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Wes Mathews: I am super excited for today's guest. Today's guest is an absolute legend in the football world. He's a sports broadcasting titan known as the voice of Michigan football. The radio announcer for the Michigan Wolverines football team from 1979 to 2021. I think that's 42 years. Radio announcer for the Detroit Lions from 1987 to 2017.

If my math is correct, that's 30 years. Inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 2013. Played in two Rose Bowls. Host of the podcast, The Brandy Show. Author of Volume 1 and 2 of The Voices of Michigan Stadium. Former host of Inside Michigan Football. Welcome, Jim Branstadter.

Jim Brandstatter: Wes, thank you very much.

It's good to be with you. I didn't realize I did all

Wes Mathews: that stuff. Man, I, uh I'm busy. I gotta tell you, I interview a lot of people. I was a little bit Intimidated and a little bit nervous to get you on today. So I'm definitely gracious that you were able to come on because there's a lot going on with Michigan football and the Lions, and you're probably the best wealth of knowledge on these topics here.

Jim Brandstatter: I was going to say, you sure picked a good time to do this podcast and to interview me because Jim Harbaugh just left Michigan to go to Los Angeles to go to the NFL after winning a national championship. The Lions are in an NFC Championship game against San Francisco. By the time we get this out, those, that game will be decided, but yeah, it's, it's a really big, big time in the state of Michigan for football and kind of right in my wheelhouse.

So

Wes Mathews: you've been, you've been in this for over or around 50 years. You've been in this arena, like what's like one of the most important lessons you've learned? You're now retired, but like what's, what are a couple big nuggets like reflecting back in this whole journey of yours?

Jim Brandstatter: I guess the biggest thing is never stop learning or never stop trying to learn.

Uh, I mean, it's like it goes back to football and Bo Schembechler who I played for. He said, he always used to tell us that, uh. never be satisfied with what you're doing. Make sure that you're better tomorrow than you were today. And then part of that is learning. And I did that in broadcasting.

I did it during my, 31 years at the Lions and all the years at Michigan. I'd listen to broadcast. I'd self scout. I'd say, hey, What are you doing that could make it better? And, what do you hear from somebody else that you can learn from them to make it better? And so I think that's the biggest key for me.

I started at Channel 25 in Saginaw. And we, a little tiny station, we had a four person news department. And, yet I learned from their, news director and one of their, reporters. You know, there were certain tricks that they did. I, I kind of took with me as I went along the way. So, along the way, throughout my career, there were always people.

that I was able to learn from and then somehow incorporate into my own style. Uh, and, and, and it kept me, engaged. You know, I mean, it's a little story. If you think you've got it, then, what's to do tomorrow? And you can't ever think you've, I've got it, I'm there. You can never think that. It's like, I always tell somebody who plays golf or plays football and they say, man, I'm really good.

And I said, no, there's somebody out there that's better. If you ever think that you're the best, then you've given up a few spots. That's

Wes Mathews: really great perspective. I want to go back, back. There's something out there that I read that all of your family goes to MSU and you decide to go to Michigan.

Jim Brandstatter: That's one of those weird ones.

You're in high school, you don't know what, you know, decision you're going to make is going to affect the rest of your life. But, we were playing Ann Arbor Pioneer in high school and I had a good game and it just so happened there were some Michigan coaches there. Even though my father was a faculty member at Michigan State, he's the director of the School of Criminal Justice, and my brother Art played there.

They knew that at Michigan and they came to my high school and said do you think he'd even be interested and ask Our head coach that and our head coach said, you know, I'll go ask him. So I was I think in biology class or something I forget and the head coach of football in my high school happened to be a mathematics teacher and Walked in and said, Hey, can I talk to Jim for a minute?

And so I walked out in the hall and he said, Hey, would you be interested in talking to the University of Michigan about a possible Grant and Aits scholarship to play football there? Well, that was kind of an out of the blue and I hadn't any preconceived notions of where or what I'd want to do. And so when I talked to them, and Bump Elliot recruited me, and what a class guy.

Uh, I was not a big Michigan State fan anyway. Uh, because my brother Art's experience wasn't as good as it should have been. And I was a 10 year old watching him go through that. And so I thought, I'll listen to Michigan. And then I got up to visit campus, and I just loved it. And um, I thought to myself, you know, even if you go up there And you're, you know, part of the meat squad.

You don't play a lick. At least you're going to get a great education from one of the top colleges in the United States of America. Take advantage of that degree, but you'll always also have the opportunity to find out whether you could play with the big boys in the Big Ten, which was on the back of my mind too.

And I've always loved the challenge. I've always loved to, hey, are you good enough? Well, let's, let's find out. And, uh, like I said, when you're 17, you make that decision. You don't know it's going to affect you the rest of your life, but this one did. It created a career for me. Uh, it created lasting relationships, and it got me into broadcasting.

And ultimately, uh, I owe so much to, to my time at the University of Michigan playing football there. So, uh, and, and my mom and dad and my brother never tried to steer me to Michigan State. That's the beauty of my family. They were very good about, you make your own decision, you know, you're going to have to do this on your own.

And yeah, we'd love to see you at Michigan State and just across the street from where I grew up. But, you know, this is your life. You decide what you want to do. And literally two years after I made the decision to go to Michigan and they had visited me and they had come to some games and they had met Shem Beckler.

