Calling all old-timers: Beckmann's famous on-air break-up?
So I was perusing the vast archive of Michigan football games on CD or DVD that are available for purchase on Art Vuolo, Jr.'s website and I came across an interesting entry. Listed among the games available from the 1984 is the following:
Northwestern V [DVD] (Famous Beckmann on-air break-up)
The Beckmann he is referring to is obviously Frank Beckmann, long-time radio play-by-play man, but can anyone shed some light on this famous "on-air break-up?" I have absolutely no recollection of this game and was hoping that maybe one of our more "experienced" fans might remember the incident to which Vuolo refers.
September 13th, 2012 at 12:27 PM ^
From the Toledo Blade 1986: http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=eUBPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3wIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6975,150283&dq=frank+beckmann+1984+northwestern&hl=en
Michigan beat Northwestern 31-0.
Nate Rodgers and Mike Hammerstein sacked the Northwestern quarterback.
Beckmann called the play: "That sack...was by Rodgers and Hammerstein."
This made him crack up apparently.
If you know anything about theater and musicals, Rodgers and Hammerstein were famous for Cinderella and others:
They came back from a laugh attack-saving commercial break and said:
"It's a good thing we're not playing Oklahoma"
September 13th, 2012 at 12:35 PM ^
Great find! Thank you!
September 13th, 2012 at 12:35 PM ^
Man, talk about a perfect storm. First, a team has to have two defensive players in their rotation named Rodgers and Hammerstein. And then they have to get to the quarterback at the same time to each register half of a sack. Hillarious, would love to hear the audio....
September 13th, 2012 at 12:52 PM ^
From the duo that did Oklahoma, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, Flower Drum Song, and The fricken Sound of Music....and you pick "Cinderella" as what they're known for?
September 13th, 2012 at 12:58 PM ^
MGoBlog - where the merits of musical theater can be discussed without repercussion, in a "no-homo" atmosphere.
September 13th, 2012 at 1:47 PM ^
September 14th, 2012 at 1:49 PM ^
The Glee thread.
September 13th, 2012 at 12:33 PM ^
As someone that used to do Theater...awesome.
September 13th, 2012 at 12:38 PM ^
I do remember hearing the audio from that and it was pretty funny, but I don't remember where I heard it. It may have been on the WJR pregame a few years back.
September 13th, 2012 at 12:39 PM ^
...and came across an exerpt from Jim Brandstatter's book, Tales from Michigan Stadium, that describes the event in question. Here's the link...
http://books.google.com/books?id=nzi35Oau2G0C&pg=PA111&lpg=PA111&dq=bec…
September 13th, 2012 at 12:40 PM ^
This sounds like a perfect treasure for you to discover (and post to your YouTube site, of course)!
September 13th, 2012 at 12:45 PM ^
Turnstile count was around 76,000, as Tigers were playing World Series game. So many were listening to that on the radio, that, when Trammel hit his second HR of the game, the crowd yelled, and the NW offense jumped prematurely, illegal procedure penalty.
I believe it was the only time we scored 30 points that year, 31 - 0 UM.
September 13th, 2012 at 1:05 PM ^
Haha, that's a neat story. Thanks for sharing.
September 13th, 2012 at 1:27 PM ^
September 13th, 2012 at 4:39 PM ^
You would have to go back to 1974 or so to get an home game attendance that low. I was there fwiw. Usual sellout even considering it was Northwestern.
September 13th, 2012 at 9:05 PM ^
The turnstile count is not the same thing as the "attendance". Attendance is tickets sold, plus invited guests.
1995 Purdue definitely did not have 100,000 present, but the official attendance was above that figure because of the number of tickets sold.
September 13th, 2012 at 9:46 PM ^
There was 100,000 in the stands to start the 1995 Purdue game. Proof:
...but by the second quarter, yeah, they started leaving.
September 14th, 2012 at 12:15 PM ^
That was the my first game at the Big House. Man was the weather turrible
September 14th, 2012 at 1:54 PM ^
There was a lot of empty space and patches between people. It just looks more filled because people started off in their seats. The only way you see empty spots is like the student section when the all move forward. It just stood out more when people started taking off because everyone started huddling by the press box.
I seriously doubt there were 100,000 to start the game (back then the capacity was only 102,501), and by the end it might have been seen by 20,000.
September 13th, 2012 at 7:31 PM ^
I went to Tiger Stadium that day. Besides, tough to pull against NW since oldest brother played for them. Better choice to go to the World Series.
September 13th, 2012 at 1:05 PM ^
What other name combinations make you laugh like that? More recently, there were two players at West Virginia that were the subjects of a funny picture.
These guys played at WV in the mid-to-late 2000's (2007-2008 roughly). If I remember correctly, they both contributed a fair amount to that defense.
September 13th, 2012 at 1:18 PM ^
It starts at about 2:52
September 13th, 2012 at 1:17 PM ^
Take a look here starting at about the 3:30 mark. http://youtu.be/05QMzCSRuvg
September 13th, 2012 at 1:26 PM ^
Most substantive first post ever?
September 13th, 2012 at 4:11 PM ^
September 13th, 2012 at 9:19 PM ^
September 14th, 2012 at 9:22 AM ^
My favorite call from Beckmann is the end of the Virginia game. When Mercury Hayes caught that touchdown right on the sidelines, Beckmann went nuts. Best football call I've heard.
August 20th, 2013 at 4:08 AM ^