Posted on 09/06/2018 2:39:08 PM PDT by Eddie01
My wife is a big Tigers fan so I watch a lot of Tigers games. As such, I’m quite familiar with the Fox Sports Detroit broadcast crew of play-by-play man Mario Impemba and color commentator Rod Allen. They’ve been together for years.
I think Impemba is one of the better play-by-play guys around and, while not everyone’s cup of tea, Allen — who is, frankly, kinda weird sometimes — sort of grows on you over time. Tigers fans have even developed a drinking game for when he’s on the air that is fun, albeit dangerous for your liver. My favorite is that you get two drinks when he refers to a pitch as a “piece.” A slider is a “slide piece,” for example. Like I said . . . he’s a bit weird. All of that said, I sorta like those guys.
They do not, however, much like each other. Folks who follow the team closely or know people either with the Tigers or in the Detroit media scene have been aware of this for a while. Generally it’s just chalked up to stylistic differences and stubbornness, no doubt compounded by having to spend so much time together in close quarters. While there has, on occasion, been some coolness between the two of them during broadcasts and less of the fun banter a lot of broadcast teams share, they have always been professional on the air.
Who knew that it was this, bad, though?
[snip]
The Tigers hastily flew second string broadcasters Matt Shepard and Kirk Gibson to Chicago to cover last night’s game. Impemba and Allen were flown back home, on separate flights. No one is commenting.
[snip]
(Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...
good question - rod allen may have been the first!
There is a section at Cooperstown for media; the broadcasters in the booth for both radio and TV. It isn’t as big as many of the other exhibits and its kind of out of the way; you have to look for it to go there. But it’s definitely worth it. Yes, Ernie Harwell is there, and deservedly so. He was the voice of the Tigers. I’m sure Vin Scully will join him in enshrinement. Harry Caray is there, too, of course, along with Mel Allen.
But it’s definitely worth it if you go to Cooperstown to go to the media section of the HOF. The truly great broadcasters were very important in making the game an American tradition. Fans grew attached to these guys and lived and died with them. One of my fondest memories as a young man was being the job site gopher on my summer job. In 1980, that meant driving around Kokomo in the afternoon listening to Vince Lloyd and Lou Bourdreau doing Cub games on WGN.
I don’t expect to see either of these clowns there.
For on air broadcasters who hated each other, one has to recall Howard Coselll vs “Jeff and Mabel’s baby boy’ Dandy Don Meredith.
In the household I grew up in when the tigers game was on national tv and someone else was announcing the tv volume was off and WJR radio was on so we could listen to Ernie and Al, the history lessons I learned from these 2 gentlemen was priceless!
My favorite Dandy Don/Howard moment:
Shortly after Korean boxer Duk Koo Kim died after a bout with Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, MNF broadcast a game between the Cowboys and the Giants at Dallas. On a 4th and 1 at New York’s 20 yard line, Tom Landry elected to bring on the field goal unit and some of the fans in Texas Stadium began booing the decision. Howard Cosell went on a rant about the “bloodthirsty fans” and all they want is “blood blood blood.” He finished his argument with the statement of “and that’s what leads to dead boxers in the ring.”
When he was done, Don Meredith said:
“Oh come on Howard, we’re only talking about kicking a field goal.”
Thanks for posting. (Tiger fan here)
My favorite is still Gibby’s epic walk-off homer for the Dodgers. That was being covered here, of course (World Series), and would have meant even more had the Dodgers wound up winning the series. ;^) But that was the Sistine Chapel of his career in baseball. And that includes the time he caught up with the leading baserunner, and pushed the guy into the catcher, and he was out, but Gib was safe. His last year with the Tigers he taunted the much younger players for not being able to run faster. Heh...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4nwMDZYXTI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5IHTSvGfDI
When I was in Michigan we were knowing that they did not like each other for a few years now . . . and that Rod Allen was trying to move over to FS1 to get away from Mario.
Do they have film on the fight?
My dad and I would listen to the game on AM at the kitchen table with old dial radio in the late 70’s / early 80’s.
That was the best AM baseball commentary!
Great memories.
I graduated HS in ‘84 and we listened throughout the years leading up to the championship.
Not to get off topic, but we were in the living room watching the Disco vs. Rock debacle live. (Bill Veck as in wreck)
No unfortunately (or not yet) and I bet security checked the cell cameras of anyone near.
I’ve heard two wildly different stories. Rod chased him in the tunnel and Rod choked Mario in the booth.
Either way, big shake up.
Mario and Gibby don’t work.
I see Matt Shepard being tapped for 1st chair in the near future.
Ernie was one of the greatest, along with Vin Scully and their mentor, Red Barber.
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