Welcome Home, Carl Grapentine
The Voice of the Big House, Carl Grapentine, officially retired from his radio gig in Chicago last week. For the past few decades, he's been commuting to Ann Arbor on football Saturdays, but according to Facebook, he's moving back to Michigan full-time this week.
Welcome home, Carl. And being our announcer is one gig from which you may never retire.
August 1st, 2018 at 10:32 AM ^
I know people that have long commutes to my building, but Chicago to Ann Arbor and back on a weekend had to be a considerable drag. Glad to hear that he'll be in the state full-time from now on.
August 1st, 2018 at 11:03 AM ^
Has to be hell. I drove back from Madison, WI every home game in 2011 and Chicago-area traffic was always horrendous. I even hit traffic once at 2 AM on the way back. Ours was also a great decision to come back to Michigan.
Carl usually traveled to AA following his Friday AM show. He was available for band practice on Friday and Saturday AM. Often during the week he had to make roundtrips to cover other music events. He put on a lot of miles for the hobby he obviously loved.
I mean, it's a 4-hour drive for a weekend trip 6-7 times a year. Wouldn't call it a commute.
August 1st, 2018 at 10:38 AM ^
Best four words in all of sport IMO:
"Band.....take the field!" Hell it gives me chills just typing it and I wasnt even IN the band.
August 1st, 2018 at 11:08 AM ^
Man, as a student I really didn't care to see pre game band.
Now, I wouldn't Miss it. Getting closer. Go Blue.
August 1st, 2018 at 12:33 PM ^
Nothing beats that voice, that band, that fight song and that team slapping that banner.
August 1st, 2018 at 10:42 AM ^
Wow - I live in Chicago and was just scanning the radio last week - had to stop when I heard his voice. Can't believe it was one of his last shows.
I'm sure he'll be loving life in retirement in AA!
August 1st, 2018 at 11:28 AM ^
August 1st, 2018 at 11:46 AM ^
I have been to many, many away games at Big10 schools and no one, and I mean no one, can hold a candle to Carl Grapentine.
August 1st, 2018 at 12:12 PM ^
Carl is legendary. And one of the nicest guys in the world if you ever get the chance to talk with him.
August 1st, 2018 at 12:31 PM ^
He has the perfect voice for Michigan Staduim. A big, booming voice for a big, booming stadium.
August 1st, 2018 at 12:36 PM ^
Maybe Carl will even start posting again on the MGoBoard. I know I've seen him on here many times in the past, but not recently.
August 1st, 2018 at 12:41 PM ^
From MLive, 9/7/16:
Seconds after making his first tackle as a college football player, the former No. 1-ranked recruit in the country caught himself listening to more than 110,000 fans boom in unison shortly after public address announcer Carl Grapentine said the magic words.
"Brought down by Rashan Gary."
"That felt so good, I'm not going to lie to you," Gary said with a smile Tuesday evening. "When I made that tackle, and they said 'Rashan Gary' over the (loudspeaker) that was one of the greatest feelings I've ever felt.
"It felt so good. That's like the best feeling. I've never played in front of so many people and (heard) so many people have so much energy."
I would bet every person who has heard Carl Grapentine announce their name to that crowd has felt the same way. I'd guess about 200 names per season.
August 1st, 2018 at 12:42 PM ^
Deep to receive for Michigan,
Jabrill Peppers.
The way he would say Jabrill’s name seemed very intimidating for some reason.
August 1st, 2018 at 12:48 PM ^
Having lived in and around Chicago my whole life, that is an absolutely horrible commute. Indiana is somehow always under construction, yet never seems to get any better.
Two Carl Grapentine stories:
- A normal guy: Carl, his friend and my roommate, and I were part of a big group waiting overnight in shifts for football tickets. We got great seats, 2/3s of the way up, on the 50-yard line. (The governor sat right across the aisle for the Staae game.)
- A special guy: Carl respects Michigan history. When I was driving to Chicago once on July 4th, I happened to find his show just as he played Jose Feliciano's version of The Star Spangled Banner, which Feliciano had sung years earlier before a Tigers-Cardinals World Series game. It was a sensation, an early — the first? — interpretive version of the anthem. (Because it was novel, people attacked Feliciano for ruining the national anthem and being unpatriotic.)
Maybe not the Voice of God, but definitely the Voice Who Introduces God.
And when did he move to Chicago. I remember him having a daily show on Detroit's classical station years ago before it went defunct (WQRS?).