They, they all felt that I had made the absolute right decision for me.

Wes Mathews: That's awesome. So that's a nine, that's 1971. And you

Jim Brandstatter: played 19? Yeah. Well, 1968 was my first year outta high school, and then my senior year in college was 1971, uh, playing for Michigan. And we had three great teams. We only lost five games in three years.

It was Bo Schembechler's first three years. And of course in 69 we won that watershed game against Ohio State 24 12. So, uh, yeah, it was, like I said, it was, it was, it was, it was quite a run. I look back on it and go, how lucky was I? So you go

Wes Mathews: into broadcasting from football, you make the transition, I mean, was there something in you that, like, did people comment on your voice?

Like to me, your voice is so recognizable, like I hear you and I'm like, I just think of the Michigan fight song, I think of the Lions, you know, but like, were people commenting on your voice? Like, what, what kind of led you down that path? I

Jim Brandstatter: don't know. It's weird, because when I was in high school and when I was 14 years old.

We would listen to broadcasters. I'll tell you a story. We were in East Lansing and you know how back in the day you used to sit back, well you're too young. Back in the day you used to sit by the radio. And you'd tune in a guy, you know, from a different town. And we heard Harry Carey back in the day from, uh, Chicago.

And there was a guy doing basketball for the Loyola Ramblers. The Loyola University team. His name was Red Rush. And he did broadcasts that were just out of this world. They were very Euphor like, if you know Bob Euphor from Michigan. He would do things like, uh, They were sponsored by Ganella Bread back in the day.

And some guy would shoot a free throw and he'd say, It's up and it's good and it's oh so good, just like Ganella. G O N Ganella. And I'm thinking, wow, this is cool. Or Ajax Tillman was one of their big centers on the Loyola team. And he'd go, Ajax Tillman up, he gets the rebound, and he cleans the board so well.

Why do you think they call him Ajax? I just thought, this is so cool. And so, throughout my young life, I just kind of gravitated toward that thing, you know, that, that broadcasting thing, but I'm in college and I'm going to be an architect. Then I found out that there was a speech, radio and television class in my junior year.

So I took it and I loved it. And at that point I started to investigate that, you know, what's a career? in this, in this area of study. And I found out radio and television was, could be a career. And then I got a job in Saginaw where I was making literally about 50 bucks a week. And, and, and that's where you start.

And I started in Saginaw and then went to Jackson, then went to Detroit. And then my love was play by play. I always thought what. What challenges you the most? Because if you do the 6 and the 11 news, you're reading a script that you've written. You're talking about something that has happened or something that's going to happen.

But you're challenged by what's happening at that moment and you help the listener or the viewer along. That to me was, that's what I want to do. So, I started working my way. Toward that end, um, working for on TV and past sports way, way back in the day. Worked for the public broadcasting company in the high school game of the week.

And then ultimately got to Michigan and the Lions and the rest is history. What happens

Wes Mathews: when you get that call? Like, University of Michigan calls and they're like, hey, we want you to be the, the announcer. What's happening with you in that moment? You

Jim Brandstatter: don't hesitate. You, you take it. You say yes, I'll do it.

Where do you want me? I'll do it for nothing. I mean you you have to have that job and that's what you do and uh Then then the next thing in your brain after you say yes What am I going to get paid? I don't care. Just i'll do it Uh, ultimately, the next thing that comes to your brain is don't screw this up.

And that's really, truly how I felt when I first was asked to do Michigan football on WJR radio. Wow. I did some games for On TV and Pass and that was one of those things where it was kind of an experimental outfit. They were just starting and maybe five or six people saw it, you know. It's like, those were the beginnings of ESPN in a local area or Fox Sports Detroit basically is kind of the beginnings and I so did some games for them But then when WJR came with 50, 000 lots all of a sudden now I'm out there and there's real people gonna listen and they're selling sponsorships and oh my goodness And that's when you said man, you can't screw this up So you over prepared just again going back to my days with Shem Beckler in the football You over prepare, you do everything you can do to make sure you're as good as you possibly can be.

And you work with your play by play guy as a team to create an entertaining, informative, and accurate broadcast.

Wes Mathews: Yeah, I was gonna ask, like, how much of, like, that team environment and, like, what Michigan football taught you to the rest of your future as being a broadcaster? You know, they hold, cause for me I played baseball till about high school, then I kind of fizzled out, or there's a lot of entrepreneurs that maybe weren't brought up in sports.

Like, how does like, and I see the Michigan team now and how they just want, like, how much of that drove your success in broadcasting? Every bit of it.

Jim Brandstatter: I mean, I always believed, and it was true, that you didn't succeed unless your team succeeded. So you're always helping the other guy. Whatever it is, however it happens, you want to help that person.

That's what I think is so great about industry and about business. But you now see people out there in business who have talked to CEOs and they talk about team building. I mean, that's one of those catch phrases now. Well, it's because you accomplish more as a team. If you don't care, if nobody cares who gets the credit, except you do the best job possible as a group, ultimately you'll succeed in some way, some how, as a member of that team, if you have great success.

That individual will be recognized, but it's first things first, and that's team success. And so whenever I went into any project and worked with Frank Beckman, worked with Mark Champion, worked with Larry Henry, worked with Ray Lane as a play by play broadcaster, I always, at least for me, was very cognizant of their job, what they were doing, what they were saying, and how I needed to react to that.

