OT Shutdown Fullcast still Love Brandstatter and Dierdorf
If you find yourself looking for some distraction this fine Wednesday morning the Shutdown Fullcast is about 90% Michigancentric. There’s a song (rap) at the end that might offend some listeners, but I keep an open mind concerning music. They definitely think our broadcast team is the best out there. Go Blue! Beat the Hoosiers!
p.s. you might want to use the FF button if you’re pressed for time.
November 4th, 2020 at 7:56 AM ^
There’s no way you can convince me that brandstatter is any good at play by play. He’s downright awful, Which is too bad because he’s pretty good as a color analyst.
November 4th, 2020 at 8:23 AM ^
Sack time.....
November 4th, 2020 at 8:29 AM ^
Dierdorf, "You never want to speculate on the extent of an injury, but that looked bad, its unlikely that he's coming back into this game"
November 4th, 2020 at 8:31 AM ^
He's not very good, but I still love him.
November 4th, 2020 at 9:03 AM ^
I think you have to know that Spencer, Ryan et al know they are not very good at giving specifics about the game. They love them because of their unbridled enthusiasm for college football (arrogant Michigan in particular). I’ll take Beckman if I want to know down and distance with a little homerism.
November 4th, 2020 at 9:33 AM ^
I won't take Beckman -- his last five years (at least) he was clearly past his prime, slow on player ID and describing the essentials of the play. Now we have Brandy, who is a good Michigan man who knows football, but he's not a play-by-play guy.
It's amazing to me for at least a decade, a program with one of the biggest & knowledgeable fanbases has decided having a highly-skilled, competent pbp guy is not necessary. Instead, we just cruise on past glory and reputation. Seems to be a theme.
November 4th, 2020 at 10:15 PM ^
Well, how about an 'Ernie Harwell' type who's excellent at both? It's Michigan, we have a right to expect that, don't we?
November 4th, 2020 at 8:27 AM ^
some of brando's best work..... lion's post game interview
"coach, tough game today. what do you say to the guys after a loss like that? If we'd have gotten a break or a lucky bounce, we could have walked out with a win today."
Wash, rinse and repeat.
November 4th, 2020 at 9:14 AM ^
These two are like the uncles that you see at Thanksgiving or summer picnics. They love to talk even when they don't have anything important to say. They laugh a lot and they tell great stories. Sometimes they actually make a good point, and other times they're full of shit. And while sometimes you wish they'd just hush up, it's hard not to feel fondness for them.
Other teams have great play-by-play combos in the booth. We've got Uncle Dan and Uncle Brandy. They ain't perfect, but they're ours.
November 4th, 2020 at 10:23 AM ^
that's pretty well stated.... and spot on
November 4th, 2020 at 3:00 PM ^
Perfect description. Move to the front of the line
November 4th, 2020 at 3:00 PM ^
Perfect description. Move to the front of the line
November 4th, 2020 at 9:36 AM ^
Personally enjoy listening to Dierdorf immensely and I think he understands the game and Michigan football as well as anyone. He also cares enough to be pretty honest with what he thinks he's seeing, which, imho, makes him well worth listening too.
November 4th, 2020 at 10:23 AM ^
Dan always follows up a homer rant with "not being a homer"
November 4th, 2020 at 8:34 PM ^
I remember when he was an ABC guy he would whistle HTTV when UM won the day before.
November 4th, 2020 at 10:35 AM ^
Can't say I've ever listened to a game with Beckman, Brandy, or Dierdorf on the radio call. Mostly because TV has been so prominent over the last 30-40 years, and only continues to grow. Also, I left the state in 1984 and getting a home radio call in South Carolina or Virginia is impossible. The announcers I do remember listening to with regularity are Ernie Harwell (clearly not a UM call) and Bob Ufer. I may be on the 'getting older' side, but I refuse to believe anyone can match those two. Especially Ufer. Perhaps I'm jaded, but if you actually had the pleasure of listening to Ufer call a game in his prime, you would think the same way I do.
November 4th, 2020 at 11:11 AM ^
Totally agree with these sentiments. I would add Vin Scully as well for baseball.
November 4th, 2020 at 1:26 PM ^
Vin was # 1. I like Costas on baseball even though he doesn’t do it too often. Anybody old enough here to remember Lindsay Nelson doing the Rose Bowl? College football, my favorite by far Keith Jackson. A classic.
November 4th, 2020 at 1:51 PM ^
What's Keith up to these days?
November 4th, 2020 at 3:29 PM ^
He's doing well from what I hear.
November 5th, 2020 at 8:58 AM ^
He died last year.
November 4th, 2020 at 3:46 PM ^
and Dave Strader (RIP) and Doc Emrick for hockey. Sad that Doc retired... simply the best.
November 5th, 2020 at 3:26 PM ^
I did and I don't.
November 4th, 2020 at 11:10 AM ^
Jim Brandstatter must have pictures of someone that allows him to keep his job. One of the worst announcers I have ever listened to. Sack Time! should be Sack Brandstatter!
November 4th, 2020 at 11:18 AM ^
I know I may get some heat, but Dan actually annoys me a little. He reminds me of my grumpy, always pessimistic uncle when commentating.
November 4th, 2020 at 11:36 AM ^
I travel for ESPN as a camera op. Shooting college football. So I listen to the radio call a lot, because my game time is some times different than Michigan’s. So I put the head phones in and still can take my camera down and get work done. It is the worst, I like Jim and what he has done for Michigan football. But listening to him call a game is so bad. He can not tell the story of what is happening live, it is so frustrating to listen to. He or Dan should be on color, but they need someone else to do play by play.
November 4th, 2020 at 12:40 PM ^
The solution should be so easy -- Michigan should hire, after a nationwide search, some young 30-40 year old up & comer with play-by-play experience and then have both Brandy and Dierdorf as co-color guys.
Sure the booth would be a bit overstuffed, but that's OK for college, where ties to the past & stories are a big deal.
November 4th, 2020 at 1:11 PM ^
Brian Bush should be the play by play guy for Michigan football.
Dierdorf and Brandy can line up in the Oklahoma drill to see who gets the color job.
November 4th, 2020 at 3:48 PM ^
and how did it take so long for Rod Allen to finally whip Mario?? that dude was so friggin' obnoxious.... he lived to correct Rod the moment he misspoke, whether he was incorrect, or it was just the slip of the tongue.
November 4th, 2020 at 9:17 PM ^
In Mario’s defense, he was more prepared, and in my opinion he carried rod. I worked a lot of games with them, and after years of doing more work, day in and day out, he would take his shots at rod when the opportunity was there. This is just my opinion.
November 5th, 2020 at 8:48 AM ^
Thanks for that, its good to hear some inside, insight.
Mario did the same thing to Gibby tho.... and on one occasion, Gibby jokingly replied something to the effect of "that kinda thing gets some guys knocked out" or something along those lines. They both chuckled, but Mario wasn't as quick to jump on Gibby after that.
Mario clearly knows his stuff, he's just obnoxious as hell, in this guy's opinion.
November 5th, 2020 at 3:29 PM ^
but without a dozen lunches every day Allen wouldn't have had any stories. Zzzzz.
November 4th, 2020 at 6:00 PM ^
Sentiments basically reiterated, but love Brandy when he is not (attempting to) calling plays. Good God it’s bad.
November 4th, 2020 at 6:59 PM ^
Tried listening to them a few times. Had to turn it off. It bothers me that I could probably call a better play by play than them.
November 5th, 2020 at 12:35 AM ^
Good Michigan Men however we need a change. If Harbaugh goes, can he take those two with him?!