Max Falkenstien

Max Falkenstien
Born (1924-04-09) April 9, 1924
Lawrence, Kansas, U.S.[1]
Alma mater University of Kansas (1947)
Occupation Sportscaster
Years active 1946–2006

Max Falkenstien (born April 9, 1924) is a retired radio sports announcer. In his sixty-year career at the University of Kansas (1946-2006), Falkenstien has covered over 1,750 men's basketball games and 650 football games a span that included every game played in Allen Fieldhouse until his retirement and was one of the longest announcing tenures in sports. By comparison, Vin Scully's 55 years with the Los Angeles Dodgers is the record for longest broadcasting tenure with a single club in all of professional sports.

Early life and career

Final home broadcast

Falkenstien's final broadcast in Allen Fieldhouse came on March 1, 2006, in the last home game of Kansas' 2006 basketball season, in which KU defeated Colorado, 75-54. Falkenstien was honored in a special halftime ceremony, which included his family, friends, some former KU players, and a speech from his on-air partner of 22 years, Bob Davis. Athletic Director Lew Perkins presented Falkenstien with a bronze Jayhawk to commemorate his long years of service to the University of Kansas. His name and "number" (60, for the number of years he had broadcast for the Jayhawks), were also hung on a banner in Allen Fieldhouse with those of the great players that have played for KU. This retirement ceremony made Falkenstien the 27th person so honored by the University, and the first non-athlete.

This game was also held on Kansas' senior night, which honored senior players Christian Moody, Jeff Hawkins, and Stephen Vinson in a post-game ceremony.

Final broadcast

The last broadcast of Falkenstien's sixtieth season came on March 17, 2006, in the first round of the 2006 NCAA Tournament. The fourth-seed Jayhawks lost the game, 77-73, to the thirteenth-seed Bradley Braves of the Missouri Valley Conference.

The last football broadcast of Falkenstien's career came in the 2005 Fort Worth Bowl, as Kansas defeated the Houston Cougars 42-13.

Accolades

References

External links

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