So they became part of a Two person team doing one game. You don't want two guys separately doing one game. You want two guys together doing the same game. And I always really worked hard at doing that. And to be honest with you, certain play by play broadcasters have different patterns and rhythms that they do during a, uh, during a call.

And you've got to learn that, but those are, those are the things that make the broadcast. Ultimately in broadcasting, it's not about you and it's not about the play by play guy. It's about the guy at the other end of the radio. If he's enjoying it, if you brought him to the stadium and he's having a great time listening to that game, that's the goal.

And so that's kind of where it always in the back of my head when we wanted to broadcast, that's what we, we tried to do. That's great. So you're,

Wes Mathews: you do Michigan football and then you get the call. And now you're the Lions broadcaster. Like, how does that happen?

Jim Brandstatter: This is a long, this is kind of a neat story.

Remember, Ross Thomas used to be the general manager of the Detroit Lions way, way, way back. I've had a lot of years in this business and he used to be the general manager for the Lions and was not a well liked personality, but I had actually gone to school with his son and I had come to Detroit as a broadcaster and I knew Russ real well because he had come to Father's Weekends at Michigan in the fraternity and we got to know him and all that and, uh, I'd interviewed him, uh, as a general manager of the Lions while I was working at Channel 4.

The Lions wanted to do a new play by play team and they hired Mark Champion, uh, out of, uh, Tampa. And I had already done the games with Frank and Charlie Sanders on WJR, but the games switched to a different radio station. And I still wanted to do the games because at the time I was only freelancing and that was the only job I had was Michigan football.

And if I keep doing the Lions games and Michigan replay, those were my three things that I did. Uh, that was helping me become financially and economically successful. So I wanted to keep the Lions broadcasts in there. So I made a pitch to the Lions. I made a pitch to the radio station. I don't, you know, work for the JR when we do the, you know, Michigan games.

I'm a separate, I'm not on their air. I'm not part of their broadcast group. I'm a, uh, private contractor, sole proprietor guy. So I can work for you and the call letters don't stick to me. So they were kind of willing to do that. Well, then the Lions come in and the station wanted to hire a former coach in the NFL named George Allen, who was, I got, he was a hundred years old at the time, and I'll never forget, we had a meeting at a Fox and Hounds restaurant.

It's not there anymore on Woodward Avenue over by Long Lake. And that's where the Lions used to train at Cranbrook back in the day. But Russ was a member of that. That group. And it was the radio guy, and it was Russ, and it was some other executives, and me. And George Allen wasn't there, but they were pushing George Allen, the radio guys were, to Russ.

And Russ looked at them and said, you know, here you got a kid. That is a Lions fan. He's been in broadcasting in this town for a couple years He's already got experience doing Michigan football and their success under Schoenbeckler has been remarkable So he's already a known quantity. Why in the world wouldn't you want him To help and join your broadcast with the brand new play by play guy Well, the radio guys are still trying to get George Allen and Russ was a hard man Russ was and he said no, uh, George Allen isn't that ain't gonna work And he's not going to be a guy that's going to work for you for 15, 20 years.

He's going to have five, six years. Somebody's going to come along, he's going to network job, you're done. I know this young guy here, he can work for you for a while. So they hired me and I owe Russ Howe a tremendous amount of that. And then of course, I knew I could do it. I wanted to do it because I had done some of it before.

Uh, and now I was going to, you know, be the guy with Mark Champion. So that's how it happened. And then, then the same thing went through my mind. Thank the Lord I got it. Now don't screw it up, you know, make sure you're really super prepared and that you do the best job possible that you and Mark create your own style and your own kind of Dynamic, so that the fans of the Detroit Lions can quote unquote embrace you as much as they embrace the team.

And I told Mark that when he first came in here. I said, Mark, Detroit's different than a lot of places. These fans, these people, they're in the Upper Peninsula listening. And when you come from Tampa, you go over to the Jacksonville area, you don't have many Tampa fans there. You go to Miami, there aren't many Tampa fans there.

You go to Newberry, and there are Lions fans in Newberry. The Lions fans in Alpena and the Sioux, this is a, so you've got to embrace this state and uh, Mark did a good job with that.

Wes Mathews: And Mark went on to do the broadcasting for the Detroit Pistons, correct?

Jim Brandstatter: Yep. Yeah, he, they changed up again, the broadcast crew, and they got Dan Miller in, and I kind of fought to stay with the Lions, uh, and Mark, the Lions made a deal with Fox 2.

In Detroit, because it was a nice marriage, because Dan was working for Fox 2 and all the NFC games were carried by Fox 2. So they got a double dip with Dan, but he could do TV work for them and he could do the radio play by play. So that's how Dan kind of fit in to the play by play voice, not to mention the fact that he's really, really good.

And he's become, quote unquote, the voice of the Lions in the last 14 years or 15 years. So, but Mark then moved on and he was able to work, uh, with the Detroit Pistons because George Blaha was doing, um, a lot of TV. And then they would simulcast the Piston games from television to radio and it never really worked.

So they split it up and they made a separate radio crew. So when George was doing TV, Mark did radio, and now he's just done a brilliant job in my opinion of becoming the voice of the

Wes Mathews: Pistons on radio. So, Jim, I think I met you like over a decade ago, but I think today is probably the coolest time to be talking to you because a couple things happened.

