[Ed. Did you know the great Bob Ufer called the occasional hoops game? Believe it. Here’s Sap breaking down a recording from the 1965 IU game with Ufe on the mic. P.S. If Ufe were alive today I bet he’d have a few choice words for Crean! #DONG] A guest post by Steve “Dr. Sap” Sapardanis With Michigan winning their first outright B1G Basketball Championship in 28 years, I thought it would be appropriate to look back on the 1965 Michigan – Indiana Basketball game. Not because UM will be playing IU this weekend, but because Bob Ufer was doing the play-by-play radio on WPAG (the predecessor to your beloved WTKA 1050AM). Back in 1965 Michigan, led by the great Cazzie Russell, also won the B1G title and was ranked #2 in the country behind some school out west (UCLA). But the real story here is Ufer. A few years ago, Ufer.org came out with a CD that had the first half of the UM-IU Hoops game and it is priceless. To hear Ufer call a basketball game in much the same fashion that he called a football game is pure joy. Here’s a breakdown of a few selected tracks: [display_podcast] Track #1: Here you’ve got Ufe calling the opening tip of the game. Track #2: If you listen closely…
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Passing the Broadcast Torch to Frankie
Ricky and Franky Saturday will be the home finale for many folks involved with Michigan football: the departing seniors of course, legendary equipment manager Jon Falk and longtime broadcaster Frank Beckmann (and yes, many longtime fans based on the recent tweets). Much has been said about about Falk but notsomuch about Frank. I think he’s done a great job broadcasting and he’s had some legendary calls. Following Bob Ufer behind the mic is beyond impossible and I tip my maize and blue fedora to Beckmann. So check this out. Thanks to the Art Vuolo and Dr. Sap archives here are a few clips from the radio broadcast of the 1981 Notre Dame game in Ann Arbor, Beckmann’s first season calling games. Ufer was ailing in ‘81 and Beckmann stepped in to call the opener against Wisconsin, a stunner where Bo’s #1-ranked crew fell to the Badgers. The Irish took over the top-ranking the following week and came to Ann Arbor to face the wounded blue. A few months back Sap told me that this game contained moments of Frank and Ufe on air together and I thought it’d be cool to share a few heading into the finale. Running down the clips: Clip #1. The transition from pregame to kickoff, as Ufer hands the broadcast over to “Frankie” Beckmann, but…
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Ufer Returns Saturday – Toe Meets Leather at Noon
God bless your maize and blue fedora-covered ears, old Ufe returns Saturday. Continuing an awesome tradition, starting at noon Saturday WTKA 1050AM will air another game from the Bob Ufer radio archives, this time the 1976 battle between the #1 ranked Michigan men and Stanford from Ann Arbor on September 18, 1976. Here’s the game boxscore from the U-M Bentley Historical Library if you need it: So after weeks of ignoring those important in your life, tune in while you are making good with your spouse, friends, family or putting rake to leaf in the yard. Go Blue! More on Bob Ufer here. Follow MVictors on Twitter there.
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Classic Ufer U-M Football Nicknames
Here's a rundown of Bob Ufer's most famous Michigan player nicknames and Uferisms over the years. Thanks to the great Dr. Sap! Read on:
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TWIMFbH: Stanford, ‘73 and a Salute to the Big Ten
Salute! via Dr. Sap’s archives The Stanford Cardinals (yes, s) came to town exactly 39 years ago Saturday and surely braced themselves to face Bo Schembechler in the 1973 home opener. TWIMFbH gets into that game and much more. Have a listen…includes a couple salutes to the great Bob Ufer: [display_podcast] As discussed in the clip, the boys from Palo Alto hold a special place in Michigan football history as they were the lambs opponents vs. Fielding Yost’s undefeated, untied, and unscored upon Point-A-Minute crew in the 1902 Rose Bowl. Staring at a 49-0 deficit with eight minutes still left in the game, the Indians found the only white towel that wasn’t blood-stained and waved it, begging for mercy. It was granted. Fast forward nearly four decades and it was once again Stanford who faced another one of the finest Wolverines squads in history—this time Fritz Crisler, Bob Chappuis and the Mad Magicians of 1947. Once again Michigan hung 49 (to Stanford’s 13) on October 4, 1947. Bo Schembechler didn’t hold back either when the Cardinals visited in ‘73, thirty-nine years ago this Saturday, in fact he practically beat the “s” of the Stanford nickname (although that wouldn’t officially happen until 1981), winning 47-10. But ‘73 is better remembered by U-M fans by the vote of Big Ten commissioners that…
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Bob Ufer’s Football Application
I love dropping by the U-M Bentley Historical Library. I stopped in recently doing a little research for the 2012 edition of HTTV and check out this gem Brian W., one of the archivists, shared with me: Now we know that the late, great U-M radio voice Bob Ufer played freshman football in Ann Arbor and was a U-M track star at Michigan, but I didn’t know he gave varsity football a run. Apparently so, as above is one of Fritz Crisler’s preseason surveys filled out by old Ufe himself. (Here’s Tom Harmon’s 1943 form, posted in 2010, worth a look if you haven’t seen it). He was living at the Phi Delt house at the corner of South University and Washtenaw at the time and as a good Pennsylvania worked in the steel mill during the summer. “VOICEM” Speaking of Ufer, had to scan eBay for a cool photo and jackpot. Here he is in 1976 showing off his luxurious sled and his fitting vanity plate:
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Ufer Returns to WTKA Noon Saturday
God bless your cotton pickin’ maize and blue fedora-covered ears, old Ufe returns Saturday. Continuing an awesome tradition, starting at noon Saturday WTKA 1050AM will air another game from the Bob Ufer radio archives, this time the 1977 battle against Purdue played in West Lafayette. One of my spies tipped me off to the selection earlier this week and today The Michigan Insider’s Ira Weintraub confirmed to me that “toe meets leather at noon.” Nice. So after weeks of ignoring those important in your life, tune in while you are making good with your spouse, friends, family or even putting rake to leaf in the yard. Heck, grab a beer, if that’s your thing, and settle in. Maybe even Will Gholston will be tuning in from East Lansing :) Related: eBay Watch: Bo Rolls into Berlin (Navy 1976) eBay Watch: Where Ufer Laid Woody Hayes Away eBay Watch: WPAG Wall Clock (1940s) WTKA to broadcast Ufer, 1979 Indiana game today Follow MVictors on Twitter ‘77 Purdue stub via TicketMuseum.com
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Bo Rolls into Berlin (Navy 1976)
Here’s a program to the 1976 Navy game: A selection of a few other Navy-Michigan programs from the U-M Bentley Library program database: On Saturday from noon-3 WTKA 1050AM (and I assume WTKA.com) will be replaying the original Bob Ufer radio broadcast of the 1976 Navy game. If you’re cleaning out the garage or mowing the lawn I suggest you tune in. Old ‘Ufe practically wore out the scoring horn in this one, as #1 ranked Michigan put up 70 points on the Midshipmen, the most since 1905, and it’s a radio call to remember. Incredibly Bo’s Wolverines actually trailed with just over a minute to go in the first half before taking the lead. In a span just over 5 minutes in the third quarter sophomore QB Ricky Leach accounted for four touchdowns, two on the ground and two in the air, and shortly thereafter Ufer nearly keeled over with excitement as he tended to do. Based on the WTKA promos, after the 70th point Ufer likens the feat to “rolling into Berlin”! A few props are in order here. First, Ira and crew at WTKA for continuing this tradition. Next, my pal and M history buff Steve Sapardanis of Guts ‘n Glue for recommending they reair this game. Finally, audio and video archivist Art Vuolo, Jr., [see…
