Dr Z Posted October 21, 2008 Report Share Posted October 21, 2008 Maybe I was in a good mood from a Zips win on Saturday, but one of my first thoughts after the game was, "that was really fun to listen to" I really like the way the three man team has evolved. They compliment each other very well. I think as Akron football fans we are fortunate to have them.Thanks guys! Please include your stories or thoughts... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skip-zip Posted October 21, 2008 Report Share Posted October 21, 2008 Whenever we are on TV....I wish I could see the game, and have French's voice dubbed into the telecast. I have always thought he is that good. He has given us some very memorable moments over his career here....dating all the way back to his call of D. Alcorn's 56 yard field goal to beat Toledo at the Bowl in 1992....to his call of Andre Jones' punt return at Western last year....and still today. Makes me look forward to radio games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UAZipster0305 Posted October 21, 2008 Report Share Posted October 21, 2008 When the Zips are on TV, I turn the volume off, and the radio broadcast on. Frenchie is the biggest homer ever and I love it! It always seems like the officials are members of the other school's alumni or fans and out to get UA. It's a nice outlet, especially when our team is having a meltdown in trying to close out a game. Thankfully, the soccer team doesn't have that problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyzip84 Posted October 21, 2008 Report Share Posted October 21, 2008 I love Frenchie too, but there is just one minor issue I have with him. When things are starting to head south for the Zips, I am already feeling lousy and sometimes his gloomy accounts just push me that much farther into a temporary depression I guess that's just part of having a play-by-play guy who wears his emotions on his sleeves. He IS an exceptionally knowledgeable and experienced person for the position, and we are truly fortunate in that respect. I mean just try to compare him to whoever happens to be the latest "voice of the flushes" Dunn is just as big of a homer IMO, but he seems to be a little more even keeled in his emotions. Having said that, I have a buddy at work who is a YSU grad, and he recalls a game at the bowl in which Joe became enraged at the behavior of my buddy's group. Apparently they were trying to showcase some sort of YSU banner, but they were in the way of Dunn as he was trying to get back to the field. According to my buddy, Dunn allegidly clocked one of the YSU fans with a left hook to the face! Nothing came of it, because the YSU guys has acknowledged some guilt in setting up the situation but it still makes for a good story.Stams has also been a nice addition. I happened to catch him in a bar in Syracuse, and he was very much into the Zips fortunes. That was nice to see (off the air) coming from a guy who played at a higher profile school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UA1987 Posted October 21, 2008 Report Share Posted October 21, 2008 Steve French is our Joe Tait. I believe I heard an interview with Steve, some years back, and he said that Joe was a role model of his.Steve's 'Touchdown Akron!!!!' is a classic. Joe Tait has a few too. Prior to following Zips football I was a Tribe fan, beginning in 1968 (not so much now). Joe worked with Herb Score and Pete Franklin on the pre-game, and when Joe was introduced he would always say 'It's a beautiful day for baseball' no matter what the weather conditions were (rain, snow, sleet or heat). Joe would also get me fired up with his stretch saying....'Indians fans wherever you are, up on your feet for the seventh inning stretch!!!' I'd be driving my car and trying to stand up when I heard that command over the radio.Anyhow, long live Frenchie. I was at a UA football media day with my young son several years ago and I saw Steve getting ready to make some announcements. After listening to him for 20 years I felt like I knew Steve personally, although we never met, and I almost went up and yelled Touchdown Akron!!! at him, but somehow I controlled my emotions and didn't embarrass myself and my boy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltopper Posted October 21, 2008 Report Share Posted October 21, 2008 I've had the good fortune of calling Joe Dunn a friend for more than 20 years now. Joe is a Zips guy all the way. It wouldn't surprise me if Joe did take a swipe at someone he thought was showing disrespect for his Zips. The fact that our broadcast crew are homers is what should be expected, if they weren't I would be worried. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyzip84 Posted October 21, 2008 Report Share Posted October 21, 2008 I've had the good fortune of calling Joe Dunn a friend for more than 20 years now. Joe is a Zips guy all the way. It wouldn't surprise me if Joe did take a swipe at someone he thought was showing disrespect for his Zips. The fact that our broadcast crew are homers is what should be expected, if they weren't I would be worried. Oh, make no mistaker about it, if Joe did that I am glad he did it. The YSU fan involved is someone who often "asks" for this sort of thing. Besides, that Penguin-Zip rivalry during that time was every bit as heated as the rivalry with Can't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoZips88 Posted October 22, 2008 Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 I didn't make the BGSU game but the signal on 106.9 came in loud and clear down in Butler, OH. A couple of my cycling friends and I were camping