Tom Hammond Tom Hammond ( born May 10 , 1944 in Lexington , Kentucky ) is an American sportscaster for NBC Sports television . Hammond is one of the network ' s staple on - air presenters , along with Bob Costas and Dan Hicks . Hammond is the lead play - by - play commentator for Lincoln Financial Sports ( formerly Jefferson Pilot Sports ) , as well as for Notre Dame Football on NBC . He has known his color commentator on the Lincoln Financial broadcasts , Larry Conley , since junior high school . Hammond also has served as the play - by - play announcer for NBC ' s coverage of Track and Field at every Summer Olympics since 1992 . Biography . Early career . Hammond earned a B . S . in animal science in 1967 from the University of Kentucky , specializing in equine genetics and following in the footsteps of his grandfather , Thomas Poe Cooper , a former dean of the UK College of Agriculture and a former Acting President of UK . He began his career with WVLK Radio , where he was news and sports director . In 1970 and for the next 10 years , he was sports director for WLEX - TV . In 1980 , he was named a play - by - play announcer for Southeastern Conference basketball games , a position he continues to enjoy . Throughout the 1970s and 1980s , he served as a sales announcer at the Keeneland Thoroughbred Sales and at thoroughbred horse sales in 16 other states . He is recognized as a specialist and national expert on thoroughbred pedigrees . NBC . Hammond ' s tenure at NBC began in 1984 , when he was named as a co - host of the inaugural Breeders ' Cup alongside Dick Enberg . It was supposed to be a one - shot deal for Hammond , but network execs were so impressed , he ended up getting a long - term contract . He is the main host of the network ' s thoroughbred racing coverage . Hammond ' s duties at NBC expanded to covering many other sports . He is the network ' s play - by - play voice for its coverage of Notre Dame football alongside analyst Mike Mayock . He was also the lead play - by - play man for " The AFL on NBC " . Hammond is also very much involved in NBC ' s Olympic Games coverage . At the Summer Olympics , Hammond is the chief commentator for track and field , a position he has held since the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona , where his broadcast partner that year was O . J . Simpson . Hammond has since said that , prior to the O . J . Simpson murder case , he and Simpson were great friends and got along well . Hammond also commentates on other track and field events shown on NBC . At the Winter Olympics , Hammond is the main commentator for figure skating and ice dancing . Hammond is sort of unique in that , unlike most of his NBC Sports colleagues , he does not live in or around the New York City area , opting to stay in his hometown of Lexington , a decision he made during his early days at NBC . Hammond isn ' t alone in this choice ; despite being a New York native himself , Costas lives in St . Louis , Missouri . Hammond was considered the leading play - by - play candidate when NBC won the bidding for Sunday night NFL coverage beginning with the 2006 season , but ended up losing out to former ABC announcer Al Michaels after the latter signed with NBC . Hammond teamed with Cris Collinsworth to call the secondary Saturday Wild Card playoff game for NBC each year , including in January 2007 , in 2008 , and in 2009 , but teamed with Joe Gibbs and Joe Theismann for the Wild Card playoff game in January 2010 , as Cris Collinsworth partnered with Al Michaels in the 2009 season due to the retirement of John Madden after the 2008 season . Hammond also filled in for Bryant Gumbel as play - by - play announcer on the NFL Network ' s December 13 , 2007 game featuring the Denver Broncos and Houston Texans on " Thursday Night Football " , once more teaming with Collinsworth . The pair also serve as the announcing team on the " Madden NFL 10 " video game . Hammond ' s work at NBC also includes doing play - by - play commentary for " The NBA on NBC " and " The NFL on NBC " . He also called gymnastics , figure skating , the WNBA , the Orange Bowl , and college basketball . Hammond never did call the XFL , though , as NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol said to someone who asked if Hammond would be an XFL commentator , " " Anyone that needs credibility will not be doing XFL . " " Health issues . Over the past few years , Hammond ' s health has somewhat deteriorated . On March 24 , 2001 , under two months before NBC was supposed to broadcast the Kentucky Derby for the very first time , he underwent an operation for diverticulitis , a disease that affects the colon . During the surgery , a portion of Hammond ' s colon was removed . However , even with the short amount of time between the Derby and his operation , Hammond managed to get healthy enough to make his dream of broadcasting his home state ' s most famous sporting event become a reality on May 5 , 2001 . Hammond wasn ' t so lucky in October 2002 , when he underwent open - heart surgery . He ended up missing the Breeders ' Cup that year . Bob Costas took Hammond ' s place at the hosting desk . It was the only Breeders ' Cup Hammond was not a part of until 2006 , when ESPN had their first year of coverage . Personal life . Hammond and his wife , Sheilagh , have three grown children , sons David and Christopher , and daughter Ashley . David has followed in his father ' s footsteps , becoming a radio commentator for Syracuse University ' s basketball and football teams , and working as a play - by - play announcer for " The AFL on NBC " . Tom Hammond has criticized ESPN ' s " SportsCenter " , calling it a " " comedy show " . " Honors and awards . Hammond has been awarded horse race broadcasting ’ s top honor , the Eclipse Award ( Media category ) , in 1984 and 1996 . He was awarded an Emmy Award for coverage of the 1992 Breeder ’ s Cup . He also won Emmys for sports broadcasting in 1988 ( men ’ s and women ’ s basketball ) , 1992 ( Olympics coverage of track and field and diving ) , and 1996 ( Olympics Track and Field ) . He was the first recipient of the annual Outstanding Kentuckian Award given by the A . B . Chandler Foundation , is a charter member of the Lafayette High School Hall of Fame , and has been inducted into the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame , University of Kentucky Hall of Distinguished Alumni and Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame . Other jobs . Hammond announced for " Madden NFL 09 " ( PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions only ) " Madden NFL 10 " . The game is notable for how he mispronounced the name of then - Oakland Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha .