Craig Minervini
{{short description|American sports broadcaster}}
Craig Minervini is an American sports broadcaster who is the studio host for Bally Sports Florida's Miami Marlins and Florida Panthers broadcasts.
Early life
Minervini grew up on Long Island. He attended Commack High School South and co-starred in a school play with Rosie O'Donnell. While attending Syracuse University, he was a broadcaster for the Syracuse Chiefs and finished third place in a Marv Albert sound-alike contest at Madison Square Garden.{{cite news |last1=Kramer |first1=Lindsay |title=What other Syracuse Chiefs broadcasters have worked in major league baseball? |url=https://www.syracuse.com/chiefs/2016/01/what_other_syracuse_chiefs_broadcasters_have_worked_in_major_league_baseball.html |access-date=7 August 2023 |work=Syracuse.com |date=January 13, 2016}}
Wrestling
After graduating from Syracuse in 1985, Minervini joined the World Wrestling Federation as an announcer.{{cite book |title=WWE Encyclopedia of Sports Entertainment New Edition |date=2020 |publisher=DK Publishing |page=78 |isbn=9780744035100 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YLXmDwAAQBAJ |access-date=7 August 2023}} He used the name Craig DeGeorge, borrowing his mother's maiden name. He later worked for Herb Abrams' UWF.{{cite news |title=Interview with WWE and XFL alum Craig DeGeorge Minervini |url=https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/fighting/article249912398.html |access-date=7 August 2023 |work=Miami Herald |date=March 20, 2001}}
Sports broadcasting
From 1989 to 1995, Minervini was a sports anchor at WPBF in West Palm Beach, Florida.{{cite news |title=Bob Murphy's 'Folksy Style' Influenced Minervini |work=The Palm Beach Post |date=August 8, 2004}} In 1995 he called Roller Hockey International and junior hockey games for ESPN.{{cite news |last1=Elmore |first1=Charles |title=Minervini, WPBF-25 parting ways |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/97473459/minervini-wpbf-25-parting-ways/ |access-date=7 August 2023 |work=The Palm Beach Post |date=June 30, 1995}} In 1995, he joined WTVJ in Miami. In 2000, he called two Notre Dame football games on NBC as a fill-in for Tom Hammond.{{cite news |title=A big goal scored: Craig Minervini is living his dream as a big-time sportscaster |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/97473790/a-big-goal-scored-craig-minervini-is/ |work=South Florida Sun Sentinel |date=February 7, 2010}} The following year he called the XFL's Sunday afternoon games on TNN. In 2003 he became the studio host for Fox Sports Net Florida's Florida Marlins and Florida Panthers telecasts.{{cite news |last1=Sarni |first1=Jim |title=Minervini Adds Panthers to his Lineup |work=South Florida Sun - Sentinel |date=August 8, 2003 |url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2003/08/08/minervini-adds-panthers-to-his-lineup/ |access-date=7 August 2023}} In 2010 he called United Football League games on Versus alongside Doug Flutie.{{cite news |last1=Jicha |first1=Tom |title=Minervini to Call UFL Games on Versus |work=South Florida Sun - Sentinel |date=September 13, 2010}} In 2015, Minervini returned to Panthers broadcasts after a three-season absence.{{cite news |last1=Fialkov |first1=Harvey |title=Panthers Minervini returning for pre- and post-game TV |work=South Florida Sun - Sentinel |date=August 29, 2015}}
Personal life
Minervini's mother, Tina DeGeorge, was a painter.{{cite news |last1=Frias |first1=Carlos |title=Paintings offered healing after 9/11 |work=Palm Beach Post |date=August 25, 2011}} His brother, Richie Minervini, is a stand-up comic who owned the East Side Comedy Club in New York City.{{cite news |last1=Jicha |first1=Tom |title=Minervini no joke as he goes national with XFL |work=South Florida Sun Sentinel |date=February 3, 2001 |url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2001/02/03/minervini-no-joke-as-he-goes-national-with-xfl/ |access-date=7 August 2023}} He was married to Martha Sugalski, a news reporter he met while they both worked at WPBF.{{cite news |title=WFTV anchor Martha Sugalski sued for divorce by husband |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2019/08/22/wftv-anchor-martha-sugalski-sued-for-divorce-by-husband-she-counter-sues/ |access-date=7 August 2023 |work=Orlando Sentinel |date=August 22, 2019}}