Monday, March 9, 1998
rhe University Daily Kansan
Section B · Page 11
10
Bob Davis and Max Falkenstein prepare to broadcast the Big 12 Conference Tournament championship game from the rafters of Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Mo. Photo by Steve Puppe/KANSAN
Max and Bob as much a fixture as Rock Chalk
By Daniel Ferguson Special to the Kanson
When Kansas tips off its run for a national championship in this year's NCAA tournament, two familiar faces will be courtside to bring the action to Jayhawk fans.
This season marks Bob Davis and Max Falkenstein's 15th year together as a radio broadcast team for the Jayhawk Radio Network.
Davis, a graduate of Washburn University in Topeka, is known for his excitable, average fanlike broadcasting style. The grandfatherly, down-to-earth Falkenstein, a KU graduate, is in his 52nd year of broadcasting Kansas athletic events.
Falkenstein started calling Kansas men's basketball games in March 1946, when he announced an NCAA tournament contest between the Jayhawks and Oklahoma &M.
"I had just returned from the service, and the station manager asked if I would like to do the game," Falkenstein said. "There was a good audience reaction and the rest is history."
Falkenstein said he considered the NCAA tournament the most exciting event in sports. The exposure of the tournament today compared to when he started is unbelievable, he said.
"The drama is unparalleled, and unlike the Super Bowl, where you mainly have two parts of the country watching, the entire country is watching teams during the tournament," Falkenstein said.
"I grew up in a family that loved sports, and I never really wanted to do anything else," Davis said.
Davis grew up in a small Kansas town and always dreamed of being a sportscaster. Davis' dad worked fora newspaper, and his cousin who had a job in radio sparked his interest.
He got his first full-time radio job right out of college and began broadcasting Kansas games in 1984.
He said that some of his biggest disappointments broadcasting Kansas NCAA games included the 1992 second-round loss to Texas-El Paso and tournament losses to Syracuse in 1996 and Arizona in 1997.
Davis, who now does Kansas City Royals television broadcasts during the summer, said he had no plans of leaving his job as a Kansas broadcaster.
"I have no interest in national broadcasts whatsoever," Davis said. "I love college sports, and I love the Lawrence area."
Another reason Davis has stayed is the opportunity to work with Falkenstein.
Max Falkenstein and Bob Davis
Davis has called Kansas football and basketball games for the past 14 years.
He has been named Kansas Sports roster of the Year seven times.
Before he started calling Kansas games, he was the voice of the Fort Hays State Tigers for 14 years.
He also is the sports director at KMBZ-FM in Kansas City and a television play-by-play announcer for the Kansas City Royals.
Falkenstein is in his 52nd season as a broadcaster for Kansas athletic teams.
In 1995, he became the first media inductee into the University of Kansas Athletics Hall of Fame.
He was the chairman of the State of Kansas Sports Hall of Fame for eight years.
He is the host of Roy Williams' weekly television show, and he serves as the emcee during senior night festivities at Allen Field House.
"I grew up in a family that loved sports, and I never really wanted to do anything else."
Bob Davis
Kansas broadcaster
"Max has helped me a lot by just being a friend," Davis said. "In all the years I have worked with Max, I don't we think we have ever argued."
Falkenstein shares many of the same March Madness moments as Davis. He said he always would remember the 1988 national champion team featuring Danny and the Miracles. He also remembers the 1952 NCAA Championship squad.
Three tournament losses particularly stand out for Falkenstein.
At the top of his list is last year's loss to Arizona. He also remembers the triple overtime championship game loss to North Carolina and the 1953 championship contest in which the Jayhawks missed repeating as national champions by one point.
As the years and memories continue to pile up, Falkenstein said he had no idea when he would call it quiits.
He said he the most enjoyable part of his job was his association with the coaches and players.
"I'm not going to put a timetable on it, but I think I'll know when it's time to quit," Falkenstein said.
"I like to think it keeps me young by being around these young kids all the time." Falkenstein said.
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