Uh, Michigan wins the national championship and the Lions are about to play for the NFC division title. Like, what, what is all, what does this mean to you? Like, how, how does this just, I mean, I can't, I can't even describe it myself, but I mean, coming from you on both sides of the. Of the coin. Yeah. What's that mean to you?

Jim Brandstatter: I'll tell you what, it's funny, Wes, it's, it's, it's emotional. I mean, you and I've had people who are my friends and, and to tell me, and, and it's not just me as a broadcaster, as a guy who's been, you know, embedded in both organizations, but friends who are fans have talked about. It's just a game. Why does it mean so much to me, you know?

But it's not, it's what we grew up with, you know, I mean, we were all Lions fans, and I was, like I said, a Michigan fan and a Michigan player, so When you see them do well, it's like a family member doing well, and that's kind of the, that's kind of the deal, and that's kind of what, what got me interested in it, and what it means to me.

And so many fans out there are emotional just like that. And it's the same thing for Michigan. People that have followed Michigan for so long wanted to get back to that national championship. To get Michigan to that quote unquote elite status. I thought they were always elite. They never weren't elite.

But here they are now, as national champions. And it's an emotional experience. It's like, God I'm glad we're here. Same thing with the Lions. Season's taken holders from 1970 and 65 and 50 years. They've gone to those games and now here they are in an NFC Championship game. It's just, I guess the way to explain it and talk about how, how, how cool it is, is just talk about, it's an emotional experience.

Most times, most people wouldn't describe a football game and a football win as being emotional for a fan or just watching. It's entertainment, right? Yep. Well, no, it's more than that. And I think for Detroit fans and Alliance fans, emotional is the word to use.

Wes Mathews: Did you go to the game? Did you go to any of those games?

Any of the final Michigan games? I was in

Jim Brandstatter: Florida. If I were in Detroit, I would have gone to the National Championship game. It would have been easier, but from Florida, to go down there, uh, it would have been, well, an arm and a leg, and then I wouldn't have had a ticket. I couldn't have gotten a press box, so it was, it was, the logistics just didn't allow me to get it done.

But I was right there with the TV both times, and I Same thing with the Lions, and Ford Field was absolutely a madhouse, and it was so great to see the people, the fans of the Detroit Lions, because like I said, they come from all over, from Grand Rapids, from Alpena, Traverse City, the Upper Peninsula. To have them experience that joy of winning a playoff game at home, it's just as good as it gets.

Wes Mathews: I couldn't, I couldn't hear for two days after I went to the first playoff game.

Jim Brandstatter: Wasn't that a beautiful thing, Wes? I mean, like I said, I don't know whether the idea of being emotional struck you, but, but, that's how I think I felt at home and that's most of the people there. You just don't want to leave your seat.

No. You want to soak in that atmosphere. It's just a football game, right? No, it's not. It's more than that.

Wes Mathews: It was amazing to see, you know, Matt Stafford come out. Like, that's what I was really excited for. I mean, he was such an amazing quarterback for the Detroit Lions and watching him come out, watching the fans, and kind of taking it all in.

I mean, I'm not as, I mean, there were some, there were some people breaking down, crying. I mean, it was just an amazing experience to be around and see all that energy. Um, I kept thinking about you. I was like, I wonder what, what Jim, um How he's feeling there's something I saw that I thought was really cool.

So you you you retired, correct? It's been a couple years now or yeah, so I saw a clip on YouTube where Doug Karsh hands you Hands you his mic and you called like the last play of the Ohio State game or something

Jim Brandstatter: I did it was that the last play the house they gave me 21, of course I did it was a famous call And so, I'm up in the press box for all Michigan games, and we're playing Ohio State this past season, 2023.

And before the game, I usually stop down and say hello to John and Doug, and Tony Butler, our engineer, who's just a delightful guy who I love to death. And just say hello to him, and then I go sit down, and I don't bother him the rest of the way. Well, I was in there, pre game, saying hello. Doug said, hey, we're winning at the end of the game, come on in.

And I said, yeah, okay. And so, if you remember the game, we intercept a pass. And they're reviewing it. Well, I ain't walking in that door until that review is over and it's good, you know, I'm standing in the hallway. And I just figured Doug and Johnny are going to want to talk about the game, you know, and a little analysis of what and why and what for.

And uh, so we get to the game and they say it's a good interception. I walk in, Doug hands me the headset and said, you call the last play. Out of the blue, and I had, did not see that coming, and I was, I didn't know what to do, actually, I So I, so I just polished off, I said, look, it was good enough two years ago, it's good enough now.

Ladies and gentlemen, Wolverine Nation, Ohio State is vanquished. Michigan will go to Indianapolis and play for the Big Ten Championship, their third straight. J. J. McCarthy takes a knee, and that'll do it! And then I turned to Doug, and I said, Doug, it's all yours from here. But it was really classy and a wonderful gesture by Doug Karshen.

I'll always be thankful for

Wes Mathews: that. That was so cool, so cool to see. So one of my best friends is like, you gotta ask Jim a question for me. He said, who's a better coach, Harbaugh or Schembechler? And I ask this because I ask it from the perspective of, I have five kids. Four boys and one little girl. And they all think that they're my favorite, like each of them they're my favorite.

