MOMENTS, MEMORIES and MADNESS with STEVE CAMERON: A passion for the play-by-play

You know how musicians toss out a song to a specific person?

“This is for Kathy, who got my guitar out of hock and kept this career on track.”

Okay, then…

Journalists can do the same thing.

So, I’m dedicating this story to Mike Patrick, our editor, who loves the tale and probably wonders why I haven’t pulled it off the shelf a little sooner.

This one is all about a gentleman named Merle Blair, a very nice guy who owned a radio station in Topeka, Kansas.

He was successful at that business, but Merle also was a massive fan of Washburn University – an excellent school in the middle of town, and for you trivia buffs, it’s the only municipally owned college in the country.

Merle, meanwhile, made sure he wrapped up the radio rights to Washburn football and basketball.

IT WAS a decision born out of attachment to the school, pure and simple.

There was another station in town, far bigger and better known, that offered Kansas and Kansas State games.

But Merle didn’t care.

He was all in with the Ichabods – yes, that’s the Washburn nickname (the school’s first president was Dean Ichabod Washburn).

Most people in the region refer to Washburn, which has had huge success in NAIA and Division II competition, as the Blues.

Much simpler.

But not Merle Blair, who never, ever referred to his favorite team as the Blues.

They were the Ichabods, and that’s what they would be called on radio.

Every time.

Oh, did I mention that since he owned the station and the broadcast rights, Merle Blair appointed himself the play-by-play man for both Washburn football and basketball?

THIS LED to the stories that Mike has insisted I tell over and over, to anyone he thinks would appreciate them. The best, I think, involved a football game – Washburn on the road at Missouri Southern.

It was a defensive battle, bad weather as I recall, but it was tied late on as Washburn mounted a drive to try and win the thing.

The Blues pounded relentlessly, getting yards and running the clock, as Merle got more and more excited on the radio.

Eventually, the game was going to come down to a field goal.

Merle was almost jumping out of the booth.

“Russell Hill can win it for Washburn,” he hollered. “It’s going to be 37 yards, I believe.”

Our newspaper reporter at the game later said the kick was from 37-yard line (making it a 47-yard boot), and it’s possible Merle goofed on that part of the yardage call.

But that’s a big 10 yards.

So here we go…

Merle absolutely shouted the call.

“Russell Hill. This can win the game for the Ichabods.

“There’s the snap…the hold…the kick is up.

“It’s long enough, it’s long enough, it’s long enough, it’s…

“It’s…

“SHORT!!”

YOU SEE why we love Merle’s calls?

I’ve never heard a cluster of sentences like that in my life.

Why was he so sure the kick was long enough?

Anyway, on to basketball…

Washburn historically been outstanding at its own level.

But on one trip south, the Blues had a chance to outdo themselves.

The final game on their travels was at the University of

Arkansas, the kind of match-up for which you get paid — but naturally absorb a defeat.

Except that Washburn refused to go down as scheduled.

The Blues hit shots, rebounded head-to-head with the aggressive Razorbacks, got a lead and didn’t act like they wanted to surrender it.

Merle was getting more and more excited, especially as the final minutes began winding down.

Arkansas was leery of committing fouls, because Washburn seemed to be hitting them all.

When the game got to the last minute with the Blues up five and playing keep-away, Merle was just screeching.

“Washburn can win this,” he screamed.

“John Waltz up on top over to Harold Brown in the corner.

Brown right back to Waltz.

“Seconds are ticking off, the Ichabods are going to beat Arkansas, and…

“Oh, my, I’m just…

“I’M AS NERVOUS AS A CUCUMBER!”

I’VE HEARD a lot of calls on radio and TV – some good and some bad – and many have been memorable for different reasons.

Maybe you personally can see a crippled Kirk Gibson hitting a home run off Dennis Eckersley in the 1988 World Series, and hearing Jack Buck say: “I don’t believe what I just saw.”

Or Al Michaels in 1980, right near the finish of that USA hockey triumph over the massively favored Russians: “Do you believe in miracles?”

Or the all-timer, Harry Caray – on radio, not TV – shouting over the roar of a crowd and yelling: “Did you see THAT?”

No, Harry, we didn’t.

But since there was only one out at the crack of the bat, and now we’re hearing Budweiser commercial…

We’ll guess it was a double play.

Now, I’m no Harry Caray, but I do believe the Cubs won the 2016 World Series, just as sure as God made little green apples.

And believe it or not, I’ve done quite a bit of radio myself, either hosting sports talk shows or doing guest spots to promote books I’ve written.

I’m comfortable on radio.

It’s great fun.

But I’ve never done a play-by-play gig.

Too much pressure.

Seriously…

I’d be nervous as a cucumber.

Email: scameron@cdapress.com

Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. “Moments, Memories and Madness,” his reminiscences from several decades as a sports journalist, runs each Sunday.

Steve also writes Zags Tracker, a commentary on Gonzaga basketball which is published each Tuesday.