Transcript
Mike Mahnke: “A Lucky Fan in the Press Box” (Hour 1)
The Todd Allbaugh Show · Fri Oct 10, 2025
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Good afternoon, everybody.
Todd Albaugh along Mr. Aaron Zommers, our producer and engineer.
It is six minutes past the hour of two o'clock on this TGIF Friday, October 10th, 2025.
It is a great day.
To be a Wisconsinite, welcome in everybody on this Friday.
It is homecoming Friday here at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Madison.
We are at the world headquarters of Civic Media Downtown Madison, the crossroads of State Street and Fairchild.
A few clouds in the sky and a little rain moved through this part of Wisconsin earlier today.
But our weather forecasting team says that is gone.
Gonna be a great UW homecoming parade down on Langdon and parts of state later on this afternoon and into tonight.
If you're in the area, check it out.
Be aware of a few road closures in downtown Madison because of it.
But it's always a big family fun friendly event.
So University of Wisconsin marching band will be there.
So I'll get down there and check that out.
Big show today.
Can't wait.
A lot going on.
And but the bottom of this hour, somebody who I've really wanted to speak with for a long time, appreciate CP lining this up, Mike Mankey, University of Wisconsin Badger public address announcer.
If you've been to Camp Randall for a football game, you've heard him say things like first in 10 Wisconsin, Ron Dane.
other iconic calls.
Gonna be here in studio.
We love it when that happens.
It could be sent right beside me at a great conversation with Mike Mankey, Badger's PA announcer, just after the bottom of this hour.
That ain't coming up in hour number two, Ty Morrissey, producer and star of No Packers, No Life.
And if you're watching on Facebook, YouTube,
What
it, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter?
thank you.
What used to be Twitter, X, whatever you want to call it.
We got the poster right here beside me, courtesy of Sean Hannes, one of the other producers.
It's a great poster.
The Packers flag, the flag of Japan here, no Packers, no life.
The film is going to make its world debut.
It was a part of the film festival here in Madison last year, but making its world premiere commercially
at the Marcus Theater in Waukesha next Wednesday, a VIP event.
Tickets over a valued at $100.
By the way, it's still a few if you want to buy them, be assured of a seat that night on Wednesday at Waukesha reception from 5.30 until 6.30.
And the film will start off right around seven.
A few tickets still remaining.
You can go to nopackersnolife.com.
to check it out, buy tickets there, or you can stick around to hour number two.
We're going to give you a trivia question and call in.
And we're going to give away two tickets to the VIP world premiere of No Packers, No Life, and hour number two, and time more.
So he's going to be here and tell us more about the film.
Also, what's worse on this homecoming weekend?
Losing to Iowa, who they play tomorrow, the Badgers do, or losing to Minnesota.
How about that?
Zommer's a lot to get to today.
How you doing?
I just I love my and there's so much to Mike Mankey beyond and not that his voice is is not enough It's fantastic, but I think you're really gonna enjoy hearing the story behind the voice behind the person So looking forward to having Mike here at the bottom of this hour, of course the crew the Brewers Came up a little short last night and a regular feel kind of surprised me
I said yesterday, I thought the crew could get it done in five games.
The Cubs won six, nothing.
And once again, it was the starting pitching of Milwaukee that got shook.
Freddie Peralta on the mound last night for the crew simply didn't get her done and three or four runs against him.
And then the brewers kind of settled in, but just couldn't manufacture any run.
They looked a little tight to me.
They look and give credit to the Cubs fans.
Wrigley Field was rocking.
I think they got the Brewers heads a little bit, but have no fear there was one game left.
The winner advances to the National Championship Series, National League Championship Series, against the LA Dodgers who beat Philadelphia last night more on that weird game and how it ended.
Last night, we'll talk about that a little bit later in the show, but it'll be either the Brewers or the Cubs against the LA Dodgers in the NLCS.
You'll hear the final game of the NLDS tomorrow night across many of these stations.
starting at 6 30 with the pregame show 708 for the first pitch from am fam field.