Of course they do, yeah. And, I mean, obviously both of those coaches are just, there's a legacy, there's so much, but like, what's a little bit about you with Harbaugh and Beauchamp Blackler? I mean, there's just so much out there. Um, so,

Jim Brandstatter: you know what, it's a little generational too, and it's hard to answer that question because they both coached at different times, you know, and the dynamics were totally different.

Beau wouldn't have been able to coach in the NIL, uh, uh, Transfer portal era. In my opinion, that's ultimately what, what, what got Nick Saban to walk. Uh, you know, he, he, he doesn't want to have to deal with it. I mean, you've got high school seniors walking in asking for money. Bell would have just absolutely, you know, thrown the kid out the window from the second floor if he'd

Wes Mathews: have done that.

I think

Jim Brandstatter: I like that. Yeah, but, but Jim has to deal with that. That's what he's been, um Given, that's, that's the, that's the environment that he has to play in. But from an X's and O's standpoint, they're very similar. Now, Bo at the time was a taskmaster. A very difficult, hard nosed, disciplined, guys that played for him.

I didn't like him very much for the first, for my years there. I mean, he, he pushed us to points we never thought we could get. We didn't realize how, how great he was for us. Until we graduated. Jim, on the other hand, is a great motivator too. And he has to be, and he's a great recruiter. Because great players don't come unless you can convince them to come.

And he's got great players, but he gets them to play. And this year, I think, was the greatest. This is where they're similar. You take a divergent bunch of guys, alright? And you tell them, okay, pack up your personal stuff and put it in the locker. You're playing for Michigan. You're playing for the team.

They both did the same thing. So that's why they're similar. X's and O's standpoint, they're also very similar. They believed in running the ball and stopping the run and playing with a very, very hard stop the run defense, physical. And so both of them believed in that stuff. And Jim learned that from Bo.

But I think that it's the environment that they navigated while they were coaching. That separates them, and I don't think you can say one's better than the other. Um, Jim may have had a more Nah, see, because back in the day, Michigan and Ohio State were still ruling the roost, and those those two teams are always one and two in a country, so you know, with Jim and Ohio State, even this year, it's the same kind of thing, so they're very similar in that way, but, you know, better coach Bo was an unbelievable coach, and he was able to adapt.

You know, he ran the ball as much as he wanted, but When John Wangler and Anthony Carter came in, he became a coach that threw the ball a lot. And then, uh, Jim wanted to run, even though he's got great receivers, he made sure that Blake Corham and Donovan Edwards got their, got their time. So, I think they're both very similar.

Um, to call them better is difficult, because it's a whole different era. It's like, you're a baseball guy, it's like, you know, comparing baseball, um, guys and players. How, would DeMaggio be any good today? Yeah. Would Pete Rose be any good today? There's a different kind of dynamic. Pitchers, Mickey Loewich.

Would he be a guy today? I mean, imagine, Mickey could have probably pitched until he was 50. If he only had to pitch 7 innings.

Wes Mathews: I mean, you're probably the best subject matter expert. Like, what is the NIL and transfer portal like? What's actually changed in college football? You know that NIL and transfer portal and kids now coming outta high school asking for money.

Like what's actually gone on there?

Jim Brandstatter: Well, what's actually changed is, and I hope we don't lose this, but we've, we've kind of lost the educational component. Okay. I mean, seriously. I mean, when I was a kid, when you were young and you went to school, wherever it was to get a degree, I went to school to get my degree from the University of Michigan.

I didn't go there to play football. Okay. And if I didn't play my sophomore year, I didn't look around and say oh, I'm going to go over there and play. I was locked in. I was going to play at Michigan. I was going to get my degree from Michigan. Nowadays that's not the case. In addition to that, I never got any money.

The money I got was the scholarship. The ability for my parents not to have to pay tuition, room, board, books, the whole nine yards. That was kind of my payment. It was my parents benefit because they didn't have to Pay for all that stuff. And nowadays, it's almost a

Wes Mathews: little like,

Jim Brandstatter: I don't want to call it, semi pro.

That these kids now come to school and they become free agents after a year. And so, it's the loyalty. That's why this Michigan team won the National Championship. It was special. A lot of those kids could have gone on to the pros in the NFL last year. Or they could have transferred out. They've gone somewhere else.

Some of the kids did. Eric Hall, uh, um, quarterback, uh, uh, that went to Iowa. Uh, they, they transferred out, but, but the, the Nucleus of Kids stayed at Michigan to play for Michigan. Uh, they made NIL money. It wasn't that they didn't benefit from that. But they're driving focus and they're driving, uh The idea was that they wanted to win for Michigan and win a national championship.

And I think the difference is, is that the motivation of why you're there has somehow changed for some. And like for instance, I mean I, think about this, there's a great young quarterback, not young anymore, but he started at Clemson, Yugo Lele. He was a five star guy. He started at Clemson. It didn't work out.

They sat him down. He, uh, transfer portaled out to Oregon State. Played there last year. Had a great year. Uh, new coach comes in. Uh, because the new coach at Oregon State comes to Michigan State. He leaves and he's going to play somewhere else next year. He's playing at a third school in three years. And um, I don't know, that's not the idea of college football, what you want.

