Broadcaster’s Colonoscopy Prep Interrupted by Call to Announce NLDS Game

Broadcaster Kenny Albert found himself in a unique situation when he was asked to provide play-by-play for Game 3 of the National League Division Series between the Dodgers and Braves. The call came as Albert was in the midst of preparing for a colonoscopy, a process that requires specific medication to cleanse the colon.

Fox Sports contacted Albert around 6 p.m. to place him on standby, as lead announcer Joe Davis was experiencing voice issues. By 9 p.m., without a definitive update, Albert began the first dose of his prescribed medication. Simultaneously, he started preparing for the baseball game, just in case.

Albert learned he would be needed for the game around midnight and was instructed to travel to Atlanta. He subsequently skipped the second dose of his colonoscopy preparation medication and flew to Atlanta early the next morning. He successfully called the game, which featured the Braves and the Dodgers.

"The colonoscopy wrinkle? That’s certainly another chapter for my next book," Albert joked to Front Office Sports, detailing the unusual circumstances. He added that his morning and flight were filled with "baseball prep instead of the other kind of prep."

To prepare for the game on short notice, Albert had to catch up on the series, having missed the first two games due to his football weekend commitments. He was able to utilize notes from a regular-season game between the same teams with the same pitchers on Aug. 27, which he found very helpful. Albert also credited the Fox Sports broadcast team, including John Smoltz and Joe Davis, for their support and for sharing information to ensure he was adequately prepared.