1962 ? Lindsey Nelson (NBC)
- 1963 ?
Chris Schenkel
(
CBS
)
- 1964 ? Chris Schenkel (CBS)
- 1965 ?
Vin Scully
(
L. A. Dodgers
)
- 1966 ?
Curt Gowdy
(NBC)
- 1967 ? Chris Schenkel (
ABC
)
- 1968 ?
Ray Scott
(CBS)
- 1969 ? Curt Gowdy (NBC)
- 1970 ? Chris Schenkel (ABC)
- 1971 ? Ray Scott (CBS)
- 1972 ?
Keith Jackson
(ABC)
- 1973 ? Keith Jackson (ABC)
- 1974 ? Keith Jackson (ABC)
- 1975 ? Keith Jackson (ABC)
- 1976 ? Keith Jackson (ABC)
- 1977 ?
Pat Summerall
(CBS)
- 1978 ? Vin Scully (L.A. Dodgers, CBS)
- 1979 ?
Dick Enberg
(NBC)
- 1980 ? Dick Enberg (NBC) and
Al Michaels
(ABC)
- 1981 ? Dick Enberg (NBC)
- 1982 ? Vin Scully (L.A. Dodgers, CBS)
- 1983 ? Al Michaels (ABC)
- 1984 ?
John Madden
(CBS)
- 1985 ?
Bob Costas
(NBC)
- 1986 ? Al Michaels (ABC)
- 1987 ? Bob Costas (NBC)
- 1988 ? Bob Costas (NBC)
- 1989 ?
Chris Berman
(
ESPN
)
- 1990 ? Chris Berman (ESPN)
- 1991 ? Bob Costas (NBC)
- 1992 ? Bob Costas (NBC)
- 1993 ? Chris Berman (ESPN)
- 1994 ? Chris Berman (ESPN)
- 1995 ? Bob Costas (NBC)
- 1996 ? Chris Berman (ESPN)
- 1997 ? Bob Costas (NBC)
- 1998 ?
Jim Nantz
(CBS)
- 1999 ?
Dan Patrick
(ESPN)
- 2000 ? Bob Costas (NBC,
HBO
)
- 2001 ? Chris Berman (ESPN)
- 2002 ?
Joe Buck
(
Fox
)
- 2003 ? Joe Buck (Fox)
- 2004 ? Joe Buck (Fox)
- 2005 ? Jim Nantz (CBS)
- 2006 ? Joe Buck (Fox)
- 2007 ? Jim Nantz (CBS)
- 2008 ? Jim Nantz (CBS)
- 2009 ? Jim Nantz (CBS)
- 2010 ?
Mike Tirico
(ABC, ESPN)
[15]
- 2011 ?
Dan Shulman
(ESPN)
- 2012 ? Dan Patrick (NBC)
- 2013 ?
Mike Emrick
(NBC)
- 2014 ? Mike Emrick (NBC)
- 2015 ? Mike Emrick (NBC)
- 2016 ? Vin Scully (L.A. Dodgers)
- 2017 ?
Kevin Harlan
(CBS,
Turner
)
- 2018 -
Doris Burke
(ESPN, ABC)
- 2019 ? Kevin Harlan (CBS, Turner)
- 2020 ? Mike Emrick (NBC)
- 2021 ?
Ernie Johnson Jr.
(Turner) and
Scott Van Pelt
(ESPN)
[16]
- 2022 ?
Ian Eagle
(CBS)
[17]
- 2023 ?
Kevin Harlan
(CBS/Westwood One/Turner)
[18]
National Sportswriter of the Year
[
edit
]
For a list of winners, see footnote
[4]
Jim Murray
, writing for the
Los Angeles Times
, won the National Sportswriter of the Year award a record 14 times, including 12 years in succession from 1966 to 1977. More recently,
Rick Reilly
, writing for
Sports Illustrated
and
ESPN
, has won 11 awards.
- 1959 ?
Red Smith
(
New York Herald-Tribune
)
- 1960 ? Red Smith (
New York Herald-Tribune
)
- 1961 ? Red Smith (
New York Herald-Tribune
)
- 1962 ? Red Smith (
New York Herald-Tribune
)
- 1963 ?