You can hear it on W R C E and richland center W I S S in Oshkosh W C Q M in Park Falls and W B Z H in Hayward, Wisconsin 6 30 pregame first pitch just after seven o'clock tomorrow night.
I think the crew is going to get it done.
I'm not just saying that.
I think they're going to they're going to bear down here.
And get it done.
Gonna hear some cuts from last night's game in just a couple of minutes.
But I wanted to start with this.
Some news actually today.
And what we've been talking about this, this expansion of ICE in major democratic cities, meaning voting wise and their mayors or governors or Democrats.
Great story in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
We didn't get to yesterday.
Perhaps we'll touch on it today.
The ice is expanding its footprint in Milwaukee.
But in Chicago, a judge for now has stopped ice from deploying throughout the city, or not ice, but pardon me, the National Guard for deploying throughout the city, but ice is still there.
And so nothing better to cut through the tension and make a point than with humor.
In my opinion.
And last night on Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC, Democratic Illinois Governor JB Pritzker.
Kimmel's having this thing where he does this sometimes with hashtags on social media.
And so now Kimmel's latest one is show me your hellhole.
Hashtag show me your hellhole.
And he wants people to send in videos.
You know, obviously, sarcastically with humor and like, how bad is it really in Chicago or Portland or Los Angeles?
And so Pritzker and or his team, whoever is brilliant, had Pritzker sending a video to Jimmy Kimmel.
He is in a fatigue.
Well, like, like a, like a flak jacket, basically the ice wares, like he's protecting himself from gunfire or something.
And he is on a very calm and beautiful part of downtown Chicago.
And this is JB Pritzker reporting about Warren Torn Chicago.
We also got a very special report filed by JB Pritzker, the governor of Illinois.
This is JB Pritzker reporting from War Torn Chicago.
As you can see, there's utter mayhem and chaos on the ground.
It's quite disturbing.
The Milwaukee Brewers have come in to attack our Chicago Cubs.
We've seen people being forced to eat hot dogs with ketchup on them.
And our deep dish pizza has gone shallow.
So it's a challenge to survive here in the city of Chicago, but there's no hellscape that I'd rather be in.
Well, thank you, Governor.
And please know that you and the Cubs will be in our prayers.
So that's how you do it.
If you live in one of the war ravaged communities, the president has or is planning to occupy with troops, we want to see just how frightening it is.
So make a video, post it to YouTube with the hashtag show me your hellhole and look for a message from us so we can share your nightmare
with the world.
There you go, Jimmy Kimmel.
I thought that was really well done and credit Pritzker for taking a very serious situation, but making it in a humorous way to get your point across.
Yeah, but the point is that that Trump keeps saying that well y'all gotta send these National Guard people because you know, it's just it's terrible and as I said my step brother lives in Portland, Oregon He's better.
He and his wife will live there for over 10 years.
He's like Todd.
It's like a block a block of some protests
The city's not they had their marathon there, right?
Chicago they had the Cubs game last night the Brewers came But then the Cubs clearly defended themselves well against the invasion of the Brewers But we'll continue to follow this throughout the weekend and next week certainly on the more serious side of this see what happens if this judges ruling holds by holding back National Guard forces in in Chicago But the point is it's simply not needed
And somebody made the point this morning on radio or television that now you've got a couple of Republican governors, I think in Oklahoma, who are saying, look, this, you can't do this because we wouldn't want JB Pritzker to be sending Illinois National Guard troops to Oklahoma for something.
As Trig Vyolson, our friend from the Lincoln Project always says, stop and think.
If this were happening to you in reverse,
Would you be okay with it?
Other news today, I'm not seeing this talked about a lot and I want to make sure that we touch on it will expand more next week Lost in all the clutter there was a press conference in the late yesterday afternoon or this morning In which secretary of defense Pete Hegseth met with the Qatari government member Qatar who gave Donald Trump a four hundred million dollar plane
It is announced, well, I'll let Hank Seth do it.
Here is a stunning announcement about a foreign government being allowed to build a military base within the United States.
