Legends Behind the Lens: Cory Leible One of sports TVs greatest camera operators was a daredevil with a handheld By Brandon Costa, Director of Digital
Monday, May 11, 2020 - 12:00 pm
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
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.
___________________________
By Jason Dachman
During more than four decades at NBC, Cory Leible revolutionized the use of the handheld camera on everything from NFL sidelines to U.S. Open putting greens to presidential inaugurations. He elevated the role of the handheld operator to an art form, offering viewers a new perspective for watching live sports.
For over 30 years, Cory Leible was a cameraman's cameraman and a director's dream, says fellow Hall of Famer and legendary sports-TV executive Don Ohlmeyer. He was in the vanguard of those hearty souls that lug around not only a handheld camera but about 90 lbs. of gear that goes along with it.
A Long Island, NY, native and the son of a long-time vaudeville performer, Leible studied ballet and dramatics at the High School of Performing Arts in New York City. It was there that he put down creative roots and developed the legendary endurance that would serve him so well as a camera operator.
Cory had such amazing energy, stamina, and balance that his nickname was Iron Legs,' says former NBC Sports Executive Producer Mike Weisman.
After two years in the military, Leible entered the RCA School of Broadcasting in 1964 and got his first break when NBC needed vacation relief crew. Over the next two years, he worked off and on at the Peacock network in a variety of production roles, while also handling camera duty for WPIX-TV's New York Yankees coverage.
By 1965, he had been brought on full-time at NBC and was assigned to the network's NFL coverage in a variety of hard camera positions. The handheld camera was not yet popular for live sports production, but that was about to change, thanks to Leible and a fellow Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famer.
For over 30 years, Cory Leible was a cameraman's cameraman and a director's dream. He was in the vanguard of those hearty souls that lug around not only a handheld camera but about 90 lbs. of gear that goes along with it. Don Ohlmeyer
[Longtime NBC director] Ted Nathanson asked if I wanted to do the handheld when another guy dropped out, recounts Leible. I did it, and, by halftime, I started suggesting a few ideas to Teddy. He said, Cory, let's do it. I'm going to isolate a camera to you, and we'll see what happens.' After that, I pretty much had free rein over anything I wanted to do with the handheld.
He had a knack for capturing the perfect shot and would go on to cover three decades of NFL football and 14 Super Bowls.
One of the goals of every network was to make the coverage more intimate, says Ohlmeyer. And Cory was one of the guys who was a real master on the sidelines. He had an instinctive presence that told him somehow where that next interesting moment was going to come from.
Leible's mastery of the camera reached nearly all of NBC Sports' live telecasts, including MLB, NBA, NHL, tennis, and Olympics coverage. However, it was on the golf course that he made his most indelible mark, pioneering the use of helicopter-facilitated aerial shots for hole previews, as well as close-up ground-level shots of putts.
Leible's reputation as a daredevil became legend. Having first strapped himself to the bottom of a helicopter at the 1972 Bob Hope Classic, he perfected the shot over the next two decades - often flying just 5 ft. above the ground.
He always told the story, notes NFL VP of Media Operations Glenn Adamo, who came up through the NBC ranks during the Leible era. Whether hanging from a helicopter in golf to shoot the holes or hanging upside down at the Superdome for a Super Bowl to get a live shot [of all 22 players at once], Cory got the shot everywhere he went, and I know we were all better for it.
The aerial shots may have garnered the most attention, but Leible's work around the green had the most significant impact on modern golf coverage, allowing viewers to see the trajectory of the putt from ground level.
I was criticized a lot for standing behind a golfer, Leible says of this angle. People said I might end up getting in the way of his line. But I never did, and that shot offered such perspective. You could actually see the golfer looking at the green with the pin in front. That shot became part of the framework of golf [coverage] after that.
A father to three daughters and grandfather to seven, Leible resides in Southampton, NY, with his wife of 49 years, Valley. Although he may be long retired, his sense of humor and storied work ethic make him one of the most beloved characters ever to grace a live sports production.
Cory was one of those artists who helped drive this business forward, says Ohlmeyer. He made the coverage more intimate and more exciting. It allowed the viewer to be brought from their home to insi
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
06/05/2026
Polands Miecznik-class frigates are part of the largest contract in Polish shipbuilding history. (Image Credit: PGZ Stocznia Wojenna)...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Riedel Communications today announced the expansion of its leadership structure as part of a strategic initiative to strengthen both its operational management ...