I think he went to Florida State, I think, actually. So, he's played for Clemson, Oregon State, and Florida State in three years. and I just, to me that's the, and NIL money is, is is part of the mix in moving kids from one place to another. 'cause some kids can get more money at a certain school if, if they in, and not all schools are equal in how they handle NIL in their programs.

For instance, Michigan is not as aggressive in their NIL programs as some other teams, as some other schools. Classic example, and I don't want to get into the weeds in this, but Hunter Dickinson, who's a great center for the Michigan basketball team. He had readily admitted, he left Michigan his last year, and went to Kansas, and he readily admitted it because they offered me more money.

Wes Mathews: Is it the wild, wild west? Any school can offer whatever they want? Yes, that's a great way to put it. NIL, that stands for Name, Image, and Likeness, and that's for like, they can get money for, for anything, or donors can come in and pay them, and Well, and,

Jim Brandstatter: and it's not just that, it's every athlete on the thing, I mean, there's, there's Name, Image, and Likeness, uh, funds, they call them collectives now, where every athlete on scholarship will get a 500 a month stipend or something, and, and other guys can make their own deal, uh, for, for, for extra stuff.

They have agents and they can do, they can do all kinds of things. I mean, you, you had last year, the Southern California quarterback, Caleb Williams, who is a Heisman Trophy winner, was doing Wendy's commercials with, with Matt Leiner, who is a former Heisman Trophy winner for Southern California. Uh, and he, and you know what, I'm not saying it's wrong, but he shouldn't have the ability to.

Benefit from his talent as a football player, but but somewhere there's a middle ground where we can maintain some kind of like I said the educational aspect it's like Why are all these paid athletes playing under the banner of the University of Michigan or Southern, California? when You know, it's like they're almost semi pro shouldn't maybe they should be called Instead of Southern California Trojans, Southern California Sabres.

Uh, and wear the same colors and all that stuff. And pay USC rent to use the Coliseum. I'm just, those are far out there, but you know, carry it another step and another step and another step further. Uh, those are all issues, especially when you get into this. But name, image, and likeness in the transfer portal has changed the entire landscape in the face of collegiate football.

And the NCAA, in my opinion, will soon be a defunct organization, at least in handling football or basketball. But they're basically trying to, uh, remain relevant in these last couple of years because ultimately I think what's going to happen, well the ball system is over, Wes. You know the college bowl games you used to have fun with?

Well, there's going to be a 12 team playoff next year. That's what I heard. Who's going to watch Team 13 play Team 18 in the Bahama Bowl? And that community is going to lose money. You know, wherever it is. Whether the Nashville Bowl or the Music City Bowl. Or for that matter, in Detroit, the Motor City Bowl or the Quick Lube, uh, whatever it is, Bowl.

I mean, are they going to be able to withstand what has become this 12 team playoff? And pretty soon, you and I know it. It's going to become a 16 team playoff. Then, all these other teams that are out there, and they're going to govern themselves. They're going to have like a premium league. And the NCAA is not going to have anything to say about it.

I don't think. And it's going to be football and basketball.

Wes Mathews: How do you feel about, I heard the news yesterday, that Harbaugh is going to the NFL. Is that I don't know the intimacy of this story with Harbaugh, but for me as just like a A civilian, for me, my optics, it's like, who wants this guy out so bad, and why are, you know, who's making this guy's life so difficult?

I mean, here he came in, struggling a little bit, they just won the national championship, and I'm sitting here like, what a, what a story. You know, so you leave on top and go to the NFL, it's like, push this guy right out the door, but

Jim Brandstatter: And again, I'm disappointed, you know, that he's, selfishly, that he's leaving, but I, I thank him for all he did for Michigan.

And, and, and it's not so much that they're pushing him out the door, it's like they're nipping at his heels all the time, saying, you did this, and you did this, and he's been suspended three games, and then the NCAA suspends him for three more. And they have no proof. I mean, have you seen any concrete evidence that there's proof that anybody did anything wrong in any of this stuff?

No, but it's all, the media needs a story, so they make it out to be a story. And Jim is sitting there coaching a team winning a national championship. So he's resident to the top of the mountain, and if you're him, and the Los Angeles Chargers come by and say, here's 15 million. I got a quarterback that's elite franchise quarterback.

I got a veteran team that's pretty darn good. I got a brand new three year old stadium in Los Angeles. And, uh, you played for me, the Spanos family. You know, we're buddies. I'll give you all, you know, everything you can get. And Jim's sitting there going, I got this out there and I got all these little nippy pap people on my butt around here.

Rules and regulations that are hard to follow. Do you know the NCAA is proposing recently? It'll get blown out, I think, but recently proposed that, I call it like the hardball rule of the hardball. Uh, uh, idea. Th they, they, they're trying to get in, in a, a clause that says that, that every college football coach is responsible for any action of any member of his staff, anything, whether he knows it or now, how can you do that?

I mean, every coach in America. Would fight that and yet that's what the NCAA is proposing when you talk about draconian That's a real nobody could actually follow because I mean, how do you know what you know? If an assistant coach does that and he doesn't even the assistant coach doesn't know it So he buys a kid a hamburger or he sends it gives a parent You know some advice or something on how they or gives a ride to a parent After recruiting me to the airport, somebody reports him and that becomes a violation.