Arthur Daley
(
New York Times
)
- 1964 ?
Jim Murray
(
Los Angeles Times
)
- 1965 ? Red Smith (
New York Herald-Tribune
)
- 1966 ? Jim Murray (
Los Angeles Times
)
- 1967 ? Jim Murray (
Los Angeles Times
)
- 1968 ? Jim Murray (
Los Angeles Times
)
- 1969 ? Jim Murray (
Los Angeles Times
)
- 1970 ? Jim Murray (
Los Angeles Times
)
- 1971 ? Jim Murray (
Los Angeles Times
)
- 1972 ? Jim Murray (
Los Angeles Times
)
- 1973 ? Jim Murray (
Los Angeles Times
)
- 1974 ? Jim Murray (
Los Angeles Times
)
- 1975 ? Jim Murray (
Los Angeles Times
)
- 1976 ? Jim Murray (
Los Angeles Times
)
- 1977 ? Jim Murray (
Los Angeles Times
)
- 1978 ? Will Grimsley (
Associated Press
)
- 1979 ? Jim Murray (
Los Angeles Times
)
- 1980 ? Will Grimsley (Associated Press)
- 1981 ? Will Grimsley (Associated Press)
- 1982 ?
Frank Deford
(
Sports Illustrated
)
- 1983 ? Frank Deford (
Sports Illustrated
)
- 1984 ? Frank Deford (
Sports Illustrated
)
- 1985 ? Frank Deford (
Sports Illustrated
)
- 1986 ? Frank Deford (
Sports Illustrated
)
- 1987 ? Frank Deford (
Sports Illustrated
)
- 1988 ? Frank Deford (
Sports Illustrated
)
- 1989 ?
Peter Gammons
(
Sports Illustrated
)
- 1990 ? Peter Gammons (
Boston Globe
)
- 1991 ?
Rick Reilly
(
Sports Illustrated
)
- 1992 ? Rick Reilly (
Sports Illustrated
)
- 1993 ? Peter Gammons (
Boston Globe
,
ESPN
)
- 1994 ? Rick Reilly (
Sports Illustrated
)
- 1995 ? Rick Reilly (
Sports Illustrated
)
- 1996 ? Rick Reilly (
Sports Illustrated
)
- 1997 ?
Dave Kindred
(
Sporting News
)
- 1998 ?
Mitch Albom
(
Detroit Free Press
)
- 1999 ? Rick Reilly (
Sports Illustrated
)
- 2000 ?
Bob Ryan
(
Boston Globe
)
- 2001 ? Rick Reilly (
Sports Illustrated
)
- 2002 ? Rick Reilly (
Sports Illustrated
)
- 2003 ? Rick Reilly (
Sports Illustrated
)
- 2004 ? Rick Reilly (
Sports Illustrated
)
- 2005 ?
Steve Rushin
(
Sports Illustrated
)
- 2006 ? Rick Reilly (
Sports Illustrated
)
- 2007 ? Bob Ryan (
Boston Globe
)
- 2008 ? Bob Ryan (
Boston Globe
)
- 2009 ? Bob Ryan (
Boston Globe
)
- 2010 ?
Peter King
(
Sports Illustrated
)
[15]
- 2011 ? Peter King (
Sports Illustrated
)
- 2012 ?
Joe Posnanski
(
Sports Illustrated
)
- 2013 ? Peter King (
Sports Illustrated
)
- 2014 ?
Tom Verducci
(
Sports Illustrated
)
- 2015 ? Tom Verducci (
Sports Illustrated
)
- 2016 ? Tom Verducci (
Sports Illustrated
)
- 2017 ?
Adrian Wojnarowski
(ESPN)
- 2018 ?
Adrian Wojnarowski
(ESPN)
- 2019 ?
Adrian Wojnarowski
(ESPN)
- 2020 ?
Nicole Auerbach
(
The Athletic
)
- 2021 ?
Jeff Passan
(ESPN)
- 2022 ?
