Michael Elliott Landsberg (born July 22, 1957) 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 journalist and the former host of TSN's, ''First Up with Landsberg and Colaiacovo'', and former host of TSN's ''

Off the Record with Michael Landsberg ''Off the Record with Michael Landsberg'', also known as ''Off the Record'' or ''OTR'', was a Canadian sports talk show that was produced by TSN hosted by Michael Landsberg. The program aired from 1997 to 2015, making it one of the longest-run ...

'' from 1997 to 2015.

Broadcasting career

Landsberg was with TSN since the network's inception in 1984, where he started his national career as an anchor on TSN's ''

SportsDesk New England Sports Network, popularly known as NESN , is an American regional sports cable and satellite television network owned by a joint venture of Fenway Sports Group (which owns a controlling 80% interest, and is the owner of Boston Red ...

'', broadcasting more than 5,000 episodes. Landsberg hosted TSN's 30-minute daily sports debate program '' Off the Record'' from 1997 to 2015, one of Canada's longest running talk shows. Previously the co-host of TSN 1050's Naylor & Landsberg in the morning, he formerly hosted TSN's ''First Up with Landsberg and Colaiacovo'' with former

Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...

player

Carlo Colaiacovo Carlo Colaiacovo ( ; born January 27, 1983) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently co-hosting a show on Canada’s TSN 1050 radio station, ''First Up with Korolnek and Colaiacovo''. He most recently played for ...

. Landsberg covered figure skating at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, and has also covered Canadian college football and horse racing. He also hosted the network's coverage of the

Dubin Inquiry The Dubin inquiry was a Canadian government Commission of Inquiry into the Use of Drugs and Banned Practices Intended to Increase Athletic Performance held in 1989 after the Ben Johnson doping scandal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. The commission was ...

. Twice nominated for the Gemini Award for Best Host or Interviewer in a Sports Program or Sportscast, Landsberg was the Whistler Host for Olympic Daytime on CTV during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. During the London 2012 Olympic Games, he anchored TSN's Olympic Daytime. Landsberg left TSN in July 2021.

Personal life

Landsberg suffers from

generalized anxiety disorder Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a mental and behavioral disorder, specifically an anxiety disorder characterized by excessive, uncontrollable and often irrational worry about events or activities. Worry often interferes with daily function ...

and depression. Landsberg is a supporter for mental health awareness and is trying to popularize the hashtag #sicknotweak in tribute to his mental illness. Landsberg has since transformed #sicknotweak from a trending topic to a movement with the launch of sicknotweak.com – a forum for those suffering from depression and a resource for those supporting a loved one who needs help. Landsberg has been an ambassador for

Bell Let's Talk Bell Lets Talk () is a campaign created by the Canadian telecommunications company, Bell Canada, in an effort to raise awareness and combat stigma surrounding mental illness in Canada. It is the largest corporate commitment to mental health in ...

, an initiative focused on raising awareness and encouraging dialogue about mental health, since the initiative launched in 2011. Landsberg is

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

Awards

In 2012, the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health named Landsberg one of its Champions of Mental Health. Landsberg's documentary, ''Darkness and Hope: Depression, Sports and Me'' earned a

Canadian Screen Award The Canadian Screen Awards (french: link=no, Les prix Écrans canadiens) are awards given for artistic and technical merit in the film industry recognizing excellence in Canadian film, English-language television, and digital media (web series) p ...

nomination in 2013. For his longstanding dedication to promoting mental health awareness, Landsberg was honoured with the Humanitarian Award at the 2015 Canadian Screen Awards. In 2017, he was awarded a Meritorious Service Medal (Civil Division) for his mental health advocacy, presented by the Governor General of Canada, at a ceremony held at Rideau Hall.

References

External links

TSN profile
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Landsberg, Michael Living people Canadian sports talk radio hosts Canadian television sportscasters Canadian television talk show hosts Journalists from Toronto Jewish Canadian journalists Toronto Metropolitan University alumni 1957 births