Marty Glickman

Marty Glickman was an iconic sports broadcaster and programming producer, in addition to being a former elite track athlete. Raised in New York City, he starred in track and football at James Madison High School in Brooklyn. Thanks to support from Jewish alumni, he attended Syracuse University, where he earned a place on the U.S. track team for the 1936 Berlin Olympics. However, Glickman and teammate Sam Stoller—both Jewish—were controversially removed from the 4×100 relay, a decision widely viewed as motivated by anti‑Semitism.

After graduating in 1939, Glickman began radio broadcasting while still at Syracuse and launched a remarkable career in New York media. He became the radio voice of the New York Knicks for over two decades and was the very first announcer for NFL football on network television, covering Giants games from 1948 to 1971 and later Jets games into the late 1980s. He also narrated sports newsreels for Paramount and covered a wide variety of events from boxing to horse racing.

Marty Glickman served as HBO’s first sports director in 1972, helping launch its earliest broadcasts. He also provided play-by-play commentary for professional bowling, shaping HBO Sports’ foundation and pioneering its transition into original cable sports programming.

Glickman pioneered basketball play‑by‑play terminology—words like “swish” as well as unique descriptions of the court.   That terminology became his trademark and shaped broadcasting style for generations. He mentored future greats such as Charlie Steiner, Marv Albert and Bob Costas among others.    Honored by induction into multiple halls of fame, he retired in 1992.

In 2023, Marty Glickman received a Legends Induction into the Radio Hall of Fame.