Ken Rosenthal
(The Athletic)/
Pete Thamel
(ESPN) - Co-winners
[17]
- 2023 ? Jeff Passan (ESPN)
[18]
State winners
[
edit
]
See footnote
[19]
- Sportscaster of the Year (1959?present; in each state and the District of Columbia)
- Sportswriter of the Year (1959?present; in each state and the District of Columbia)
Hall of Fame
[
edit
]
Each spring, the NSMA
Hall of Fame
inducts one or more new members.
[20]
There were not any inductees in 1965, 1966, 1968, and 2006.
[20]
See also
[
edit
]
- ^
See:
Sports journalism § Organizations
.
- ^
[1]
. National Sportscasters Media Association Hall of Fame. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
- ^
"Our Leadership Team | National Sports Media Association"
.
- ^
a
b
c
For each year's National Sportscaster and National Sportswriter,
go to
the
National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association website
,
click on
"Awards"
and then
"National Awards". The list of "National Sportswriters" is below the list of "National Sportscasters." NSSA website. Retrieved 2017-01-04.
- ^
a
b
Wineka, Mark (December 2, 2009). "Celebrating good sports".
Salisbury Post
.
- ^
Gallagher, Ronnie (April 30, 2000). "A Hall of Fame to call our own".
Salisbury Post
.
- ^
a
b
Wineka, Mark (November 2, 2005). "Bank purchases NSSA Hall of Fame building".
Salisbury Post
.
- ^
Post, Rose (April 30, 2001). "With Hall of Fame opening, dreams of many come true".
Salisbury Post
.
- ^
"Community Bank of Rowan, Piedmont close deal"
.
Salisbury Post
. April 12, 2011. Archived from
the original
on March 11, 2014
. Retrieved
March 10,
2014
.
- ^
Evans, Matt (March 12, 2012).
"VantageSouth converts branches in Salisbury"
. Retrieved
March 10,
2014
.
- ^
"NSSA Non-Profit Organization"
. Rowan Chamber of Commerce
. Retrieved
March 10,
2014
.
- ^
"National Sports Media Assoc. moving to Winston-Salem after 57 years in Salisbury"
.
Salisbury Post
. February 28, 2017.
- ^
Bear Bryant Award
. NSMA website. Retrieved 2017-04-06.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
"Clarence "Big House" Awards"
.
NationalSportsMedia.org
. National Sports Media Association
. Retrieved
April 6,
2017
.
- ^
a
b
The hall of fame inductees and the Sportscaster and Sportswriter of the Year will be honored during the NSSA's 52nd Annual Awards Weekend, May 14?16, 2011, in Salisbury, N.C., along with 110 state Sportscasters and Sportswriters of the Year.
"NSSA Announces 2010 Awards Winners and Hall of Famers"
. NSSA. January 7, 2011
. Retrieved
February 26,
2011
.
- ^
Brown, Kirkpatrick, MacMullen, and Scott voted into NSMA HOF - NSMA
- ^
a
b
c
Corso, Plaschke, Kelly, Angell Voted into NSMA Hall of Fame - National Sports Media.org
- ^
a
b
c
[nationalsportsmedia.org/news/nsma-elects-buck-kremer-stark-mccarver-kahn-elected-to-hall-of-fame-harlan-passan-win-national-awards#:~:text=Kevin%20Harlan%20of%20CBS%2C%20Westwood,third%20National%20win%2C%20Passan's%20second. "NSMA ELECTS BUCK, KREMER, STARK, McCARVER, KAHN ELECTED TO HALL OF FAME; HARLAN, PASSAN WIN NATIONAL AWARDS"].
National Sports Media.org
. NSMA
. Retrieved
January 9,
2024
.
- ^
"National Sports Media Association State Awards"
. Retrieved
November 8,
2019
.
- ^
a
b
For the official list of the members of the NSMA Hall of Fame,
go to
the
NSMA website
,
click on
"Awards"
and then
click on "Hall of Fame." For each inductee's biographical sketch, click on the hyperlink for that inductee. NSMA website. Retrieved 2017-01-01.
External links
[
edit
]