No one other than President Trump could have achieved the peace that we believe will be a lasting peace.
in Gaza, and Qatar played a substantial role from the beginning, working with our folks to ensure that came about.
So I want to thank you for that historic piece.
I look forward to joining the President as that gets – it's already been delivered, but as that's formally signed as well.
And I'm also proud that today we're announcing – we're signing a letter of acceptance to build a Qatari Amiri Air Force facility at the Mountain Home Air Base in Idaho.
The location will be
host a contingent of Qatari F-15s and pilots to enhance our combined training, increased lethality, interoperability.
It's just another example of our partnership.
And I hope you know, Your Excellency, that you can count on us.
P. Tagseth confirming that for the first time that I'm aware of, a foreign government will be allowed to build a military base
on US soil Now this is this is concerning on a number of levels remember it was the Maga Republicans who went apoplectic Not only that they weren't very happy about it They went apoplectic when everyone Joe Biden was president and you had a balloon
A balloon that that passed over the United States and oh my goodness gracious Why didn't why didn't we shoot down this balloon from a foreign government?
People are spying on us.
Oh my gosh.
It was crazy Here now the same people that were up in arms about a balloon passing over the United States are allowing a foreign government the Katari government to build a military flight base here on US soil in Idaho
Now not exactly in my opinion quote-unquote America first What when you think about what this does for the Qataris in terms of allow them to have intelligence For the Arab community in the Middle East What it allows them to do in terms of leverage for the US government
We'll dig into this a little bit more for a couple minutes on the other side and I'll tell you the links Between the two governments also a couple of packers a party brewers cuts and at the bottom of the hour You're not gonna want to miss it Mike Mankey the voice of the Badgers in terms of PA announcer is gonna be here in studio.
It's the all ball show in South Korea
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2025 homecoming weekend UW homecoming weekend here in Madison got my motion W polo shirt on cannot wait coming up after the bottom of the hour farm news with the great Pam Yankee another great Mike Mankey gonna be sitting right beside me Badgers PA announcer the man behind the voice so stay tuned for that right now catch you up on little news headlines talking about what little talked about I'm not sure why this isn't a bigger story but Secretary of Defense Pete Hankseth announcing an agreement with the Qatari government
By the way, they happened to give me $400 million plane that for the first time in American history, they are going to allow a foreign government to set up a military base in Idaho on US soil.
Being claimed just like a joint venture or whatever.
I'm a little blown away.
Here's a Matt and Richland Center listening on WRCE off the text line says, quote, if Obama or Biden had done that.
Fox News will be screaming, Shira Law is here.
The indoctrination has begun, unquote.
I said that, you know, there was a big deal when Biden was president about a balloon flying across, and now the same people are up on arms about that seem to be fine with a military base on US soil.
Interesting to note that both Pam Bondi, attorney general and FBI director, Cash Patel,
took hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Qatari government between the two Trump terms to quote-unquote lobby.
As my old professor at Ubiplafil, Jack O'Neill was fond of saying.
All comes down to that, the dollar sign.
855-752-4842, 855-752-4842.
Let's go to the phone lines.
Charles, listening to Milwaukee on WAUK.
Charles, thanks for calling in.
What's a you?
This administration is, this is just crazy.
It's crazy every day.
There's something crazy that comes out about this administration.
I mean, I'm not surprised.
It was the same way when he was in the first time, but this is nuts.
Are we for sale to the highest bidder?
Well, the airplane that you give us this and we'll let you build a base.
Here's the thing.
Here's the thing gets me Charles get your quick opinion.
I got I want to do a brewers cut here before we get out of here But give me a quick opinion Charles.
Here's the thing.
I don't care whether we vote for Republican Democrat I'm a big fan of veterans Anybody who served this country is an American hero to me and I would think this would be disturbing to people who put the uniform on and stood guard and protected our freedoms to allow any I don't care whether it's Canada or or or you know the UK Japan
I just don't believe we should be letting foreign governments have military bases on this country's soil.
Let's see.
No, we shouldn't.
