Adam Bobrow
{{Short description|American sports commentator}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Adam Bobrow
| honorific_suffix =
| image =
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| headercolor =
| textcolor =
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| birth_name =
| full_name = Adam Michael Bobrow
| nickname =
| nationality =
| national_team =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1981|02|14}}{{cite web |url=https://results.ittf.link/index.php?option=com_fabrik&view=list&listid=33&Itemid=252&resetfilters=0&clearordering=0&clearfilters=0 |title=Profiles |website=ITTF}}
| birth_place = Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California
| alma_mater = University of Southern California (BA)
| occupation = YouTuber, voice actor, actor, sports commentator, athlete
| sport = Table tennis
| module = {{Infobox YouTube personality
| embed = yes
| channel_display_name = Adam Bobrow
| channel_handle = AdamBobrow
| genre =
| subscribers = 1.38 million
| views = 376.5 million
| silver_button = yes
| gold_button =yes
| stats_update = 04 February 2025
| language = English
| years_active = 2006–present
| location =
}}
}}
Adam Bobrow (born February 14, 1981),{{cite web |url=https://tripplezerobillionaires.com/adam-bobrow-net-worth-bio-wiki/ |title=Adam Bobrow's Net Worth|date=April 7, 2022 |editor=Tripple Zero Billionaires |access-date=April 26, 2023}}{{unreliable source?|reason=Is this user-generated content?|date=April 2023}} also known as Snakeman{{cite news |last1=Klug |first1=Foster |title='Snakeman' looks to spread joys of table tennis beyond Games |url=https://apnews.com/article/2020-tokyo-olympics-table-tennis-adam-bobrow-1b3b2f645e5ffe239477961c27f93ee9 |access-date=April 26, 2023 |work=Associated Press |date=August 6, 2021}} and The Voice of Table Tennis,{{cite news |last1=Pope |first1=Shelby |date=April 25, 2019 |title=The 'extreme extrovert' on a mission to make you love ping pong |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/apr/24/ping-pong-announcer-adam-bobrow-table-tennis |access-date=April 26, 2023 |work=The Guardian}} is an American sports commentator, YouTuber, actor, and table tennis player. He operates a YouTube channel dedicated to table tennis enthusiasts and fans, providing them with content to promote the sport.{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxccMOwsnVQEqmOU94MZi7g |title=Adam Bobrow - YouTube |website=YouTube}} Bobrow's YouTube channel features him challenging individuals to friendly matches, supporting young athletes, and traveling to different countries to interact and play with locals while serving as an ambassador for the sport.
Early life
Bobrow was born in the United States, and grew up near Los Angeles.{{cite news |last1=Pope |first1=Shelby |date=April 25, 2019 |title=The 'extreme extrovert' on a mission to make you love ping pong |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/apr/24/ping-pong-announcer-adam-bobrow-table-tennis |access-date=April 26, 2023 |work=The Guardian}} He has lived in Taiwan since 2016. He grew up playing table tennis with his father. He learned to spin the ball and perform various trick shots including his signature shot and the source of his nickname, the snake. By 15, he was on a local team and began winning tournaments throughout the United States. He played in college at the University of Southern California, where he earned a BA in Theater. After college he taught table tennis at SPiN while auditioning for acting roles.
Table tennis commentator
In 2014, Bobrow won a competition to become the "voice of table tennis", and has been the official commentator for the International Table Tennis Federation ever since.{{cite news |last1=Blennerhassett |first1=Patrick |title=Tokyo Olympics: 'voice of table tennis' Adam Bobrow brings the splash, colour and pizazz to spice up the Games |url=https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3143329/tokyo-olympics-voice-table-tennis-adam-bobrow-brings-splash-colour-and-pizazz |access-date=April 27, 2023 |work=South China Morning Post |date=August 1, 2021}} He comments for the main matches in World Table Tennis, along with Fraser Riley.{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4t1M892jNg |title= #WTTChampions Macao Men's Singles Finals – Commentator's Cam Behind-the-Scenes |website= YouTube |date= December 25, 2022 |editor= |access-date=April 26, 2023}} He travels with the tour full time, and believes himself to be the only full-time table tennis commentator in the world.
Bobrow's commentary is known for its excited style, his deep knowledge of the sport, and his emphasis on the positive aspects of the play. He is also known for his flamboyant style of dress. He has been criticized for focusing on the excitement of the game rather than on critical analysis. However, Bobrow's style is credited with bringing the sport to new fans who otherwise would not watch table tennis.
Acting career
As an actor, he has had voice roles in TV shows and video games including Scooby-Doo! Who's Watching Who?.{{cite web |title=Adam Bobrow (visual voices guide) |url=https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Adam-Bobrow/ |website=Behind The Voice Actors |access-date=8 January 2025|type= A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information}} He also had a role in the table tennis movie Balls of Fury.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0424823/fullcredits/ |title=Balls of Fury (2007) - IMDb |access-date=2024-11-30 |via=www.imdb.com}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|id=1812329}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bobrow, Adam}}
Category:American sports announcers
Category:American male table tennis players
Category:American expatriate sportspeople in Taiwan
Category:University of Southern California alumni
Category:21st-century American sportsmen
Category:21st-century American male actors
Category:American male voice actors
Category:American expatriate male actors
Category:YouTubers from Los Angeles