Legends Behind the Lens: Sandy Grossman

Legends Behind the Lens: Sandy Grossman One of sports TVs groundbreaking directors was also one of its most generous teachers By Brandon Costa, Director of Digital

Wednesday, July 1, 2020 - 12:00 pm

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The story of American sports television is engrained in the history of this nation, rising on the achievements of countless incredible men and women who never once appeared on our screens. During this pause in live sports, SVG is proud to present a celebration of this great industry. Legends Behind the Lens is a look at how we got here seen through the people who willed it to be. Each weekday, we will share with you the story of a person whose impact on the sports-television industry is indelible.

Legends Behind the Lens is presented in association with the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame and the SVG Sports Broadcasting Fund. In these trying times - with so many video-production professionals out of work - we hope that you will consider (if you are able) donating to the Sports Broadcasting Fund. Do so by visiting sportsbroadcastfund.org.

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By Jason Dachman

Sandy Grossman's numbers as a live-sports director speak for themselves: 10 Super Bowls, 18 NBA Finals, five Stanley Cup Finals, and eight Emmy Awards. However, in order to grasp the indelible impact Grossman had on live sports television during his nearly five decades in the business, you have to go beyond the numbers.

If you want to see Sandy's legacy, just watch any football game, says Fox Sports founding executive and former President David Hill. He was not only a remarkable director, but one who had the ability to teach, and who cared about his pupils - always checking on them, and taking great pride in their achievements. Sandy Grossman embodied the very best of our business.

Sandy Grossman's numbers as a live-sports director speak for themselves: 10 Super Bowls, 18 NBA Finals, five Stanley Cup Finals, and eight Emmy Awards. However, to grasp the indelible impact Grossman had on live sports television during nearly five decades in the business, you have to go beyond the numbers.

If you want to see Sandy's legacy, just watch any football game, says Fox Sports founding executive and former President David Hill. He was not only a remarkable director but one who had the ability to teach and who cared about his pupils, always checking on them and taking great pride in their achievements. Sandy Grossman embodied the very best of our business.

A Broadcaster From the Very Beginning

Born in Newark, NJ, in 1935, Grossman graduated from Weequahic High School before attending the University of Alabama, where he announced football games for the campus radio station but soon learned that a life behind the mic was not his calling. His interest in broadcasting, however, continued to grow after he graduated in 1957 and served in the Army for two years; he worked as an usher at the Ed Sullivan Theater before catching on in the public-affairs department at WCBS New York, eventually becoming a production assistant at CBS Sports in 1963.

He would soon work his way up to directing at CBS, where he oversaw a variety of sports productions: most notably, NBA basketball, for which he became CBS's lead director by the mid 1970s. An innovator from the very start, Grossman is credited with pioneering the use of popular music (after he played Van McCoy's The Hustle heading into commercial breaks), miking coaches during games, and deploying low-angle cameras at half court and under the baskets.

My friend Sandy was one of the accomplished directors who inspired me, not just for his remarkable talent, but for his kindness and willingness to share his knowledge, says CBS Lead Director Bob Fishman. His technical crews would do anything for him. He was demanding, yet fair, and by getting the best from those who were fortunate to work with him, he has left us with some of the greatest televised moments in sports history. Many of the men and women who worked under his direction now work with me, and his legacy inspires us each and every week.

Breaking Into Football

In 1970, Grossman got his first big break directing football when he was paired with producer Bob Stenner for CBS's coverage of the Cotton Bowl. The profile of the assignment skyrocketed when the University of Notre Dame accepted its first bowl game appearance since the 1925 Rose Bowl to take on powerhouse University of Texas. Suddenly, Grossman was directing one of the biggest football games of the year.

When the Fighting Irish accepted the bid, Sandy and I were sure they were going to take us off that game and they never did, says Stenner, who spent more than three decades next to Grossman at the front bench. It turned out to be a huge game and I think everybody was beyond pleased with what we did with it. Although we didn't work side-by-side like right from that moment, that's where it started.

By the mid '70s, Grossman had been elevated to CBS's lead NBA director and was also manning the truck with Stenner for CBS's NFL A-game featuring Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier in the booth.

Sandy understood the craft. He understood exactly what the viewer wanted to see and, when the moment was right, he was not afraid to give the viewer his option. And, by the way, one of the all-time good guys. NBC Sunday Night Football Director Drew Esocoff

'Produced by Bob Stenner and directed by Sandy Grossman' - I heard those words every week for years. Sandy set the standard back then and he set the standard until the day he retired, says NBC Sunday Night Football Director Drew Esocoff. Sandy understood the craft. He understood exactly what the viewer wanted to see and, when the moment was right, he was not afraid to give the viewer his option. And, b

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