It's a slap in the face to the military.
Men and women have served this country and the ones that died.
There's no way that should be allowed.
And like you said, this should be a way bigger story.
Yeah.
I mean, I get it.
They're flooding his own.
I can't think of the guy's name that said it, but...
They're flooding the zone, so things just go by the wayside.
Yeah.
There's no way this should be happening.
I appreciate the call, Charles.
Have a great weekend.
Watch some Brewers or Badgers.
We'll kind of mellow out, but we'll continue to follow us over the weekend and come back to it on Monday.
I want to play one Brewers clip here.
before the end of the hour.
Again, the crew lost six to nothing last night.
The Cubs game five to Mario.
You can hear it across many of our civic media stations here in Richland Center on WRCE, WISS in Oshkosh, WCQM in Park Falls and WBZH in Hayward.
Christian Yelich, the leader of the crew, put things in perspective.
Here's Yelich last night after the loss.
Kelly, we were here during that series in August where they won a couple in a row and you kind of said some things at that time about just staying calm and confident.
This is totally different because it's the postseason.
But are there similarities to the message you gave them?
I
mean, there is no message, as you say.
We got one game that you got to win.
So regroup tomorrow on the off day and be ready to go on Saturday, I think it is.
Is it deflating to find yourselves in this spot after being 2-0 and eating one?
It's part of the story, man.
Sometimes you're going to have to win some big games and you face some adversity in the postseason.
You got to
keep
going.
We played well at our own field.
They took care of business here and go back, get ready for Saturday and make sure we play well.
What does it mean to have that game at home as opposed to here?
Yeah, we love playing at home, so it's great.
What did Boyd do better today than game one?
He just made some good pitches.
I felt like my about second and third.
He just made some really good pitches.
The first pitch was cutting on either way I felt.
Then kind of just battled.
That two-two pitch just struck the ball sinker.
It was a really good pitch.
Sometimes you got to tip your hat.
He did really good today.
How's that?
As Christian Yelich for the Brewer's leader in the clubhouse last night after the Cubs won six nothing to force of game five in Milwaukee pregame show six thirty first pitch just after seven o'clock on many of our civic media stations.
I love how calm Yelich is.
Just.
Hey, it's what happens.
And I would simply say I'm watching.
I make the mistake going on social media.
Look, all these people are hating on the crew today.
Remember what Murphy said?
Nobody gave these guys a chance to even compete for the Central, let alone have the best record of the National League, best record in baseball, best away record in baseball, competing for, won the Central Division, got the buy, one game away from winning the NLDS and gonna possibly face the Dodgers and the NLCS.
Nobody gave them a chance for this.
They've already outperformed.
And I'll say it again, the fact it's the who, as Murph said, the who in that clubhouse.
That's why I love following.
So if you're salty today and irritated, get off the bandwagon.
What did Barry say?
Go boo to bar.
Because he don't need that.
I mean, have fun, live in the moment.
That's what athletics and sports is about.
We're gonna talk to somebody who really knows about athletics.
Next, Mike Manki.
You've heard him say first in 10 Wisconsin.
He's gonna be sitting right next to us on the other side.
Don't go to where Pam Yankee Midwest Farm Report is next.
You're listening to the All Bulls Show across Wisconsin on the Civic Media.
Ready to...
Welcome back to the Talamo show on the Civic Media ready to work.
It is now 35 minutes past the hour of two o'clock of this Friday, TGIF October 10th, 2025.
Little Steely Dan for you.
Love it.
Fantastic.
Off the Spotify playlist of our next guest.
If you've ever been to a Badger sporting event in particular at Camp Randall Stadium, you've heard his voice.
But have you ever talked to the guy himself?
I have not until right now, Mike Mankey, the PA announcer for Badger Athletics, is here in studio.
Mike, thanks so much for taking the time to come in.
It is my pleasure, Todd.
I'm fired up and ready for tomorrow.
Homecoming always
gets
some special juices going.
For those that don't know, uh, listening across the state, it is homecoming week here in Madison.
