Tripp Tracy honored at National Sports Media Association banquet

Sports director John Johnson goes one-on-one with Hurricanes broadcaster Tripp Tracy at NSMA banquet.

HOLIDAY WEEKEND. YOU’RE WATCHING WXII 12 AND NOW THE MODERN AUTOMOTIVE SPORTS REPORT. WE’RE HERE INSIDE THE GRANDOVER HOTEL FOR THE NATIONAL SPORTS MEDIA ASSOCIATION’S AWARDS DINNER. NOW, TONIGHT, THERE ARE SO MANY GREAT BROADCASTERS THAT WILL BE ON DISPLAY AND RECEIVING AWARDS, BUT NONE BETTER IN THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA THIS YEAR THAN CAROLINA HURRICANES BROADCASTER TRIPP TRACY. NOW, JUST MOMENTS AGO, WE HAD A CHANCE TO CATCH UP WITH THE CANES BROADCASTER ONE ON ONE AND CONNECT ON HIS TIES WITH GREENSBORO. THE CANES AND OBVIOUSLY HIS ENJOYMENT OF CALLING GAMES. IT’S INCREDIBLY SPECIAL TO BE VOTED IN SUCH A SUBJECTIVE BUSINESS BY MY PEERS. AND THEN WHEN IT WAS ANNOUNCED, I BELIEVE IT WAS IN JANUARY, IN EVERY FACET OF THE HOCKEY WORLD, TO SEE HOW EXCITED PEOPLE WERE. I CAN’T REALLY PUT THAT INTO WORDS. AND HALL OF FAMER CHUCK CAMDEN CHUCK, GET IN HERE FOR A SECOND. MY FIRST GAME EVER BROADCASTING FOR A FORMER WINNER IN A HALL OF FAMER. MY FIRST GAME EVER BROADCASTING FOR THE HURRICANES. THEY WERE PLAYING IN THE GREENSBORO COLISEUM. AND CHUCK DROVE ME TO GREENSBORO TO THE GAME. SO THIS IS A FULL CIRCLE MOMENT FOR ME TO BE BACK IN GREENSBORO WITH CHUCK BEING ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE IN MY CAREER. SO IT’S VERY SPECIAL. YOU KNOW, YOU PLAYED, WHAT, FOUR YEARS AT HARVARD, GET DRAFTED. I THINK IT WAS LIKE THE NINTH ROUND. YOU HAVE YOUR PLAYING CAREER. DID YOU EVER EXPECT TO GO INTO BROADCASTING AND THEN OBVIOUSLY HAVE THE TREMENDOUS CAREER THAT YOU’VE HAD? IT’S A GREAT QUESTION. YOU KNOW, IT WAS AGAIN HERE IN GREENSBORO THAT IT WASN’T EVEN A CUP OF COFFEE. IT WAS A SHOT OF ESPRESSO. WHEN I GOT CALLED UP TO THE NHL TO BACK UP MY ONLY NHL GAME HERE AT THE GREENSBORO COLISEUM, AND THEN I KNEW THAT WAS AS FAR AS IT WAS GOING TO GET IN MY DREAMS AS A PLAYER. AND I WENT TO GO WORK AT CNN AND. RIGHT, I THINK DURING TRAINING CAMP OR PRESEASON, THE COLOR ANALYST FOR THE HURRICANES LEFT TO TO TAKE THAT SEAT WITH THE CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS AND. PETE KARMANOS, THE GUY THAT BROUGHT CAROLINA, THE HARTFORD WHALERS TO CAROLINA. HE CHANGED MY LIFE. HE DECIDED TO TAKE A CHANCE ON A BROADCASTER WITH NO EXPERIENCE, STARTING HERE IN GREENSBORO BEFORE MOVING PERMANENTLY TO RALEIGH. AND, YOU KNOW, PETE CHANGED MY LIFE. IT’S THAT SIMPLE. YOU KNOW, I GOT TO ASK ABOUT THE CANES ITSELF FOR THE LAST DECADE, THEY’VE BEEN ONE OF THE MOST CONSISTENT TEAMS. WHAT HAS MADE THEM SO CONSISTENT? I THINK EVEN WITH REGARDS TO AND I THINK THE OTHER ELITE COACHES IN THE LEAGUE WOULD SAY THIS, THAT NO COACH GETS HIS ROSTER TO PLAY TO THEIR CAPABILITIES MORE CONSISTENTLY THAN ROD BRIND’AMOUR DOES. THIS SPEAKS TO HIS PERSONALITY. YOU KNOW, HE’S COMING TONIGHT. AND YOU KNOW, I TOLD HIM, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT FREE AGENCY TOMORROW MORNING. YOU GOT THE DEVELOPMENT CAMP GOING ON. YOU KNOW HE’S MY CLOSEST FRIEND IN THE HURRICANES ORGANIZATION. BUT JUST IN TERMS OF MY CHOPS AS AN ANALYST, IT’S HIS ABILITY TO GET MAXIMUM INVESTMENT AND MAXIMUM POTENTIAL. I THINK CONSISTENTLY SO IS AS MUCH OR MORE THAN ANY COACH IN THE LEAGUE. TRIPP WAS SO GRACIOUS WITH HIS TIME COMING UP LITTLE LATER TONIGHT AT TEN AND 11, HE’LL GIVE US AN IDEA OF WHAT THE CANES NEED TO DO IN FREE AGENCY. FOR NOW, REPORTING HERE INSIDE THE GRANDOVER


Weekend Sports Anchor/Reporter

The National Sports Media Association held its 65th Awards Banquet Monday night at the Grandover Resort in Greensboro. The 2025 Hall of Fame inductees included Mike Tirico, Dan Shaughnessy, the late Charlie Jones and the late Wendell Smith. Hurricanes broadcaster Tripp Tracy was honored as the North Carolina Sportscaster of the year, as well. Sports director John Johnson spoke with him one-on-one at the event. You can watch the entire interview in the video player above.

GREENSBORO, N.C. —

The National Sports Media Association held its 65th Awards Banquet Monday night at the Grandover Resort in Greensboro.

The 2025 Hall of Fame inductees included Mike Tirico, Dan Shaughnessy, the late Charlie Jones and the late Wendell Smith.

Hurricanes broadcaster Tripp Tracy was honored as the North Carolina Sportscaster of the year, as well. Sports director John Johnson spoke with him one-on-one at the event.

You can watch the entire interview in the video player above.