Thank you Frank Beckmann
Thank you Frank Beckmann. Great tribute to the radio great during the Game today.
Really classy move on his part to give away his hat to the fans today also. I never really had a reason to listen to him on the radio, but I went back and checked out some old recordings and wish I had experiened some of it live.
http://http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2013/11/frank_beckmann_contemplates_la.html
November 30th, 2013 at 4:37 PM ^
He has been the voice of it. Thanks for the memories.
November 30th, 2013 at 4:40 PM ^
Big shoes to fill for whoever steps in. I thought Beckmann was great over the years.
November 30th, 2013 at 4:45 PM ^
reminded me that she has never heard anyone else. I clearly recall saying the same thing about Ufer. An amazing run, thanks Frank!
November 30th, 2013 at 4:50 PM ^
Go get Dan Dickerson.
November 30th, 2013 at 4:52 PM ^
I want Chris Berman myself.
November 30th, 2013 at 5:00 PM ^
Please hire Gregg Daniels. He's seriously really good for Compass Media Networks and has talked about wanting the job. He called the national broadcast of both UM-PSU and UM-NW this year. He grew up a Michigan fan, too.
November 30th, 2013 at 5:01 PM ^
I grew up with his voice!
just think, since the 40's Michigan has had 2 radio voices! this is absolutely amazing! Go Blue!
November 30th, 2013 at 5:02 PM ^
My wife and I live overseas and we had the chance to watch (on Slingbox) or listen over MGoBlue.com. I opted for the latter, while the MGoBride watched ABC in the other room. I tried watching, but knowing this was Frank's last game in Michigan Stadium was just too much to pass up. As has always been the case, his play-by-play made it like being there.
Thank you, Frank. You have been done an exemplary job over all of these years, and I will miss hearing you.
November 30th, 2013 at 5:03 PM ^
I think they will and should hire Matt Shepard.
November 30th, 2013 at 5:14 PM ^
I think he's awful and adds little to a broadcast. FB always had a story, from Michigan history or a chat with a coach.
November 30th, 2013 at 6:16 PM ^
I enjoy shep
November 30th, 2013 at 8:01 PM ^
People act like he was Ernie Harwell, the guy showed up, but was middling at best, he needed to go. Particularly after his political tin ear embarrassed the university on a couple of occasions.
November 30th, 2013 at 5:06 PM ^
He had great voice. Literally old school.
November 30th, 2013 at 5:06 PM ^
I was 1 when he took over broadcasting duties. So he's been my Bob Ufer.
With Frank and Jon Falk retiring, we have just one person left from the Schembechler years, Carl Grapentine.
November 30th, 2013 at 5:20 PM ^
Comes off as a pompous ass on his talk show.
November 30th, 2013 at 5:41 PM ^
And he's positively terrible at calling a basketball game. Awful vocal presence, and particularly mediocre at painting a picture for the listener.
Nice guy, but not the guy.
November 30th, 2013 at 5:21 PM ^
Michigan has had 3 voices. Doc Holland, Bob Ufer & Frank Beckmann. Pretty big shoes to fill for the next guy.
Hope it's Dan Dickerson. Didn't he do the 1997 game vs Colorado?
November 30th, 2013 at 5:30 PM ^
He was the early season fill in guy in the mid-to-late nineties when Beckmann was on assignment with the Tigers.
I love Dickerson, but if you hire him, you'd need a similar arrangement with a backup guy available to call early season games.
November 30th, 2013 at 5:41 PM ^
Uh... Tom Hemingway?
November 30th, 2013 at 5:29 PM ^
I'm going to miss hearing him and Brandy together on the days when I was on the road or at work. Happy trails good sir.
November 30th, 2013 at 5:37 PM ^
When I think of Michigan football he comes to mind cause he is who I listened since I been a meeeichigan fan always put him on if I didn't like the TV announcers. Turned TV on mute n listened. I know I will miss him. Thanks frank
November 30th, 2013 at 5:40 PM ^
Of all the posts following todays game this is the only one I care to comment on. Thank You Frank. I will miss not only your play by play but your pre-game banter with Jim B.
November 30th, 2013 at 5:43 PM ^
Will miss Frank. Now get Mark Champion.
November 30th, 2013 at 5:44 PM ^
Dan miller him and brandy do M and lions
November 30th, 2013 at 5:53 PM ^
Truly part of the Michigan tradition throughout my life. His voice helped me grow up a Michigan fan and I feel lucky to have heard his last home broadcast.
A true Michigan Man. Go Blue!
November 30th, 2013 at 6:07 PM ^
I don't know, I'm sort of glad he's retiring. He [has political opinions that differ from other people's political opinions].
November 30th, 2013 at 6:12 PM ^
I never once heard him inject politics into a football game.
November 30th, 2013 at 6:22 PM ^
The politics thing is the elephant in the room here, and I'm going to tread very, very lightly here. Mods, if I've gone too far, please feel free to delete.
Except for his Detroit News op-ed about the Fab Five, no matter how you cut it, he's done an admirable job of insulating his day job from his weekend job. A very good job, in fact.
That being said, the particular ways he's taken the stances he has (especially in the past few years), in the venues in which he does it, became a potential PR liability for the University. Wherever he goes, he's always Frank Beckmann, Michigan football broadcaster, and that's a big responsibility that really shouldn't have potentially divisive political implications, IMO.
