Doug Karsch new voice of Michigan Football?
Casually listening to 97.1 yesterday on my drive home and Valenti mentioned something about hard work and dedication paying off for Doug on the Michigan sidelines to become the voice of Michigan football. I made a mental note and promptly forgot about it.
I did a quick board search and saw that it was announced that Brandstatter and Dierdorf were stepping down after this season. A google search indicated that it may have been leaked by Valenti. @DetroitSportsNation tweeted about it.
I'm good w/ it. I like Doug and love Jansen. Hopefully they can stick together and become the next iconic voice that we listen to for the next 25 years or so.
September 8th, 2021 at 2:16 PM ^
I'd rather Brandy continue doing PbP if it's between him and Dan Miller.
September 8th, 2021 at 3:05 PM ^
Beckmann did PBP for the Tigers and U of M for 8 years.
??? Beckmann was PBP for Michigan football from 1981 through the 2013 season. That's 33 years.
September 8th, 2021 at 3:43 PM ^
He did BOTH the Tigers and U of M at the same time for an 8 year period.
September 8th, 2021 at 12:43 PM ^
I like Dan Miller on the Lions games. He's no Mark Champion, but he's decent.
September 8th, 2021 at 4:20 PM ^
Wise observation. Champion is quite skilled at the ways of propaganda!
September 8th, 2021 at 6:13 PM ^
Dislike them both. They are waaaaaayyyy too emotional about the Lions. Obviously they are supposed to get excited when the Lions do something good, but when something bad happens in the game they are so depressing. I half expected Champion to pull a gun on himself in some of those Green Bay games.
September 8th, 2021 at 12:44 PM ^
I would rather see Jansen team up with Devin Gardner or Ed Kengerski, than Karsch.
September 8th, 2021 at 1:16 PM ^
Kengerski is meh, just a little too vanilla. But NO to Karsch, PBP is a much much different job than sideline reporting. Need to find someone who has PBP experience with preferably local connection who understands the university and the audience.
September 8th, 2021 at 3:41 PM ^
I agree on Kengerski as he has the personality of a dead moth but I think Karsch has to cut his teeth somewhere, right?
Karsch might lack experience but he has a ton of local support and might be one of the most trusted names within UM media circles.
September 8th, 2021 at 12:51 PM ^
After listening to Ufer and then Beckman, don't think anyone will compare.
September 8th, 2021 at 12:52 PM ^
I opened this wondering why Carl Grapentine was retiring.
September 8th, 2021 at 2:17 PM ^
Thankfully not, but Grapentine has been the MMB voice for a whopping 51 years. He was already well-seasoned when he took over for Howard King 15 years ago.
September 8th, 2021 at 4:07 PM ^
Bo was in his second season as head coach when Carl took over for the band. Sheesh...I don't want to think what it will be like when he retires.
Can you imagine another human saying, "Baaaaaand, take the field!" It's madness.
September 8th, 2021 at 6:52 PM ^
No.
Grapentine is terrific. King was terrific. Yost oldtimers remember Glen Williams, who was terrific at hockey PA work, too. We've been fortunate. I find many guys in other facilities to be significantly less impressive, and even the good ones (and there are a few) are in no way superior.
September 8th, 2021 at 12:52 PM ^
People do realize Valenti was joking right?
September 8th, 2021 at 1:24 PM ^
Telling a joke or being a joke? And do we really need to make a distinction?
September 8th, 2021 at 12:58 PM ^
I'm still surprised an MSU grad would be doing Michigan videos/games for so long, he appears to be very professional and I haven't noticed any bias.
September 8th, 2021 at 1:06 PM ^
I thought Valenti was always OT. And if not, he should be.
September 8th, 2021 at 1:10 PM ^
Thought Shep would've been a good choice even when Beckman stepped away. Still feel that way but probably not with the Tigers TV gig.
September 8th, 2021 at 1:10 PM ^
I would love it if they get Dan Dickerson or Dan Miller for PBP with Jansen doing color.
September 8th, 2021 at 2:09 PM ^
I'm personally not a fan of Karsch's raspy voice. As a color commentator, he might be okay.
Jansen has a good play-by-play voice.
Valenti is a hawt-taek Sparty troll.
September 8th, 2021 at 2:18 PM ^
I know this is out of left field, but after watching Devin Gardner break down tape with Sam Webb, wouldn't mind seeing Gardner get a shot at it.
September 8th, 2021 at 2:39 PM ^
Good call and I'd be fine with that.
September 8th, 2021 at 2:53 PM ^
An energetic, new voice, that knows what he's talking about (and that the fan base will immediately love). He checks all of the boxes for me.
September 8th, 2021 at 3:39 PM ^
Gardner is doing color commentary for Fox Sports TV broadcasts. I caught part of the SDSU @ CSU game that he covered last weekend, and he was pretty good!
However, as has been noted in many comments above, PBP is a different skillset which can takes years to reach competency. The U-M job I think needs someone with a decent amount of experience and demonstrated ability.
September 8th, 2021 at 2:33 PM ^
I heard that Rick Rizzs is willing to leave Seattle to come back to the area & do PBP
September 8th, 2021 at 2:38 PM ^
To the track to the wall, goodbye baseball!
UGH
September 8th, 2021 at 2:46 PM ^
James Earl Jones = alum
September 10th, 2021 at 9:55 AM ^
^^^ Jones deserves mention just for his voice even if tongue-in-cheek.
September 8th, 2021 at 3:02 PM ^
MSU grad Karsch.
September 8th, 2021 at 3:20 PM ^
He has a voice for mime
September 8th, 2021 at 3:31 PM ^
Agree that Karsch doesn't have the voice for PBP, though I really do like him. Jansen a good fit. Really enjoyed the Devin Gardner experience on Fox but he might be the wrong fit for the radio broadcast.
September 8th, 2021 at 4:00 PM ^
lol its unreal this has gotten the traction that it has. Valenti was laughing as he was saying it and couldn't have made it more obvious he was kidding. Today they had to poke fun at how people believed it.
*it should be known I listen to Karsch's show on my way to work but I stop listening when Valenti comes on. All of this banter happens at the end of Karsch's show.
September 8th, 2021 at 4:05 PM ^
Fine i'll admit it, I find Valenti funny and entertaining.
September 8th, 2021 at 7:37 PM ^
Why are you the way that you are?
September 8th, 2021 at 4:08 PM ^
They might consider searching through the Syracuse Newhouse School’s alumni website for some young sportscasters with experience as play-by-play announcers for college football or other college sports. Get their audition tapes and choose the best.
Without saying whether he might be any good for Michigan football play-by-play, consider Syracuse alum Jordan Bernfield who’s based in Chicago and has done play-by-play of Big Ten men’s and women’s college basketball and softball games. Listen to his play-by-play from the basketball game between Oakland and Detroit Mercy from January 13, 2017.
September 8th, 2021 at 5:26 PM ^
I don't mind Doug, but I'd want Devin on color. Unless his Fox trajectory is much more lucrative. I want that guy to get PAID. If was coached properly he might be in the NFL still. Who knows.
September 8th, 2021 at 6:24 PM ^
It’s a shame that Valenti felt like he had the responsibility and authority to make this announcement regardless if it is true or not.
He is an arrogant, toxic dickhead.
September 8th, 2021 at 8:12 PM ^
Joe Buck. Eh. C’mon.
September 9th, 2021 at 1:41 AM ^
I hope not, Doug Karsch has always come off as condescending to me on 97.1 The Ticket.