Cabral Richards, better known as Cabbie, is a
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
sports television personality who is best known for his time on ''
SportsCentre'' on
TSN, a Canadian sports
cable television
Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with bro ...
network.
Broadcasting career
Originally an intern at
The Score, Richards hosted five-minute segments called ''Cabbie on the Street'' from 2001 to 2002.
After leaving The Score, he joined
Sportsnet
Sportsnet is a Canadian English-language sports specialty channel owned by Rogers Sports & Media. It was established in 1998 as CTV Sportsnet, a joint venture between CTV, Liberty Media, and Rogers Media. CTV parent Bell Globemedia then was r ...
to produce and host the programs ''NBAXL'' and ''J-Zone'', before moving back to The Score in 2005, where he again hosted ''Cabbie on the Street'' segments, along with ''Cabbie Unlimited'' and ''Cabbie All Stars''. Richards also hosted ''NBA Court Surfing'', before leaving the network again on November 30, 2010. Since 2011, Richards began hosting a weekly segment on
TSN's
SportsCentre entitled "Cabbie Presents".
Richards was a special correspondent on ''
The Marilyn Denis Show
''The Marilyn Denis Show'' is a Canadian daytime television talk show which debuted on January 10, 2011, on CTV and CTV 2 (formerly A-Channel). Hosted by Marilyn Denis, the show airs weekdays at 10 a.m. on CTV and 11 a.m. ET on CTV 2 (timeslots ...
'' on
CTV
CTV may refer to:
Television
* Connected TV, or Smart TV, a TV set with integrated internet
North America and South America
* CTV Television Network, a Canadian television network owned by Bell Media
** CTV 2, a secondary Canadian televisio ...
from 2011 to 2012, where he brought a male perspective to conversations about relationships, while also filing reports with Hollywood actors, musicians and everyday Canadians on the street.
According to Richards, his particular style of journalism – entertain first, inform second – has allowed him to carve out a unique identity. He often initiates physical contact with the people he interviews, a technique that has gotten mixed reactions from interviewees.
His unorthodox and animated style however, has endeared him to many of the A-List athletes he's interviewed. These include stars such as
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the g ...
,
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely ...
,
Stephen Curry
Wardell Stephen Curry II ( ; born March 14, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, ...
,
Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Charles Rodgers (born December 2, 1983) is an American football quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). Rodgers began his college football career at Butte College in 2002 before transferring to t ...
,
Alexander Ovechkin
Alexander Mikhailovich Ovechkin ( rus, Александр Михайлович Овечкин, p=ɐlʲɪˈksandr ɐˈvʲetɕkʲɪn; born 17 September 1985) is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger and captain of the Washington Capital ...
,
Derek Jeter
Derek Sanderson Jeter ( ; born June 26, 1974) is an American former professional baseball shortstop, businessman, and baseball executive. As a player, Jeter spent his entire 20-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the New York Yankees ...
and
Alex Rodriguez
Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez (born July 27, 1975), nicknamed "A-Rod", is an American former professional baseball shortstop and third baseman, businessman and philanthropist. Rodriguez played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the ...
.
Richards' atypical interviews with Kobe Bryant have garnered particular attention. Their frequent collaborations had resulted in the two developing a friendly relationship. Richards' interviews have also spanned into the world of entertainment with celebrities such as
Will Smith
Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968), also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor and rapper. He began his acting career starring as a fictionalized version of himself on the NBC sitcom '' The Fresh ...
,
Hugh Jackman
Hugh Michael Jackman (born 12 October 1968) is an Australian actor. Beginning in theatre and television, he landed his breakthrough role as James "Logan" Howlett / Wolverine in the 20th Century Fox ''X-Men'' film series (2000–2017), a role ...
,
Will Ferrell
John William Ferrell (; born July 16, 1967) is an American actor, comedian, and producer. He first established himself in the mid-1990s as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'', where he performed from 1995 to 20 ...
,
Kevin Hart
Kevin Darnell Hart (born July 6, 1979) is an American comedian and actor. Originally known as a stand-up comedian, he has since starred in Hollywood films and on TV. He has also released several well-received comedy albums.
After winning s ...
,
Drake
Drake may refer to:
Animals
* A male duck
People and fictional characters
* Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name
* Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name ...
,
Wiz Khalifa
Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987), better known by his stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. He released his debut album, ''Show and Prove'', in 2006 and signed to Warner Records, Warner Bros ...
,
A$AP Rocky
Rakim Athelaston Mayers (born October 3, 1988), known professionally as ASAP Rocky ( ; stylized as A$AP Rocky), is an American rapper, music producer and record executive. Born and raised in Harlem, he embarked on his musical career as a membe ...
&
Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper and songwriter. Known for his progressive musical styles and socially conscious songwriting, he is often considered one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generat ...
.
''Cabbie Presents''
Richards hosted and produced ''Cabbie Presents'', a weekly segment which aired Fridays on "Sportscentre" on TSN.
"Cabbie Presents" offered a light-hearted slice of life look at professional athletes, with a sketch-based format to the segment.
From 2012 to 2019, Richards also hosted a podcast, "Cabbie Presents: The Podcast", where he interviewed a variety of sports and entertainment stars.
Departure from TSN
Cabbie left TSN on September 6, 2019 to pursue other career aspirations. Thereafter, he began co-hosting
Bleacher Report
Bleacher Report (often abbreviated as B/R) is a website that focuses on sport and sports culture. Its headquarters are in San Francisco, with offices in New York City and London.
Bleacher Report was acquired by Turner Broadcasting System in Au ...
's ''B/R Betting Show'' alongside expert Kelly Stewart.
Voice acting
Richards voiced Zeus and Talbot in the video game, ''
Heavy Metal: Geomatrix.''
Personal life
Richards grew up in
Toronto, Ontario
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
and attended
Galt Collegiate Institute in
Cambridge, Ontario
Cambridge is a city in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, located at the confluence of the Grand and Speed rivers. The city had a population of 138,479 as of the 2021 census. Along with Kitchener and Waterloo, Cambridge ...
.
He attended
Ryerson University
Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU or Toronto Met) is a public university, public research university located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The university's core campus is situated within the Garden District, Toronto, Garden District, although i ...
's Radio and Television Art's (RTA) program for three years, leaving before completing his degree.
References
External links
Cabbie's YouTube channelCabbie's Facebook Fan Page*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Richards, Cabbie
Black Canadian broadcasters
Canadian people of African-American descent
Canadian radio personalities
Canadian television hosts
Canadian television reporters and correspondents
Canadian television sportscasters
Living people
People from Cambridge, Ontario
Year of birth missing (living people)