I went to Plaffville because I did not have the academics to get into Madison, but both, both my God sons are, are, are graduates of UW Madison.
And, uh, I just, I, I bleed cardinal and white.
I, uh, Greg guard was at Plaffville when I was there together.
Uh, he probably wouldn't remember me anymore, but just we were talking about a little bit before, uh,
the last segment about the Brewers, Pat Murphy has said it's the who with the crew this year in the locker room.
Some of these guys are younger, they might not have the resume, but it's the who.
Have you found the same thing in all your years with Badger Athletics?
Some of the best teams, it's the who, isn't
it?
It is, and you know, the who sometimes is more than one person, but it's, I think, reflective of a culture.
And, you know, I listened to your little sound bite a little bit ago about Kristen Yelich and the calm, cool, collected nature of, you know, they're facing a game five here.
And it is all about the who and how they embody the culture of any team.
And as far as Badger Sports go, you can go look at all your successful seasons.
And it's not just a great player.
It's like a captain.
It's someone who represents the team.
That is the
who.
Before we get into some of the athletics, give people, if you're willing, a little peep behind it, because I think we hear your voice.
Those of us that go to a lot of Badger events.
And tell us a little bit about where you grew up and how you got into this gig.
So yeah, it's a circuitous route.
I can take you on a scenic route here.
So I grew up in Racine.
I graduated from Racine Horlick High School and decided my senior year that I was going to join the Army.
So instead of coming right into college that was my game plan initially My dad had been an army vet.
My grandfather was in the army.
I had uncles You know galore that were in the army and Navy and Marine Corps And I decided you know what this is gonna be a path that I'm gonna take it open up
Old GI Bill was still in place.
So I joined the Army, went for a three-year hitch, two of which were in Germany, came back and was a 21-year-old freshman at the University of Wisconsin.
And as one of those things where the GI Bill back then, I could go pretty much anywhere I wanted to.
I wanted to play baseball if I could in college.
I played in high school.
Baseball was my sport.
I played in Germany, played in California when I was stationed
out there,
and thought that maybe I could play some ball in college.
John, it didn't quite work out that way.
went four years, graduated in 84, and had more Army to do.
I was commissioned through ROTC here at the UW, Army ROTC, so I gave them some more time after graduating, and then came back in 85 and got a job, went to grad school for a whole semester, and was hired during that semester and said, I guess I don't need any more schooling.
I guess I'll take the gig.
And I worked for an ad agency here in Madison called
advertising and 39 years later I retired last year from the same company but the nice thing is is for the last 10 years I was a co-owner of the company so we we had a very successful decade too so yeah so I'm recently retired I started announcing for the UW in 1992 and it was a fluke I
New people, I had done a little bit of radio, actually from 91 until 92, I was co-host on WTSO with a show with Diana Summers called Madison Nightline.
I don't know if you recall
it.
I used to be able to sort of TSO back in the day.
Way back in the
day.
You know, they changed, they were country, then they were talked and there were sports and talking country, they kind of bounced back and forth.
That was in the talk era of WTSO.
But I was also involved in a improv comedy group called Comedy Sports for 10 years here on State Street.
And one of my buddies was pinch hitting for the women's basketball PA announcer, who was a DJ at Triple M or something like that.
And he said, hey, I can't do a gig.
I can't do one of the games.
How would you like to do women's basketball?
I said, I love basketball.
I've never done PA announcing of at any level.
I'm not afraid to be in front of a mic, but what do you do?
He said, well, I knew what PA announcers did.
I grew up listening to Bob Betts at County Stadium in
Rain for the Badgers, but kind of heroes of mine.
But I had never done it.
And I showed up, I did it.
They said, this is what you do.
And after the game, they said, how would you like to finish the season?
Oh, and by the way, how would you like to do some volleyball?
Wow.
So I've never even seen volleyball.
He said, it's OK.
what to do.
So in 92, I finished up the women's basketball.
I started doing volleyball and I did both women's and basketball and volleyball for.
four or five seasons after that.
And then football came along.
