Before Steve Gelbs on SNY, there was Kevin Burkhardt.
Before becoming the lead NFL Play-by-Play voice for Fox, Burkhardt originally was the field reporter for Mets games and SNY from 2007-2014. While he had been calling games on a part-time basis for the NFL, Burkhardt left the Mets television network for a full-time gig with Fox in 2014.
According to WFAN’s primetime radio host Craig Carton, Burkhardt leaving SNY was because the network had originally blocked him from leaving Fox the year prior.
“I remember when Fox first tried to hire him and SNY said no,” Carton said on his show, Carton and Roberts. “Because they were very selfish back in the day. They didn’t let him go, they wouldn’t let him out of his contract. He was approached to get a job at the big network and SNY blocked him.”
Carton’s comment may be surprising to some considering the Carton and Roberts show is being simulcast by SNY as well.
Burkhardt did have a year remaining on his contract with SNY, and according to Carton was not allowed to “take the network gig.”
The former sideline reporter eventually left the network and has now grown to being Fox’s lead play-by-play announcer following Joe Buck’s departure.
SNY’s the latest network to have a feud with a Host
It’s not the first time that Carton or WFAN hosts have criticized the network he has been working on before. Last month, Carton attacked the network for not sending a camera crew to a live show the two hosts had done.
Years prior, radio legend Mike Francesa criticized Fox Sports 1 for preempting him for the many sports that are covered on the network.
While not the same as being upset over camera crews, and Nascar, Carton’s latest accusation of SNY opens up a whole new can or worms for both SNY and WFAN.
For Burkhardt, however, it’s clear that SNY was just the stepping stone to the top of the sports broadcasting mountain.
The 48 year old broadcaster from New Jersey is expected to pair up with Greg Olsen for this season’s football coverage starting in the fall.
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