United States Football League on the radio explained

Local coverage

1983

See main article: article and 1983 USFL season.

TeamPlay-by-playAnalyst(s)Flagship station
ArizonaRay ScottJohn MoynihanKOY-AM[1]
BirminghamJim FyffeHerb Winches and Dick JamesWAPI[2]
BostonGil SantosGino CappellettiWBZ-AM[3]
ChicagoBill BergDoug BuffoneWCFL[4]
DenverMike NolanIrv Brown and Ben MartinKLZ-AM
Los AngelesTom Kelly[5] Rich MarottaKNX-AM[6]
MichiganBob ShermanDan FollisWXYZ-AM
New JerseyCharley SteinerDave Herman and Robert CasciolaWOR-AM[7]
OaklandJoe StarkeyLee Grosscup and Bob MurphyKGO-AM[8]
PhiladelphiaHarry DonahueVince PapaleWFIL-AM[9]
Tampa BayGene Deckerhoff[10] Vic PrinziWFLA-AM[11]
WashingtonJohnny HollidayWMAL

1984

See main article: article and 1984 USFL season.

TeamPlay-by-playAnalyst(s)Flagship station
ArizonaRay ScottBob BuckKOY
BirminghamJim FyffeHerb Winches and Dick JamesWAPI
ChicagoDuane DowJim GrabowskiWAIT
DenverMike NolanBen MartinKLZ
HoustonJohn GreerEd Biles and Bob FiscellaKRBE-FM
JacksonvilleLarry MunsonGlenn FisherWIVY-FM
Los AngelesTom KellyKermit AlexanderKLAC
MemphisRick Weaver
John Ward
Gary Wyant and Mike LawheadWHBQ
MichiganBob ShermanDan FollisWXYZ
New JerseyCharley SteinerDave Herman and Robert CasciolaWOR
New OrleansWNOE-FM
OaklandJoe StarkeyBob Lee and Bob MurphyKGO
OklahomaJerry WebberJack NixonKRMG
PhiladelphiaHarry DonahueVince PapaleWSNI
PittsburghSam NoverJack HamWAMO-FM
San AntonioJay HowardBill MercerWOAI
Tampa BayGene DeckerhoffVic PrinziWFLA
WashingtonJohnny HollidayWMAL

1985

See main article: article and 1985 USFL season.

TeamPlay-by-playAnalyst(s)Flagship station
ArizonaGary BenderJohn MoynihanKJJJ-FM
BaltimoreScott GarceauTom Matte and Bob BartelWCAO
BirminghamJim FyffeHerb Winches and Dick JamesWAPI
DenverMike NolanIrv BrownKLZ
HoustonJohn GreerEd Biles and Bob FiscellaKRBE-FM
JacksonvilleLarry MunsonMel ArthurWIVY
Los AngelesTom KellyRich MarottaKNX
MemphisRick Weaver
John Ward
Dave Woloshin
Paul Hartlage
WHBQ
New JerseyCharley SteinerDave Herman and Robert CasciolaWMCA
OaklandJoe StarkeyLee GrosscupKGO
OrlandoDavid SteeleTom Korun and Sam BehrWKIS
PortlandRay ScottGreg BartonKEX
San AntonioJay HowardBill MercerWOAI
Tampa BayGene DeckerhoffVic PrinziWFLA

National coverage

On December 9, 1982, the USFL and ABC Radio Networks[12] [13] jointly announced that ABC would do 39 national broadcasts of USFL games, including two playoff games and the league's championship game. ABC agreed to cover two games per week during regular season.

For the Saturday night package in 1983, Shelby Whitefield, Ron Menchine and Steve Grad for the commentators. Other announcers for ABC Radio's USFL coverage included:

For the playoff semi finals in 1984, Johnny Holliday and Paul Hornung called Los Angeles/Arizona game on Saturday while Fred Manfra and Dan Lovett called the Birmingham/Philadelphia game. Meanwhile, the championship game[19] the following week (Philadelphia/Arizona) was called by Fred Manfra and Paul Hornung.