Jack reigned, God rest his soul.
He passed away in early 1994 in the beginning of the men's basketball season.
And so I took that season and started football the next year.
So, and I did men's hockey.
I forgot about that four, four seasons.
So at one for like a year or two, I was doing women's basketball, volleyball, hockey.
There wasn't a women's hockey.
So hockey, football and men's basketball.
of all the five sports.
And I had to make a decision because the kids were coming along, our family was growing, and I did have a real job.
So I said,
You know, how about if I limit it to football and men's basketball, but I'll pinch hit whenever you need me for any sport at any point.
So I've continued to do volleyball two, three, four matches this year, a little bit more than normal.
I've done six matches since that time.
Bonnie does such a great job.
I
don't know
if you know Bonnie Olson.
She's had the gig for 25 plus years, but she has other commitments.
So I do a handful of volleyball matches every year, but.
Men's basketball and football have been the gig now for 30 plus years absolutely short story
We're talking with Mike Mankey.
Who is the Badger public address announcer for for Badger athletics?
Oh, actually, I guess I need I need to refresh my stream yard.
There we go.
It just started.
fantastic See these these technical difficulties when ties and shards it doesn't work out.
Well the technical difficulties side.
Thank you Zomers Mike talk to us a little bit about
things that you've seen through the years.
I mean, you got in at the start of the Barry Alvarez years, which I think some people kind of forget the first couple weren't that great until 94.
And then of course, the Rose Bowl year and things take off.
But what if all your years.
be it having to literally a front row seat at some times in these events, what sticks out as a couple of memories from any sport?
Well, we'll take football.
And like I said, my first season was 95.
And that first game was actually against Colorado at Camp Randall as a nationally televised game, which was kind of rare for us.
And like you said, in Barry's early years, I mean, wins were still kind of tough to come by.
And that season, though, was a kind of a little bit of a turning of the corner.
And then Dane came the next
next year, so he had Dane in 96, 97, 98, 99, four years of greatness.
And that really catapulted us to a next level.
So some of the things that I've seen in the, well, this is season number 31 for football, is great running back after great running back, after great running back.
And actually tomorrow, I don't know if you're aware of this, but Monte Ball is being recognized.
I did not know that.
For being installed in the College Football Hall of Fame.
And I think the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame.
going to be some hardware that he gets tomorrow.
But he's just another example.
I mean, I could name off a dozen of them, but Monte Ball would be recognized tomorrow, which is pretty cool.
So for football, you know, our ground and pound game, our running game has been something that's been a hallmark that I've really, really enjoyed.
For basketball, you know, very similar started with.
Actually, Stu Jackson was the first coach
that I
called games for right.
And then Stan Van Gundy and it took off from there with Coach Bennett and Brad Soderberg and then Bo and now Greg.
So I've seen a lot of different styles of ball as far as basketball goes.
And again, somehow I forced gumpt my way into a golden era of Wisconsin basketball and football.
And it's been an amazing ride.
Talk
to us
a little bit about these iconic calls.
First in 10, how soon did that come along after you started doing football?
And Ron Dane, where did that one come from?
So first in 10 Wisconsin, honestly, I think I've been saying that pretty much since day one.
when I didn't know when the crowd started reacting to it.
I tried to, like I said, I paid close attention to what Jack Rain was doing because I had been doing women's basketball for a handful of years.
And I just had listened to them anyway.
After growing up listening to Bob Betts do brewers games, I always loved that personality behind the microphone.
You know, it was like the voice of God type of thing.
So I listened to how they went about their business.
And I tried to replicate certain things that Jack Rain did, but not, you know, identical to what, how he did them.
So I don't think he did first in 10 Wisconsin, but that's something that just kind of grew.
And then when the crowds started repeating it and it became kind of a fun.
back and forth type of thing.
So gosh, I think I've been saying that for decades.
The Ron Dane thing was one of those where I'm a Badger fan.
And
I was a student here, like I mentioned, I grew up a Badger football fan, went to my first homecoming game, my homecoming 1971 was my first Badger game, Rufus Ferguson and his crew.
