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 11:50 AM ^
Valenti is ass sweat.
That's all.
September 8th, 2021 at 11:54 AM ^
And Karsch isn’t appreciably better.
Pass. Not interested in a sideline reporter moving to the PBP chair.
September 8th, 2021 at 12:20 PM ^
Bad take
September 8th, 2021 at 12:20 PM ^
Valenti's show is basically him commenting on whatever is the RCMB topic of the day. "You wont' believe Harbaugh said..."
September 8th, 2021 at 1:39 PM ^
I'll admit I used to casually listen to him here and there during the drive home from work. Once Rico joined I stopped all together. In the past say 6 months I scanned the radio probably a dozen or so times to 97.1 during the 2-6 hour and I can say each every of those times they were either talking about: 1. Harbaugh or 2. Vaccine/Covid.
September 8th, 2021 at 2:02 PM ^
Valenti is very talented and can be hilarious. He's just gone full troll now which makes it unlistenable. I put it on to see if I can catch a non college topic, but it's rare.
September 8th, 2021 at 3:45 PM ^
What does Valenti say about covid? Just curious. Probably can't be worse than the Huge Show with whatever he says about it.
September 8th, 2021 at 4:32 PM ^
Just various forms of “get the vaccine so I can watch football”
September 8th, 2021 at 4:13 PM ^
Your evaluation of him is far too positive. Take off those rose-colored glasses!
September 8th, 2021 at 7:00 PM ^
That's an insult to ass sweat!
September 8th, 2021 at 11:52 AM ^
Valenti was joking. I wouldn't find it super funny if I was Karsch but that's just me.
September 8th, 2021 at 11:54 AM ^
I stopped reading after Valenti.
September 8th, 2021 at 11:56 AM ^
We could do worse, way worse... like Blaha worse...
September 8th, 2021 at 9:13 PM ^
George is terrible at football, but in his day he was the best NBA guy in the country.
September 8th, 2021 at 9:30 PM ^
What the hell day was that????
September 8th, 2021 at 11:31 PM ^
That would be Wednesday February 24, 1983. To be exact.
September 10th, 2021 at 12:18 AM ^
From the mid-70's straight thru to the "Goin' To Work" era. You could Google it.
September 8th, 2021 at 11:58 AM ^
I've liked Karsch since his days on WTKA and I'm not sure he's got the right kind of voice for PBP, but he can't be any worse at describing what's happening on plays than Brandy is.
September 8th, 2021 at 12:21 PM ^
Exactly. Didn't think Karsch has the play by play chops. Jansen is clearly being groomed to be the color guy. I think they'll seek out someone with Play By Play radio experience
September 8th, 2021 at 1:49 PM ^
I've assumed Jansen was going to be the color guy for a couple years now. He does a lot of work on ESPNU Radio as well, and he's very likeable.
September 8th, 2021 at 5:29 PM ^
Gardner is a likable guy, but was unlistenable during a GVSU/Ferris St. game I watched on FSD a few years back. He talks way too much and gets excited over every play. Dan Dickerson and Jansen would be the home run hire.
September 8th, 2021 at 7:35 PM ^
I too thought Dan Dickerson would be a good choice, but maybe a little long in the tooth at 62?
September 8th, 2021 at 1:33 PM ^
Agree. Always liked Karsch, but he's not a Pbp guy. Pbp is a unique skillset that is not simply the same thing as being good at radio or television.
It was decades ago now, but Karsch did some Pbp with women's basketball, and he was not well suited for it. It's possible that he's been working on it, but I'm not initially optimistic.
September 8th, 2021 at 11:59 AM ^
Really, really good choices, I hope it works out
September 8th, 2021 at 12:00 PM ^
seriously..... there's not many options that wouldn't be an improvement.
popular opinion or not, Brando and Dan are hard to listen to.
September 8th, 2021 at 1:53 PM ^
I wasn't a Dierdorf fan when he was on TV for all of those years. Knowledgeable, but always sounded as if he was chewing on something. And that has gotten worse as he has gotten older.
September 8th, 2021 at 2:20 PM ^
I think Beckman is a bit of a fool and was stupid to start making racial comments that made him untenable.. But despite my personal dislike of his politics, he was one hell of a PBP announcer. Brandy was such a huge drop off from him. He's good as a color guy but not PBP.
September 8th, 2021 at 12:01 PM ^
Threads like this make me appreciate listening to ESPNU on satellite radio in afternoon. No stupid flame wars (unless Dan Dakich is on) and idiotic hot takes.
And any website that quotes Valenti as a source needs to be 404'd immediately.
September 8th, 2021 at 12:08 PM ^
Threads like this make me appreciate drinking
September 8th, 2021 at 1:27 PM ^
ESPNU has had some very good show hosts, but I'm struggling with their morning show (Danny Kanell) and in the afternoon with Brock Huard. Not quite as bad as Dakich, but both are very unlikeable guys.