06/05/2026
For nearly three decades, Veteran Production Sound Mixer and Five-time Emmy Award Winner Dirk Sciarrotta has helped define the sonic identity of the long-runnin...
06/05/2026
ZEISS CinCraft LensCore: Cinema Lens Looks for Compositing
Brie Clayton May 6, 2026
0 Comments
ZEISS announces the launch of CinCraft LensCore, a nove...
06/05/2026
Wisycom Solves Extreme RF Challenges Across Miles of Live Action for Gravity Med...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Narrative Entertainment has partnered with Encompass to deliver high-quality subtitling of its Great! network content using the Altitude Intelligence AI assiste...
06/05/2026
SipRadius, widely recognized for making content processing and connectivity secure and seamless, is proud to launch a dramatic new approach to AI content creati...
06/05/2026
When the broadband and media industry gathers at ANGA COM in Cologne from May 19 to 21, Big Blue Marble will be at the forefront. The international broadcast an...
06/05/2026
Cinegy GmbH, a leading developer of software-defined television technology, is proud to exhibit at MPTS for the first time. Visitors to the stand will discover ...
06/05/2026
Val Jeanty Receives 2026 Doris Duke Artist Award Jeanty, a composer, percussionist, and turntablist, is the fourth Berklee recipient of the prestigious award ...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
When live cycling races and international marathons stretch for miles across cities and countryside, there is no margin for RF failure in live broadcast. As Chi...
06/05/2026
Oberkochen/Germany, May 5, 2026
ZEISS announces the launch of CinCraft LensCore, a novel solution for creating physically based cinematic lens looks for visual...
06/05/2026
Wuppertal May 6, 2026
Riedel Expands Leadership Structure, Appoints Marc Engro...
06/05/2026
SAN JOSE, Calif. - May 6, 2026 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced its latest broadband innovations for ANGA COM 2026, highlighting its vision for a new e...
06/05/2026
Statement from Rupert Murdoch, Chairman Emeritus, Fox Corporation on Ted Turner&...
06/05/2026
Friday 8 May on RT One and RT Player
Meet the NSPCA team caring for and protecting animals in need in this six-part series
Fly on the wall, six-part series...
06/05/2026
The race to build the world's most powerful AI factories demands networking ...
06/05/2026
How changes to proteins can alter drug interactions for new precision therapies Scripps Research team maps how chemical modifications to proteins affect drug bi...
05/05/2026
Experts from the world of academia, tech, business, politics and media convened for a Thomson Talks at the Cambridge Disinformation Summit in April. It's th...
05/05/2026
Three phones were hardwired for power and transmission to the truck; camera feat...
05/05/2026
The creative studio behind campaigns for the NBA, Fanatics Sportsbook & Casino, ...
05/05/2026
Nielsen has announced results from a co-viewing pilot program covering February&...
05/05/2026
viztrick AiDi, an on-device AI solution developed by Nippon TV, delivered global...
05/05/2026
ARRI has announced Omnibar, a battery-powered, IP65-rated multi-color LED linear...
05/05/2026
Imagine Communications has announced that France T l visions is the first broadc...
05/05/2026
The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and Bell Media today announced a multiyear agreement to broadcast and stream WNBA games in Canada beginni...
05/05/2026
SVG is proud to announce Warner Bros. Discovery's Techwood Studios in Atlant...
05/05/2026
With no operator required, AutoMic workflow automates talent identification on U...
05/05/2026
A crash in 2015 set the industry back, but this winter proved that drones are he...
05/05/2026
Another year, and more proof that Asia continues to shape some of the world's most exciting new sounds. This year's RADAR artists draw from deep local r...
05/05/2026
The Austin City Limits Music Fest 2026 lineup just dropped, and this year, Spoti...
05/05/2026
New drum machine book campaign incoming
Bjooks have announced that during Superbooth 2026, they will be launching a Kickstarter campaign to fund the product...
05/05/2026
Flagship all-in-one production bundle updated
The latest version of Native Instruments' flagship virtual instrument and plug-in bundle has just been ann...
05/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz to host RF Testing Innovations Forum 2026, helping design engine...
05/05/2026
L3Harris provides communications, electronic warfare, sensors and mission systems that enable Virginia-class submarine crews to operate with confidence in conte...
05/05/2026
The company grew by 7.6% in net revenue and 16.3% in EBITDA, achieving a 33% inc...
05/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
05/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
Legends Behind the Lens: Cory Leible One of sports TVs greatest camera operators was a daredevil with a handheld By Brandon Costa, Director of Digital 