So I've been a Badger football fan my whole life.
but I didn't expect when Ron Dane came on board that I would become a fan in the booth as well as being just an information delivery system.
Which is what you're supposed to do when you're a PA guy.
But you can have a little fun too.
And when Ron Dane carried the ball and when he'd get 10 yards, 15 yards, 20 yards, I'm like, I'm not in my seat, I'm standing.
And I'm going, Ron Dane!
To the 17 yard line!
And then, first and 10, Wisconsin, it just kind of came naturally.
But that whole Ron Dain thing was just part of the exuberance of being a fan that happened to have a microphone and 80,000 people listening to it.
So it was a pretty cool gig.
Well, I tell you, it's pretty cool sitting next to you, hearing those words come out of your mouth.
I mean, football wouldn't be football.
I'm going tomorrow.
So I'm going to go tomorrow.
It's just not the same thing if you weren't there doing those things.
And it's just you become part of the Badger
experience.
appreciate it.
And like I say, I'm a one lucky, I'm a lucky fan that somehow ended up in the press box.
That's basically it.
A couple minutes before the first break, we're talking to Mike Mankey, Badger PA announcer.
How do you, how do you, when do we get new players, obviously every year?
How do you decide how you're gonna say Brad Davidson the basketball court or whoever on the where does it you practice a few times and private or
you know not not really I do practice foreign-born players names just to make sure that you know I want their parents to be proud I don't want to screw anything up so but as far as rehearsing how that call is gonna happen you know early on I thought I needed to do that and by early on I mean 30 years ago but then
It became more of a grassroots, organic type of way of calling their
name.
I waited for the moment.
So Brad Davidson, you know, it was much like Brad Davidson for three.
You know, it just kind of happened.
I didn't have to rehearse it, you know, and if it sounded goofy or odd, maybe I'd say something different the next time, but I really didn't know what would come out of my mouth.
I
love that, just fun, true passion.
Yeah, right, right, right.
Like I said, it's, you know, just because I've been a fan for so long, it's just...
It just kind of happens naturally.
So
that's the best way that makes the difference.
Does it not?
At least for me, as a fan of the stands, knowing that you're passionate about these teams and these guys and gals, that's what makes the difference.
I bleed cardinal
white brother.
Absolutely.
Come back more and talk more.
Mike Mankey voice in the Badgers, the P.A.
side and I'm serious.
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alum of Wisconsin.
Thanks for your service, Mike, for ROTC and beyond.
We are big on veterans here on this program.
So thank you.
Thank you.
I appreciate it.
It was good gig, 17 years worth of Army duty.
And
also, we don't really have time to get into it now, but we'll look at the stream.
If you missed it during the commercial break, that's why you tune in in between commercial breaks and the stream.
Or the few people I know that met that knows where Hub City is.
Hub City, to all your listeners.
in beautiful downtown hub city in
richland county yeah right right
right fortunately it doesn't have very positive memories
I'm sorry to hear they were injured in a softball game I
was injured is
traumatic I'm sorry to hear that um I wanted to give me a little research here
You have a really cool connection to Camp Randall and that you had a family member that served there, I believe.
Right.
Tell us a little bit about
that.
So we're talking in between, you know, we're talking a little bit about why I went in the army, the
fact
that my dad had been, my grandfather had been other family members.
But when my family first came over from Germany and settled in the Sheboygan and Manitowoc area, they came over from Germany in the 1800s, chiefly to escape revolution.
War in Germany, only to have one of my great, great, great uncles volunteer for the Wisconsin infantry.
And he was stationed at Camp Randall as a captain.
And I got out of the army as a captain, ironically.
So I did not know that until I did some family genealogy work and almost fell off my chair when I discovered that back in 1864 he was stationed here when it was an actual camp.
I just think it's incredible to have a relative who is stationed there in the Union Army and now you're there every Saturday home game in that exact location calling games.
