Jim Brandstatter
Encyclopedia
Jim Brandstatter is an award-winning American sportscaster based in Southeastern Michigan. He is currently the radio color commentator
for the Detroit Lions
and Michigan Wolverines
football teams. Brandstatter is also a sports television show host and radio show host; both shows are about Michigan football. He played college football
for the Wolverines, where he was a standout offensive tackle. Brandstatter has written two non-fiction books about his experiences as a player, both of which were best-sellers in the sports category. His other positions include the two-time president of the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association.
, the home of Michigan State University
. He was one of 5 boys. His father Art Brandstatter, Sr. was named an All-American
fullback
for the Spartans football team
in 1936. His father went on to become a Detroit Police
officer and later a chairman of the Michigan State University School of Criminal Justice.
His older brother, Art Brandstatter, Jr., played defensive end
for the Spartans from 1959-1961. Despite the family's legacy at MSU, Brandstatter opted to attend the school's in-state rival the University of Michigan
(the teams play annually for the coveted Paul Bunyan Trophy
). When asked about his early life and family in a November 2007 Detroit Free Press
interview, Brandstatter responded: "My brother Art played at Michigan State, and he was my hero. ... I went to all the games. I got to know all the players, the team. I was just a 10-year-old kid. That was great, but when I got into high school and was playing, Michigan recruited me and I fell in love with the place. ... So I went against the grain, went to Michigan and never regretted it."
team from 1969-1971 during Coach Bo Schembechler
's first three seasons. Brandstatter later noted one of his favorite memories as a player came in a 1971 victory against Michigan State. Brandstatter recalled, "That was as good as it gets." He added: "Bo (Schembechler) used to say and (offensive line coach) Jerry Hanlon might say, I may have played my best game ever as a collegian in that game." Hanlon said about Brandstatter: "He got so fired up, he took over every defender that came his way." He added "It was one of the best games a tackle played for me. That particular game, he was an All-American."
Brandstatter made the All Big Ten
team in 1971 and played in 2 Rose Bowl
s, during his time with Michigan (1970 and 1972).
in 1972, Brandstatter was hired as the sports director of WEYI-TV
in the Flint
/ Tri-Cities area. In 1975, Brandstatter got a job at WILX-TV
in the Lansing
/ Jackson
area. After two-and-a-half years, Brandstatter moved to Detroit and became a sports producer for WDIV.
In 1980, while working at WDIV, Brandstatter became the host of Michigan Replay, a weekly half hour discussion, interview, and highlights program about Michigan Wolverines football. It originally featured his former head coach Bo Schembechler
(until 1989). It later included former head coaches Gary Moeller
(1990–1994), Lloyd Carr
(1995–2007), and Rich Rodriguez
(2008–2010). It currently includes head coach Brady Hoke
(2011–present). In 2008, its name was changed to Inside Michigan Football (in honor of the retirement of coach Lloyd Carr
). After 30 years, Brandstatter remains the original host and the show has grown from being seen only in Southeastern Michigan to available nationwide on cable and satellite.
.
Since 1987, Brandstatter has been analyzing National Football League
games on the Detroit Lions Radio Network, teaming with play-by-play man Dan Miller
and sideline reporter Tony Ortiz
.
Brandstatter also hosts the syndicated weekly Brady Hoke Radio Show, along with Doug Karsch
, and varying assistant coaches and players, during the college football season. It is similar to Inside Michigan Football except it is broadcast live.
He also appears on special football related radio programs such as Detroit radio station WXYT-FM's NFL Draft Day Special as a football analyst.
winning telecast of the state's PGA Skins game tournament.
in Detroit, and was the first woman to anchor the evening news in America when she began her career in 1972 at WILX-TV in Lansing. They met in the mid-1970s while working together at WILX-TV
. Timmons graduated from Ohio State University
, Michigan's fierce arch-rival
.
Color commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
for the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
and Michigan Wolverines
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
football teams. Brandstatter is also a sports television show host and radio show host; both shows are about Michigan football. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for the Wolverines, where he was a standout offensive tackle. Brandstatter has written two non-fiction books about his experiences as a player, both of which were best-sellers in the sports category. His other positions include the two-time president of the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association.
Childhood and family
Brandstatter was born and raised in East Lansing, MichiganEast Lansing, Michigan
East Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located directly east of Lansing, Michigan, the state's capital. Most of the city is within Ingham County, though a small portion lies in Clinton County. The population was 48,579 at the time of the 2010 census, an increase from...
, the home of Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
. He was one of 5 boys. His father Art Brandstatter, Sr. was named an All-American
1936 College Football All-America Team
The 1936 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players who were selected as All-Americans by various organizations and writers that chose College Football All-America Teams for the 1936 college football season...
fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
for the Spartans football team
Michigan State Spartans football
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...
in 1936. His father went on to become a Detroit Police
Detroit Police Department
The Detroit Police Department , established in 1865, is responsible for the city of Detroit, Michigan.-History:The Detroit Police Department was established in 1865 to serve the city's growing population and covers the city with 5 districts and two precincts. The Detroit Police Department was also...
officer and later a chairman of the Michigan State University School of Criminal Justice.