and one of them commented "WOW! This guy REALLY gets into it!" on one of Frenchie's "TOUCHDOWNNNNNNN, AK-RON!" calls. My buddy is an osu grad and enjoyed listening to Frenchie's call of the game.I have to agree with many above that our trio works well together and sounds great. Thanks guys and keep up the great work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zip Watcher Posted October 22, 2008 Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 Steve French is our Joe Tait.Couldn't say it better myself.Frenchie's our legend. He'll be the voice of the Zips for years. A generation of new Zips fans will be raised on French .. both hoops & fb.Keep it up Steve.Go Zips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootforRoo44 Posted October 22, 2008 Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 Tell you what, it was nice to listen to the end of that EMU game in the Fairlawn Wal Mart parking lot with a guy and his wife and an older couple outside their cars next to mine listening along with me to that great call. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3rd&twenty Posted October 22, 2008 Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 Love Frenchy and JJ, but I'm still not sold on Stamms. That guy is a MOTO all the way and at times tries to be too fair. He does balance out Frenchy's homer calls a bit, but sometimes goes a little too far. I think it was during Saturday's game, he was going on and on about how the player from EMU should have done this or that, and Steve says to him, "well, it's a good thing he didn't make the catch", or something like that. My point on that is that it's an Akron radio team doing Akron football, you don't necessarily have to be completely fair to the other team. I love the fact that Steve and Joe are such homers. If you've ever listened to the Steelers on their radio network, those guys are homers all the way. Steve is our Myron Cope, God rest his soul. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Z Posted October 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 Love Frenchy and JJ, but I'm still not sold on Stamms. That guy is a MOTO all the way and at times tries to be too fair.I have to respectfully disagree. I think exactly what bugs you, is the same thing that I appreciate about Stamms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zip81 Posted October 22, 2008 Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 Anybody remember the days of Carl Dickens and Rudy Pikarski on WAKR? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UA1987 Posted October 22, 2008 Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 Anybody remember the days of Carl Dickens and Rudy Pikarski on WAKR?These two (who sound like fictional characters) were even before my time. I started listening to Zips football when Faust appeared on the scene and we were going to move to IA. Back then they had Don Ursetti and Whitey Wahl announcing. I know they were friends of the University (especially Whitey), but they were so bad that it was like listening to your grandmother (Whitey) and a garbage disposal (gravely voice of Ursetti) announcing the games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zip81 Posted October 22, 2008 Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 Anybody remember the days of Carl Dickens and Rudy Pikarski on WAKR?These two (who sound like fictional characters) were even before my time. I started listening to Zips football when Faust appeared on the scene and we were going to move to IA. Back then they had Don Ursetti and Whitey Wahl announcing. I know they were friends of the University (especially Whitey), but they were so bad that it was like listening to your grandmother (Whitey) and a garbage disposal (gravely voice of Ursetti) announcing the games.Carl was news director at WAKR and Rudy Pie, as we used to call him, wiggled his way in there somehow. Not sure how because he wasn't a radio type. Carl and Rudy did the games in '79, the same year I did them on WAUP. That was a lot of fun. We traveled a lot that year....Boise State, pre-Smurf Turf, (first time I ever flew in a plane), Temple at the Vet in Philly...Eastern Illinois....Morehead State.The team would fly in these old planes with Wright Airlines. Their planes looked like something out of Major League, the movie. We, WAUP, used to charter these small planes, seven seaters, with WAKR. Those were some scary flights.I wish WZIP still aired the games. It was great experience for the Media majors.They probably can't raise the budget. We would get Deluca or Tremonte Distributing to underwrite our games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Kangaroo Posted October 22, 2008 Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 I wish we could afford Bill Needle. He's the best.Yes - I'm being sarcastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zip81 Posted October 22, 2008 Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 I wish we could afford Bill Needle. He's the best.Yes - I'm being sarcastic.OMG Her Hauptman!He is the absolute worst.They could go to downtown Brady Lake and randomly choose anyone out of the trailer park who would be better.Who in the heck approves the hiring of that guy. Does he do football too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Adams Posted October 23, 2008 Report Share Posted October 23, 2008 I wish we could afford Bill Needle. He's the best.Yes - I'm being sarcastic. Needle is probaby the most pompous sounding a..i have heard on the radio... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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