As you know, the legendary Bob Ufer radio voice passed the broadcast torch to “Frankie” Beckmann back in 1981. Beckmann won’t have that opportunity next season as IMG will select a new man to handle this role, a role that is and will be an integral part of the history of this place. One of the major off-the-field questions will concern who will fill the role. The potential candidates:
- Doug Karsch – The longtime radio sideline guy and local radio host on WXYT also does work for #1000SSS. FWIW he has an endorsement from Frank himself:
Michigan has not revealed Beckmann’s successor. IMG Sports will make the hire, but Beckmann has a favorite — if he had a say. “I hope they give it to (Doug) Karsch,” Beckmann said of the local radio personality who is sideline reporter for the Michigan radio broadcasts. “He knows the game inside and out. He’s passionate about it. He knows Michigan so well. “I have no say in it. Nobody’s asked me, and that’s how it should be.”
- Matt Shepard – Shep has done a good job on the hoops radio play-by-play, pumps iron and hosts morning Detroit radio on WDFN. I’m guessing is the odds-on favorite for the gig assuming he wants it and I assume Shep wants it. Not helping his cause is that fact that his WDFN show was dubbed, at one time, “Shep, Shave and Shower”.
- Dan Dickerson – I posted this question out on Twitter and the name of Tigers radio voice Dickerson came up a few times. Dickerson is pretty much money on the baseball calls and even subbed for U-M radio play-by-play in the 1990s. Assuming he wants it and they’d have him, if the pay was decent you know he’d trade the baseball schedule for college football.
- Mark Champion – The Pistons radio voice was the cat’s meow as Lion’s radio voice. Again, got a lot of love for Champion in Twitterverse straw poll and I back it.
- Others? Sure, Mike Tirico would be money but I don’t see IMG having…a truck full of money.
7 Comments
Jeff Cummins
This is one of the reasons that Frank had such an amazing career: he faced the challenge of following a legend in Ufer. Sure, it’s not the same as being a coach or a manager, but still, it’s never easy to follow a legend, but Frank did it, and he did a great job of bringing listeners into the stadium and making them feel as if they were part of the action. Well done!
And whomever gets the job has my sympathy, and my support. It won’t be easy to follow Frank, just as it wasn’t easy to follow Ufe. Still, you get the sense that the person that gets the job will be up to the task. Truly, the brilliance of those radio broadcasts is just another reason why Michigan has such tremendous tradition. It’s more than victories and championships. It’s ambiance, tradition…The Big House…the winged helmets…the banner…and character. Ultimately, it comes down to people. GO BLUE!
Bando
The radio show was actually called “Shep, Shower, and Shave.”
And as much as he’s the odds-on favorite, Shepard a pretty bad play-by-play guy. Trying to follow a basketball game Shep is covering is pretty much a lost cause. He just doesn’t do a great job painting a word picture of what he’s seeing. Nice guy, but Michigan can do better.
MGoShoe
I think this started as a tribute to Beckmann, but Shepherd’s use of #MichVoice in all of his tweets since 2 Jan is really annoying. If he’s saying because he’s the radio PBP man for Michigan Basketball, he’s also the Voice of Michigan, it may be accurate, but it’s pompous as hell. It also may be presumptuous and fatuous if he’s using it as a way to make a play for the Michigan Football PBP position.
Craig Barker
MGoShoe, in re #MichVoice, I am wondering if that’s an IMG dictate, because Jim Brandstatter uses it too for his Michigan related tweets.
M Fabes
What about Dan Miller (current voice of the Lions)? He and Brandstatter work well together with the Lions.
Teddy
Give me Mark Champion! He has worked in the NFL for many years and loved listening to him call Lions games (IMO he’s way better than Dan Miller). Would love to hear a “Holy mackerel!” after a big Michigan play…
MGoShoe
You may be right, Craig. I noted that Shepherd intro’d himself as “Michigan play-by-play voice Matt Shepherd” on the latest Inside Michigan Basketball. So, I guess this isn’t evidence of him being pompous, presumptuous or fatuous. Just following orders from on high.