November 30th, 2013 at 6:51 PM ^
Many of us who work for the man, understand that anything that we put out there that is recoded whether through blogging, on air etc can result in termination. Whether you mean it or not, you represent the entity that hired you. One needs to understand that and react accordingly. Frank didn't in a big way.
November 30th, 2013 at 6:57 PM ^
Like I said, to his credit, he's never really mixed his Michigan work with his WJR/Detroit News work. He did the job Michigan hired him to do, and he also does the job the news media hires him to do.
My point is that you can be a sportscaster, or you can be a political commentator, but you really can't be both. This blog is testament to the fact that sports and politics really shouldn't mix, especially college sports.
November 30th, 2013 at 7:06 PM ^
Left that comment up so that this string could stay, don't think you or the reply to you said anything that crosses the politics line.
December 2nd, 2013 at 9:47 AM ^
Even if I don't always agree with it.
I will look forward to the day when someone tells the whole Beckmann-departure story. The Regents have to run for re-election.
In the meantime, he'll do one more Michigan bowl game, right? Thank God we squeaked out wins versus Akron and Northwestern to get bowl eligible. One last (I hope) Beckmann broadcast to savor.
November 30th, 2013 at 7:03 PM ^
Grow up.
He's done an admirable job and never interjected his politics. He'll be missed
November 30th, 2013 at 6:13 PM ^
yeah, you're right.
November 30th, 2013 at 6:14 PM ^
I agree with Hoke; he should have been fired before the season. Probably cost us a recruit or 5 because the university did nothing.
Don't let the door nob hit hit ya on the way out. You are no Ufer!!!!
December 2nd, 2013 at 7:48 AM ^
Sooners suck. OSU is on the rise and will own your rivalry.
December 2nd, 2013 at 10:44 AM ^
I am calling bullshit.
Name five recruits who declined Michigan offers because of... Frank Beckmann. Name a couple of sources who will confirm that Michigan lost recruits because of Frank Beckmann.
Do it now. Or shut the fuck up.
November 30th, 2013 at 6:35 PM ^
Here is a name for you that I have heard thrown around: Mike Tirico! He often complains about the lack of quality of his MNF games and he is an Ann Arbor native and has always shown a little favortisim towards Michigan in the games that he has had. I think that would be awesome.
November 30th, 2013 at 8:00 PM ^
but a guy needs more than the 12+1 or 2 football games a year to survive, so what does he do the other 9 months of the year.
December 2nd, 2013 at 8:41 AM ^
Tirico would also still be doing MNF, college bball, NBA, Golf as well as some tennis and ESPN personality show fill-ins. I am sure 13-14 saturdays wouldn't be too much or too little for him, especailly since 7-8 would be spent in his hometown.
November 30th, 2013 at 8:18 PM ^
Of the few names that have popped up here he would be my favorite.
November 30th, 2013 at 7:02 PM ^
He is the sound of Michigan football to me. I still remember my childhood travelling to and from Saturday soccer games or other sporting events I was taking part in, listening to his voice call Michigan football games. To me, it's one of those things that you don't really appreciate until you know it's gone or going to be gone. In terms of calling sporting events for teams in the state of Michigan, he's right up there with Ufer and Harwell. I'll definitely miss him next year. Thanks for the many wonderful years of service to Michigan Football Mr. Beckmann. :-)
November 30th, 2013 at 7:13 PM ^
Dan Miller or Matt Shepard
November 30th, 2013 at 8:47 PM ^
Beckmann sucks, he got pushed out the door. Should have happened a long time ago Another example of a crusty old fart who was to senile to know when to step aside. Which seems to be very common now a days.
Go ahead and neg me, you old blue hairs. If we are going to be relevant again, we need to dump this Brandon-ass panzy crap and stop touting to the blue hairs. That and we need to get a new offensive coordinator who appreciates the option. Fahq man-ball.
Go Blue!
November 30th, 2013 at 11:02 PM ^
Awesome post. You managed to get most of the cliched hatred in there with the Brandon and Borges references. Any thoughts on Leyland not bunting enough?
November 30th, 2013 at 9:11 PM ^
Loved it that he was honored today. Congrats on a great career Frank, I grew up listening to Bob Ufer and learned to love Beckmann and Brandstatter as a team. Loved everything about the broadcast, their interaction, their character, their analysis (most copiously missing from any TV team).. their infectious enthusiasm and even with that, good sportsmanship.
There are no TV announcers that I can stand.... so, for away games, it's been MUTE the TV and turn up Frank and Jim.
November 30th, 2013 at 9:40 PM ^
He will be missed. He's had many legendary calls over the years. "POLISH OFF THE HEISMAN" after Woodson's INT against OSU and "Denard Robinson, shoelaces flopping in the wind!" come to mind.
November 30th, 2013 at 10:02 PM ^
Frank Beckman has been the voice of Michigan football for most of my memorable years. I grew up with Ufer and never thought I would see another who could match his energy and expertise with commentary and play calling. Beckman did. He has so many memorable calls. I will miss him immensely and can't say enough about how much he has impacted my love of Michigan football. Thank you Frank. I wish you all the best as you transition into retirement.