Mark Champion facts for kids

Mark Champion, born on August 8, 1950, is a famous American radio sportscaster. He is best known as the main radio voice for the Detroit Pistons basketball team. He has been calling their games since 2001. When the Pistons games are shown on national TV, another announcer named George Blaha usually takes his place.

Mark Champion's Early Career

Mark Champion was born in Muncie, Indiana. He went to Ball State University. In the 1970s, he worked as a local sports reporter in the Tampa area. In 1979, he became the radio announcer for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers football team. He stayed with the Buccaneers for ten years.

Moving to Detroit Sports

After working in Tampa Bay, Mark Champion moved to the Detroit area in 1989. There, he became a well-known voice for several sports teams.

Announcing for Detroit Teams

• He called games for the Detroit Lions football team from 1989 to 2004.
• He has been the voice of the Detroit Pistons basketball team since 2001.
• He also announced games for the Detroit Fury, an Arena Football League team, from 2001 to 2004.
• He even called games for the Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team.

In 2004, Mark Champion received a special award called the Ty Tyson Award. This award is given for excellent work in sports broadcasting by the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association.

Why Mark Champion Left the Lions

In 2005, Mark Champion was replaced as the Lions' radio announcer by Dan Miller. Some people in the media thought this happened because Mark Champion sometimes criticized the Lions' performance too much. He also used a specific phrase, "Holy mackerel," very often.

Mark Champion's Famous Disney Ads

You might recognize Mark Champion's voice from the TV commercials for Walt Disney World. These ads air after the Super Bowl each year and have been around since 1987. In the ads, Mark Champion's voice asks the Super Bowl's Most Valuable Player (MVP): "_____, you've just won the Super Bowl. What are you going to do next?" The player always replies, "I'm going to Disney World!"

Other Broadcasting Work

As of 2010, Mark Champion had been the radio voice for the Detroit Pistons for 17 seasons. He has also worked for Westwood One. For them, he announced national NFL football games and NCAA men's basketball tournament games.

Mark Champion was also an anchor for CBS Radio's coverage of the Winter Olympics in 1992, 1994, and 1998. He has also been an announcer for major golf tournaments like the Masters, Ryder Cup, and PGA Championship.

He was the voice of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for ten seasons. He was also the main voice for the Detroit Lions for sixteen years. During his time with the Lions, he called every amazing run made by the Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders. Mark Champion was also the sports director at WWJ radio in Detroit. He was part of the Bill Bonds Show on WXYT radio.

Mark Champion has been honored by the National Sportscasters Association. He also received the Ty Tyson Award again from the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association. He lives in Michigan and has three children named Nicole, Carly, and Evan. He also has two stepchildren and two grandchildren.

Mark Champion's Catchphrases

When Mark Champion announced Detroit Lions football games, he had some signature phrases that fans loved.

• "It's off to the races!" - He used this when Barry Sanders made a long, exciting run.
• "How about that?!" - He would say this when the Lions made a big, important play.
• "Holy mackerel!" - This phrase could be used for both excitement or disappointment, depending on what happened in the game.
• "Man, oh, man!" - He would say this after a referee made a bad call or when the Lions' opponent made a big play.