Sources

Notes and References

  1. http://www.usfl.info/wranglers/trivia.html The Wranglers could be heard on KOY-AM 570 in the Phoenix area.
  2. http://www.usfl.info/stallions/archives.html The Stallions could be heard in Birmingham on WAPI-AM
  3. http://www.usfl.info/breakers/trivia.html In Boston, Breakers games were aired on WBZ radio, with Gil Santos doing play by play and Gino Cappelletti doing color commentary.
  4. http://www.newspaperarchive.com/LandingPage.aspx?type=glpnews&search=doug%20buffone%20handle%20color%20blitz%20games%20wcfl&img=\\na0027\2906685\15780415.html NewspaperARCHIVE.com – Search old newspaper articles online
  5. https://archive.today/20120713182253/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/668668382.html?dids=668668382:668668382&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Aug+13,+1983&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=Why+Delay+Rams-Cowboys+Game%3F&pqatl=google Aug 13, 1983 – Did the fact that Tom Kelly did play-by-play on United States Football League games this year cost him his job as the radio play-by-play man for the Chargers? Kelly says yes. I think the Charger ownership took umbrage", Kelly said, " although no one in the Charger organization told me ...
  6. http://www.usfl.info/express/trivia.html Express games could be heard locally on KNX-AM 1070, Los Angeles
  7. http://www.usfl.info/generals/trivia.html The Generals could be heard locally on WOR-AM 710 in New York, with Charley Steiner (later of ESPN and YES fame) doing play by play, and Dave Herman and Robert Casciola teaming up on color commentary.
  8. http://www.usfl.info/invaders/trivia.html The Oakland Invaders could be heard locally in the Oakland area on KGO radio. Joe Starkey, Lee Grosscup and Bob Murphy provided the action via the "Invaders Radio Network", which included KFBK in Sacramento and KJOY in Stockton, California.
  9. http://docs.newsbank.com/g/GooglePM/PI/lib00187,0EB295C1E280CE5C.html Jul 1, 1983 – The Stars and radio station WFIL-AM, which carried their games this season, are near a divorce because of a disagreement over broadcasting of the USFL playoff games. The station has decided to carry the feed from ABC, which has a contract with the USFL, of the two playoff games and the ...
  10. http://www.buccaneers.com/news/newsdetail.aspx?newsid=5144 Deckerhoff even handled play-by-play for the Tampa Bay Bandits of the USFL in the mid-80s and is a former sports director at WCTV-TV in Tallahassee.
  11. http://www.usfl.info/bandits/trivia.html The Bandits could be heard locally on WFLA-AM 970, and pre-season games were broadcast on WTOG, Channel 44.
  12. http://www.thisistheusfl.com/1982%20huddleup.htm December 9, 1982: USFL and ABC Radio Networks jointly announce that ABC will do 39 national broadcasts of USFL games, including two playoff games and the league's championship game. ABC agrees to cover two games per week during regular season.
  13. http://members.tripod.com/scimini/Articles/USFLvNFL.htm ABC held the exclusive network radio rights for the USFL's first two years of play at a cost of $1.25 million ("Riding Gain", Dec. 13, 1982). ABC still remains the most interested in USFL, said Simmons.
  14. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=knMRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=k-kDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7316,1164261&dq=united+states+football+league+on+abc+radio&hl=en Jun 4, 1983 – States Football league games for ABC radio says It may take about three years to deter mine If the league will make It The onetime great for Illinois and the Chicago Bears recently said of the USFL it's not bad I dont think It's the national Football League right yet But I dont ...
  15. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=SzwaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=XycEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4063,3808818&dq=united+states+football+league+on+abc+radio&hl=en Feb 25, 1983 - Former National Football League stars Paul Hornung Dick Butkus and Craig Morton have joined ABC Radio Sports as color commentators for US Football League games. The National Hockey League reportedly is prepared to slap a stiff transfer fee on a Canadian firm if it buys the financially ...
  16. http://docs.newsbank.com/g/GooglePM/MH/lib00246,0EB35B8C329B6529.html Feb 27, 1983 - 3 JOIN RADIO NETWORK. Miami Herald TheFL February 27 1983. Author ASSOCIATED PRESS. Former NFL stars Paul Hornung Dick Butkus and Craig Morton have joined ABC Radio Sports network as color commentators for United States Football League games. Edition FIRST Section SPORTS Page 10C ...
  17. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jnkzAAAAIBAJ&sjid=sOgFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1602,5403074&dq=united+states+football+league+on+abc+radio&hl=en May 20, 1983 – He has private business Interests, is doing color commentary for USFL games on ABC radio, and has offered to couch the Denver Broncos' quarterbacks on a part- time busts. Blanding said on Sunday that is "still our No. 1 man." .
  18. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xU0NAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mW0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6329,5419933&dq=united+states+football+league+on+abc+radio&hl=en May 24, 1983 – Craig Morton, who retired after the 1982 National Football League season quarterback of the Denver Broncos, said last night he has been offered the job as head coach of the United States Football League's Denver Gold. Morton, a commentator on ABC Radio's coverage of last night's ...
  19. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=F_4NAAAAIBAJ&sjid=l3wDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6761,3826076&dq=united+states+football+league+on+abc+radio&hl=en Jul 13, 1984 – 19 against the Los Angeles Raiders. also has the ABC Radio feed for Sunday's USFL championship game. That's one thing that can't be black ed out . Upcoming highlights and announcers, subject to change, are supplied by stations and networks. Events are rated for the casual viewer who ...