Channel 9 Sports Director Brett Haber pulled off a major upset by defeating NBC 4’s legendary George Michael at Saturday’s local Emmy awards, which were presented at the downtown Ritz-Carlton this weekend.
Not only has Michael reigned supreme over local television sports coverage, but he also announced his retirement earlier this year, leading most to assume that another Emmy would be given to him as a virtual going-away gift.
“I would have given it to him,” Haber told Yeas & Nays. “I certainly didn’t expect to win.” But the former ESPNer took the prize, leading others to wonder whether the award means Haber will assume Michael’s throne as top sports dog in D.C. (Haber also won the award three consecutive times at Channel 9, from 1997 to ’99). “All of us who are doing this would be lying to you if we didn’t tell you that right now is a huge crossroads in the TV sports landscape of this city,” Haber said. “We certainly have identified this as a crucial period, and we want to be the guys who scoop that up.”