The head coach gets suspended and the program does because the assistant coach does that. And he didn't even know it! That's crazy. It is! Well, that's what the NCAA is kind of trying to do. That's the latest, and I don't think it'll, it'll stand past muster, but, But if you're Jim Harbaugh, and to get back to our original question, Do you want to have that?

Do you want to be living in that environment when you could be In a much more transparent thing where the guys that are playing the game are getting paid. It's no big deal But they've got agents and they contract and and ultimately he would love to win a Super Bowl I mean, let's face it you we all have goals and we all have Aspirations Jim got to a Super Bowl at one point I lost to his brother John and if they want him in the NFL and it's a good situation I I'm all for him.

I thank him. I wish him well. I'm disappointed that he's gone. I wish he'd stay, but you know what? I understand it. And, uh, if it's the best thing for Jim Harbaugh,

Wes Mathews: I'm good with it. That's awesome. I mean, what are the odds that, uh, another Harbaugh wins the Super Bowl in a couple weeks here? One with the National Championship and one with the Super Bowl.

I mean, I love the Lions and I hope that they do well, but Ravens are looking pretty

Jim Brandstatter: good. Yeah, they are. Wouldn't it be amazing? Uh, Jack and Jackie Harbaugh are the parents. I mean, I know both of them. They're great people. But would not, would that be amazing? If Jim and John, at the end of the day, in the two biggest, you know, football worlds that exist out there, were both staying in at the top of the mountain?

That would be fabulous.

Wes Mathews: So Jimmy retired. What keeps you busy? What's your passions? What are you working on?

Jim Brandstatter: Hanging out with guys like you. And I'm kind of, you know, when I retired, I didn't want to go away and die. I didn't want to disappear. I wanted to stay engaged. I still felt, as they say in basketball, I still felt I had some game.

I just didn't want to do the traveling and all this stuff with the play by play and all that. The things that were happening around college football, just like what we've been talking about. They're not my thing, so I got out right just in time. But I also felt that I had, I still got some game, right? Now the question becomes, when you make that determination, Wes, where do you play that game?

For me, the broadcast waves are kind of old. So you get social media. The opportunity for me to write commentaries. Uh, to have this conversation with you, but maybe on paper, uh, in a Facebook, uh, on my YouTube channel, and um, and my website, JimBrandstadter. com. I have a book called Voices of Michigan Stadium that's, that's out, it's a project of mine.

I went in my garage, I had interviews with players and coaches. From way back in the day from Michigan and I saved and I went out in the garage and found him I was able to clean him up on my computer or the program and I wrote to them and I basically wrote an audio book It's kind of like the history of Michigan Stadium for Michigan, Michigan the history of the oral history of Michigan football I mean Wes, I've got the guy that scored the first touchdown ever at Michigan Stadium from 1927 His name was Kip Taylor.

I did an interview with him when he was 90 years old at Don Kahnum's offices. And I've got him telling the story of running down the field with Benny Oosterbaan and scoring that score. And it's in his voice. And he tells that story and when I listened to it I went, man, this is pure gold. from a historical standpoint.

I've got Bo Schembechler in his own voice. When you hear Bo tell his stories, the intensity and the passion with which he talks, it will get your, uh, they'll get you, give you goosebumps. And, and they're still there. So I wrote this, uh, This book called Voices of Michigan Stadium, Ron Kramer, Ron Johnson, Desmond Howard, some of the great plays in Michigan Stadium history, I talk, we get people to talk about them.

And uh, it's really, I think, a neat project because it's, it's resurrecting the history of Michigan football. When I went out and promoted the book, I'd go to these meetings and I'd mention a couple of names like Doug Chappuis. And I, and they, people look at me like I was talking Greek. And I, I asked him, I said, how many of you know who Bob Chappie is?

He says, raise your hands. And very few of them would. And I went, that can't happen. This guy was J. J. McCarthy, seven years, he was J. J. McCarthy, 70 years ago. So we, we, we have to remember him. Those are the guys, the shoulders we stood on to create the tradition and the history of Michigan football that they're celebrating today.

And so, that book's out there and you can buy it on uh, jimbrastetter. com, I've got links to Amazon and I've got 7 CD sets, um, my YouTube channel has, I'm doing some things with little videos, little one minute commentaries, I'm writing things for my Facebook page, so. That's where I play the game now, and it, and it keeps me engaged and involved and, uh, so that's kind of

Wes Mathews: what I'm doing.

Having fun.

Jim Brandstatter: Yeah. I'm, I really am. It's, it's, uh, you know, as, like I said, I don't think you wanna sit down and you go over in a corner and, you know, drink milk and eat Cheerios and go away. There's still things, and, and I still, like I said, I'm emotional about the lions. I've got a little thing that I'm going to do on my YouTube channel that's like a preview of the midline San Francisco game.

And I've got a written thing about it that I'm going to put on my blog on the website. So yeah, and I'm not going to work every day. I mean, I'm not going to do this. This is not an everyday thing because I found the biggest thing about retirement is you must re You must control your own hours, because there are people out there that will want to control them for you.

Yeah,

Wes Mathews: for sure. I'm sure you've got a lot of Like me asking you to come on a podcast,

Jim Brandstatter: right? There you go, there you go. But what I'm saying is that there are things that, and speaking engagements and things like that. So I, I, uh, I'm learning to say no a little bit, but I'm also finding, you know, a release, if you will, of my creative juices.

