NFL broadcaster Dick Stockton calls it a career after 55 years

FOX football voice Dick Stockton has decided it is time and will retire from broadcasting

FOX Sports will have an opening on its NFL broadcasting roster as Dick Stockton has retired after a 55-year career.

Stockton’s decision was reported by the New York Post on Thursday.

“I just think it is time,” the 78-year-old Stockton said.

Stockton has been with FOX since 1994 when it acquired rights to broadcast NFL games. He has worked a modified schedule in recent years.

His most famous call came in 1975 when he was on the mic for Carlton Fisk’s home run in Game 6 of the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WRi6iZAl-I

“I always said that, ‘Dick Stockton could do games here as long as he possibly wanted to do games here,’” FOX Sports boss Eric Shanks said. “I will take Dick Stockton, on his worst day rolling out of bed, over almost any other play-by-play guy’s best day. When he called me [to tell me he was retiring,] I was upset. I was emotional. I really didn’t think he would call it right now. I’m sad.”

Report: Kenny Albert off Bears-Lions broadcast due to COVID protocol

COVID-19 rules will keep Kenny Albert from calling the Bears-Lions season opener on FOX.

The shuffling in announce booth continues. This one, however, was an unexpected turn. The always-solid Kenny Albert will not be able to do play-by-play Sunday as scheduled on the Chicago Bears-Detroit Lions game because of COVID-19 protocol, the New York Post reports.

Albert has been calling Stanley Cup playoff games for NBC in Edmonton. The COVID-19 rules in the States are a person must quarantine for two weeks after coming from a foreign country.

FOX will go to a familiar voice as the replacement for Albert, 77-year-old Dick Stockton, who has called games for more than 50 years. He will work with Jon Vilma, who is debuting as a color analyst for the network.

All NFL play-by-players and analysts are tested on-site before calling the games.