He has covered the Super Bowl, 2 Stanley Cup Finals, and a World Series. He has hosted a local Bucs pregame show every Sunday morning before FOX NFL Sunday. He has covered the arrival of the expansion Tampa Bay Lightning and Tampa Bay (Devil Rays) as well as a USF Football program that climbed rapidly to Division 1 (FBS) in a matter of just a few seasons. But on February 26th, he will step away from the sports desk for good.
After 28 years at WTVT – FOX 13 Tampa Bay, sports director Chip Carter will retire on February 26th. Originally from the New England area, Chip arrived at the station in 1988 when the only thing Tampa sports was known for was the underachieving Buccaneers team that was in the 6th of an eventual 14 consecutive losing seasons. It goes without saying that for the most monumental sports moments in Tampa Bay history, Chip has been there to cover them all. Outside of the realm of local sports, Chip also has a passion for NASCAR and hosted an occasional segment on fishing titled ‘Fish and Chip.”
Growing up in Tampa, Chip Carter has been the main voice of local sports on TV for me for essentially my entire life. There is one thing that, in my opinion, sets Chip apart from other sports reporters in this area and that is his presentation. He has always been one to ask relevant questions that the fans would want to know answers to and has always done so in the most respectful and professional manner. At the sports desk, Chip always looks like he thoroughly enjoys his job. Rarely seen without a smile on his face, you can easily see the passion he has for covering local sports. Some reporters just give us the facts and the scores. That’s ok. But Chip presents himself as a fan of what he is reporting; a fan of Tampa Bay Sports. A local legend in his own right, his reporting will certainly be missed by many. Enjoy your retirement, Chip! Well deserved.