Um in writing and doing commentaries and the things that are in my wheelhouse. And just things that are normal. And last year, Robby and I went up to northern Michigan to hail to the Iosco County Fair. Now You wouldn't think that's much. I'm walking around and there are pigs, and cows, and goats, and the kids from the 4 H are over there telling us all about them, and they've got them named, and it's, it was such a delightful four hours walking around this, this place, and it reminded me of, I left, let me just put it this way, given what's going on in our Congress, and in Michigan, and Lansing, and the politics of of destruction and all the things that you see on the news stations these days to go up to this thing.

Romney and I came, we're driving back from it and both of us had hope, but there is hope that that there's kids and there's people out there that really are part of the United States of America that we knew and they're very respectful. Uh, and it was just a great moment. I urge anyone that's possible that find a little country fair somewhere in a small community.

And take a day and go out there, have an elephant ear,

Wes Mathews: and go see the pigs. I know you were really busy traveling, doing all that, and now you can take the time and enjoy. That's amazing. I've had, you know, uh My kids play football, and I got voluntold to be the announcer. So I think of you often because I'm the announcer for Northville Colts

Jim Brandstatter: football.

I was going to ask you, we talked before and you told me you were going to do it. How has

Wes Mathews: it been going? You know, it's really good. I've been getting good feedback. And you know what's, what's interesting? I think of you often because when I do it, it's, it's really weird. Sometimes I speak in front of people or I do things and I don't get nervous.

But when I announced that game, like I get really nervous, you know, I'm trying to make it great. Cause I've been on the other side, right. Where I'm listening to announcers. I'm like kinda, you know, but I had the opportunity to do it twice now at the big house. Uh, we didn't go up in the big booth, but like on the sidelines.

And, uh, what a cool experience. I think of you all the time. Cause I'm like. To show up here every week and do it when this place is packed with a hundred and ten thousand people and just passion, I mean, I see my kids on the field, so I'm super passionate, but to be able to do it at that scale, week in, week out, and control that narrative, and there's so many people that, that just love you, and you've been the voice for Michigan and the Lions for so many years, and

Jim Brandstatter: I was very lucky, uh, you know, to, to have that.

I mean, lucky in a lot of ways. I mean, where I played, so it, you know, to, to be able to do that where I graduated and, and for the team that I played for, you don't find that often. And, and that to me was, uh, that's great. But isn't it fun though, to the passion you bring to the game? Through the radio, what people hear out there, that's what you're able to sell and bring them.

I always found that that was the real thing I appreciated most when people would say stuff to me. I really would be appreciative when they say, I love your passion and what you bring. You brought me to the stadium, especially when they're listening in their car. That to me is the best thing that they could say.

Wes Mathews: My one buddy told me I have a face for radio, so that was wonderful. Well, join the crowd. Well, Jim, well, hey, yeah, I mean, is there a website out there? How can people contact you or get, you know, you've got such a great, like the podcast, the YouTube stuff. Is it, is it your website? What's your website? My website,

Jim Brandstatter: the website is jimbranstadter.

com and there's a contact me. Uh, page on there, so you can, you can send me an email. Uh, my podcast is called Conversations With The Brandy Show, and uh, I've got, like, guys like Jerome Bettis, Dick Purton from old episodes, and I'll do some more this spring, um, and that's, that's the other, that's one of the things that I do, and you can, you can basically get there from JimBrandstetter.

com. You can get to my YouTube channel, uh, you can get to Facebook from there too, so. Uh, that's like the clearinghouse, and um, kinda owe you for that, cause you were the guy that first got me started with my website, jimbrassetta. com.

Wes Mathews: That was awesome to meet you then. What's your prediction? Who wins the Super Bowl?

Jim Brandstatter: If it ain't the Lions, then I think it's gonna be uh, Baltimore.

Wes Mathews: Lions? Lions beat the 49ers? Sunday?

Jim Brandstatter: I don't, I don't think so. I wish I could, I wish they were, yeah, but I just. They, the Lions had Ford Field. You know what the atmosphere was like. That's like, most people say playing at home is worth three points.

For the Lions it was worth seven. Yeah. And, and I, and I, I just think on the road it's gonna be more difficult. Plus the 49ers are that team that felt screwed last year because they, they got injured at quarterback. Remember? And they, they couldn't even, they weren't even competitive because they had no quarterback because he was hurt.

And I think they feel that the football guys owe them something, and they're playing at home. So, so I, I do give the edge to San Francisco without alienating any Detroit Panthers. I'd love them to be there. But I also think that, uh, Lamar Jackson for Baltimore has been like otherworldly this year. And, and if he has a, a Lamar Jackson game, uh, in the, in the AFC Finals against Patrick Mahomes.

and the Super Bowl. I, I, I don't know whether there's anybody can beat them.

Wes Mathews: Well, enjoy the next couple weekends. A lot of great football. I really appreciate you taking the time, Jim. Always a pleasure and I thank you so much. I'm gonna let you get back to retirement enjoying the good

Jim Brandstatter: life. Thanks, Wes.

Anytime. It was great talking with you. You take care. Thanks, Jim.

Wes Mathews: Appreciate it.