It pinch me
is really weird and even in ROTC, so this is the early 80s They had a firing range inside of Camp Randall albeit not it wasn't very big like a long closet Basically, but that's where we trained, you know for
our ROTC firing of M16.
So anyway,
I'd be remiss Mike Mankey if I didn't at least ask you your opinion.
I mean, you don't you're not here representing the athletic department per se.
But boy, been a tough year for Badger football fans.
And I think a lot of people in the change was made from I was a big Paul Chris fan and was hoping that Jim Leonard.
But I got all on board the Luke fickle train early on.
And boy, it's been tough to watch.
And we've had Brady Ewing and we've had Joe Thomas on this show.
And I think for those who played
they keep saying just the culture.
And what's it like for you?
You're not in the locker room per se, but what's the season been like for you and even the end of last year?
Well, I'm, I don't know if it's good or bad, but I'm an optimist.
Half glass full guy when it comes, especially the Badger sports.
It's been challenging for sure.
The biggest challenges have been, especially last year, losing to Iowa the way we did and losing to Minnesota the way we did.
The rivalry games are the ones that I think probably mean the most to me.
That's why tomorrow is such an important game.
So I don't know if tomorrow is a must-win game.
Yes,
I
do.
Tomorrow's a must-win game.
And so is the Minnesota game.
Those are two games like I really, really want to wear.
So it's been kind of tough, but I keep hoping that we turn the corner and things start to gel.
Again, injuries always play a role, but they do it every level.
You look at the Packers, their injuries on their O-line have caused a little bit of havoc lately.
How do they lose against the Browns?
And how do they tie the Cowboys?
So I know that they're kind of circling the wagons as well to a degree, but
I think when it comes to just looking at how the landscape of college football is developing here the last couple years especially, depth becomes such a critical issue.
And depth for us on the offensive line seems to be the thing that we're lacking most.
The halves, the Ohio states, the Oregon's, the Michigan's, you name it, those are the teams that can throw enough money out there to have depth at their two deeps.
you know, we come from a slightly different landscape.
So I think we've got to understand that it may take a little time, it may take a lot of money, but I would still, you know, I don't like to hear fans say firefickle or boo.
the team when they come off the field.
I understand why they're doing it.
I really just don't like to hear that.
I think especially the players, you know, even though there's NIL now, I mean, those guys and gals, they're working their butts off.
Nobody's coming on those fields or on those courts trying to lose.
I mean, you see it every, you see
it close up.
Absolutely.
They are, they're the last people that want to come off the field to that.
Right.
And, and.
You know, again, there's it's been a little chaotic.
I mean, some of the things we've seen on the sidelines and even the games have not been really torqued down.
But hopefully tomorrow we turn the page.
One minute left, Mike Mankey.
What have I not
asked you?
You want people to know?
What have you not asked me?
What I love about football Saturdays.
What do you love about football Saturdays?
Let me days like this.
Golden leaves, crisp, clean air, my UW hoodie on and hanging out with family and friends.
And I do too.
And I love night games on football Saturdays
where
the sun is down and we'll have fireworks over Camp Randall.
And then you can also hear my first in 10 Wisconsin reverberate off of all of the roofs of homes in the Monroe and Regent Street neighborhoods.
I've heard it before we'll hear it again tomorrow.
I can hear the game on many of our civic media stations Pregame show tomorrow starts at four o'clock with a kickoff at camp Randall just after six Iowa visiting Wisconsin Mike Mankey Thank you so much.
Come on back soon.
There's so many more things.
We'll have to talk about with you
Todd I'd be happy to
quickly We're coming up next hour.
We do a what's worse every day today's what's worse losing to Iowa or losing to Minnesota
They're both distasteful.
Oh,
man.
Losing to Minnesotans.
Totally agree.
It's the axe.
It's all about the axe, right?
Right,
right.
And PJ Fleck.
And Peach, the Flexter!
The Flexter is taking on the thick floors.
All right, Mike, thank you very much.
Appreciate you.
You're part of what makes Wisconsin great.
Take care.
All right, thank you so much.
Hour number two, straight ahead on the Civic Media, ready to work.
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