Steve Imming

[MikeHenriksen]

Steve will be my guest for the whole hour of Sportsmax this week.

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: Steve Imming

Cool

[JackrabbitGuy]

Re: Steve Imming

Nice. Thanks for the heads up, Mike. I'll be sure to tune in.

[Jacked_Up]

Re: Steve Imming

I caught the show. Very interesting interview. I don't know much about Steve, even though I listen to quite a few of his broadcasts. He always keeps the focus on the game he's describing, and does a really good job with that. He offered some great little insights on your radio show -- about a Jack road trip in which Jerry Lee Lewis' ex-driver was the bus driver and about team rides in Texas and California with bus drivers who didn't speak English. (A player who spoke Spanish helped translate directions in one of the incidents.) Good show, Mike. Thanks.

[Nidaros]

Re: Steve Imming

I caught the show as well, its was a great one. Steve is a professional. I found it funny that his parents were trying to turn off a radio, when in reality their son was practicing his play by play.

Also Steve told about one of his color guys in Missouri, overused the phrase "I am going out on a limb now" and he did it when the homecoming queen candidates were being presented at half time. This color guy named an individual as the winner and insisted that she would win. Steve tried to straighten it out as three of the other candidates were daughters of sponors of the broadcast.

[JackrabbitGuy]

Re: Steve Imming

I caught the show as well, its was a great one. Steve is a professional. I found it funny that his parents were trying to turn off a radio, when in reality their son was practicing his play by play.

Also Steve told about one of his color guys in Missouri, overused the phrase "I am going out on a limb now" and he did it when the homecoming queen candidates were being presented at half time. This color guy name an individual as the winner and insisted that she would win. Steve tried to straighten it out as three of the other candidates were daughters of sponors of the broadcast.

I liked that part of the interview as well - it gave a quick look into the reality of all that broadcasting professionals such as Imming have to worry about to be successful.

[MikeHenriksen]

Re: Steve Imming

Thanks guys. I really enjoyed the interview.

There was one part that did not come across clearly. Steve did not replace Norm Hilson. He replaced Joe VanGoor, who replaced Norm after his death. I can not talk about broadcasting SDSU games without mentioning the legacy of Norm. However, I did not really phrase that properly. Joe had been trained for that job by Norm, and I did not give Joe the credit he deserves in the history of SDSU announcers.

[EQguy]

Re: Steve Imming

I might be going out on a limb here but didn't Joe spend more time as the play by play guy for USD than he did for SDSU? Not that it really matters a ton, it was more for my recollection than anything.

[Cowbell]

Re: Steve Imming

When SDSU lost the WNAX contract, Norm Hilson "fell on the sword" and became the radio voice of the Coyotes for a very short period of time. After he died, Joe took over. SDSU got the contract back during Fred Oien's first year as AD. So Joe had to make the switch to being the voice of the Jackrabbits. I think that lasted a year, maybe two. Chris Hilson and Jerry Oster were also a part of the football broadcast team. Then Steve Imming showed up. He's a terrific talent. We are lucky to have him.

[jackmd]

Re: Steve Imming

When SDSU lost the WNAX contract, Norm Hilson "fell on the sword" and became the radio voice of the Coyotes for a very short period of time. After he died, Joe took over. SDSU got the contract back during Fred Oien's first year as AD. So Joe had to make the switch to being the voice of the Jackrabbits. I think that lasted a year, maybe two. Chris Hilson and Jerry Oster were also a part of the football broadcast team. Then Steve Imming showed up. He's a terrific talent. We are lucky to have him.

Pretty close to spot on. If you talk to those who knew Norm well it was a huge disappointment when WNAX and SDSU could not work out the contract and he ended up at USD. Joe is a good guy but his heart seems to have always been with USD. I'm pretty sure Joe would proudly admit that. He does a great job on the radio and Cullhane communications is lucky to have him. To suggest that Joe is an important part of broadcasting history at SDSU is an overstatement in my opinion. Very understandable as Mike H. and I don't agree on much. I'm Jackrabbit fan.

[Nidaros]

Re: Steve Imming

Pretty close to spot on. If you talk to those who knew Norm well it was a huge disappointment when WNAX and SDSU could not work out the contract and he ended up at USD. Joe is a good guy but his heart seems to have always been with USD. I'm pretty sure Joe would proudly admit that. He does a great job on the radio and Cullhane communications is lucky to have him. To suggest that Joe is an important part of broadcasting history at SDSU is an overstatement in my opinion. Very understandable as Mike H. and I don't agree on much. I'm Jackrabbit fan.

I would agree Joe was not a part of SDSU broadcasting history except being the color guy for Norm Hilson. My understanding and it came from individuals involved in the WNAX contract back then, SDSU did not want Joe to be the Voice of the Jacks because of his leanings towards USD. I don't know if Joe is an USD alum, but he has been a good broadcaster for USD sports. As Jackmd stated and I can attest. I often listened to USD games on my way from Columbus Ne to Brookings for a SDSU game. Seems like he has done mostly women's bb. I also recall a very angry letter to The Brookings Register about the time Joe was dumped from WNAX. He was not a happy camper and had a bad taste in his mouth about the powers at SDSU.