For me, the dream UM radio booth is Dan Dickerson paired with Jon Jansen. I think Jansen will definitely happen, but tough to see Dickerson giving up Saturday Tiger (and in some cases, Sunday) games. I could see the Tigers parting ways with Matt Shepherd after this season and Shep becoming the voice of UM football.
September 9th, 2021 at 2:49 PM ^
I like your idea of Dan Dickerson (PBP) paired with Jon Jansen. Am not a big fan of Doug Karsh. The question is, would or could Michigan pay enough $$ to woo away Dickerson? Or would that fall into the Network that broadcasts the games for all of it's affiliates?
On a workload basis, he'd work only Saturdays as compared to the very long near 7 day week and all that travel for baseball plus that very long regular season. I'd swap a lucrative U of M PBP gig anytime over the grueling Det Tiger schedule.
September 8th, 2021 at 12:07 PM ^
He's wrong
I will be the next voice of Michigan football.
I can confirm this hot take
September 8th, 2021 at 12:13 PM ^
Dickerson and Jansen please.
Karsch isn't a play by play guy.
September 8th, 2021 at 12:17 PM ^
He did PBP for Michigan softball back when I was at WTKA. So he does have some PBP experience.
September 8th, 2021 at 12:23 PM ^
I mean he can do it but I want a real pro like Dickerson. Adds so much more to the game. After a big Tigers play I search for Dickerson's call of the play and it never disappoints.
September 8th, 2021 at 2:21 PM ^
Dickerson is a problem because Tigers games overlap with the Wolverines season, and he ain't giving up his money gig.
September 8th, 2021 at 3:49 PM ^
Beckmann made it work he was the Tigers PBP guy. Now, the Tigers may stand in the way, but it's doable, and has been done before.
September 8th, 2021 at 4:27 PM ^
Probably not that much overlap until the Tigers start making the playoffs again. A pro like Dickerson could definitely make it work with minimal impact if the Tigers were willing.
September 8th, 2021 at 5:12 PM ^
I know this a minority take, but I can’t stand Dickerson. Tiresome with his use of analytics, pretty stale, and it should be the color guys job. Also, he’s too much of a homer, he seems so sad when the Tigers are losing.
September 8th, 2021 at 12:22 PM ^
I could see Doug play by play and Jansen as color
September 8th, 2021 at 12:23 PM ^
I'm going to be sad to see Brandy and Dan go. I've said it before: they're like watching a game with your uncles who are full of shit, but you're glad to spend time with them anyway.
But, yeah, it's time.
September 8th, 2021 at 1:00 PM ^
it wouldn't be right to speculate on the sincerity of their retirement announcement, but it sounds to me like they're serious and this season is going to be it. Again, its not fair for us to speculate, but if you ask me, they're done.
Dan Deirdorff
September 8th, 2021 at 3:32 PM ^
they're like watching a game with your uncles who are full of shit ...
Very true - and like Brandy and Dan, I wish some of my uncles came with a button that I could turn to "OFF."
September 8th, 2021 at 12:25 PM ^
I like Karsch and would appreciate the change. Nothing against Brandy, but I've never really enjoyed the radio broadcast with him. Being a resident of Ohio, I've occasionally stumbled upon the OSU broadcast and they are miles better than what Michigan puts on the air.
September 8th, 2021 at 3:03 PM ^
I agree, Paul Keels for OSU is a great play by play guy comparatively speaking
September 8th, 2021 at 12:30 PM ^
That would be bad. Karsh's voice is unlistenable, I can't listen to him on the radio. Sounds like he's choking, gagging on chicken bones, and the "P" plosives almost knock the mic over. Gross.
September 8th, 2021 at 12:35 PM ^
Horrible idea. This is repeating the mistake of elevating Brandy from color (which he was objectively good at) to PBP (which he's not as good at).
If you have someone good at their job (and Karsch is good at sideline) leave him there doing that at a high level.
Then find a PBP guy who can do that at a high level.
Dan D is unrealistic due to the conflicts, but I would take Dan Miller. He's good at it.
September 8th, 2021 at 12:42 PM ^
Beckmann did PBP for the Tigers and U of M for 8 years. Tigers can find a sub 4 times a season.
Miller is pretty good and much better than Karsch.
September 8th, 2021 at 2:12 PM ^
I wonder if they could get Frank interested in working 12 days a year?
September 8th, 2021 at 2:23 PM ^
Frank will never work for Michigan again. He is a great announcer, but once he started talking about Tiger Woods and Fried Chicken, he was done.
He decided his desire to be a "shocking" political jock was more important than the Michigan gig. Too bad.