His older brother, Art Brandstatter, Jr., played defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
for the Spartans from 1959-1961. Despite the family's legacy at MSU, Brandstatter opted to attend the school's in-state rival the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
(the teams play annually for the coveted Paul Bunyan Trophy
Paul Bunyan Trophy
The Paul Bunyan–Governor of Michigan Trophy is a college rivalry trophy awarded to the winner of the annual American football game between the Michigan State Spartans and the Michigan Wolverines. The winner retains possession of the trophy until the next year's game...
). When asked about his early life and family in a November 2007 Detroit Free Press
Detroit Free Press
The Detroit Free Press is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, USA. The Sunday edition is entitled the Sunday Free Press. It is sometimes informally referred to as the "Freep"...
interview, Brandstatter responded: "My brother Art played at Michigan State, and he was my hero. ... I went to all the games. I got to know all the players, the team. I was just a 10-year-old kid. That was great, but when I got into high school and was playing, Michigan recruited me and I fell in love with the place. ... So I went against the grain, went to Michigan and never regretted it."
Sports career
He was an offensive tackle on the Michigan Wolverines footballMichigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
team from 1969-1971 during Coach Bo Schembechler
Bo Schembechler
Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler, Jr. was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University of Michigan from 1969 to 1989, compiling a career record of 234–65–8...
's first three seasons. Brandstatter later noted one of his favorite memories as a player came in a 1971 victory against Michigan State. Brandstatter recalled, "That was as good as it gets." He added: "Bo (Schembechler) used to say and (offensive line coach) Jerry Hanlon might say, I may have played my best game ever as a collegian in that game." Hanlon said about Brandstatter: "He got so fired up, he took over every defender that came his way." He added "It was one of the best games a tackle played for me. That particular game, he was an All-American."
Brandstatter made the All Big Ten
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
team in 1971 and played in 2 Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl Game
The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...
s, during his time with Michigan (1970 and 1972).
Television
After graduating from the University of MichiganUniversity of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in 1972, Brandstatter was hired as the sports director of WEYI-TV
WEYI-TV
WEYI-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for the Flint/Tri-Cities market that is licensed to Saginaw. The station broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 30 from a 193 kilowatt, high transmitter at its studios on West Willard Road in Vienna Township along the Genesee and...
in the Flint
Flint, Michigan
Flint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the...
/ Tri-Cities area. In 1975, Brandstatter got a job at WILX-TV
WILX-TV
WILX-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for Central Michigan. Licensed to the nearby town of Onondaga, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 10. The station can also be seen on Comcast channel 4 in Lansing, and Comcast channel 10 in East Lansing and Jackson. It can...
in the Lansing
Lansing, Michigan
Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
/ Jackson
Jackson, Michigan
Jackson is a city located along Interstate 94 in the south central area of the U.S. state of Michigan, about west of Ann Arbor and south of Lansing. It is the county seat of Jackson County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 33,534...
area. After two-and-a-half years, Brandstatter moved to Detroit and became a sports producer for WDIV.
In 1980, while working at WDIV, Brandstatter became the host of Michigan Replay, a weekly half hour discussion, interview, and highlights program about Michigan Wolverines football. It originally featured his former head coach Bo Schembechler
Bo Schembechler
Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler, Jr. was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University of Michigan from 1969 to 1989, compiling a career record of 234–65–8...
(until 1989). It later included former head coaches Gary Moeller
Gary Moeller
Gary O. Moeller is an American football coach best known for being head coach at the University of Michigan from 1990 to 1994. During his five seasons at Michigan, he won 44 games, lost 13 and tied 3 for a winning percentage of .758...
(1990–1994), Lloyd Carr
Lloyd Carr
Lloyd H. Carr is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Michigan from 1995 through the 2007 season. Under Carr, the Wolverines compiled a record of 122–40 and won or shared five Big Ten Conference titles...
(1995–2007), and Rich Rodriguez
Rich Rodriguez
Richard A. "Rich" Rodriguez is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at the University of Arizona. Rodriguez previously served as the head football coach at Salem University , Glenville State College , West Virginia University , and the University...
(2008–2010). It currently includes head coach Brady Hoke
Brady Hoke
Brady Hoke is the head football coach at the University of Michigan. He is in his first season. He grew up in Ohio and attended Ball State University where he played linebacker from 1977 to 1980...
(2011–present). In 2008, its name was changed to Inside Michigan Football (in honor of the retirement of coach Lloyd Carr
Lloyd Carr
Lloyd H. Carr is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Michigan from 1995 through the 2007 season. Under Carr, the Wolverines compiled a record of 122–40 and won or shared five Big Ten Conference titles...
). After 30 years, Brandstatter remains the original host and the show has grown from being seen only in Southeastern Michigan to available nationwide on cable and satellite.
Former show
Brandstatter formerly hosted a weekly college football radio show, called Brandy and Bo with Coach Bo Schembechler. Brandy and Bo talked with coaches previewing upcoming games and discussed issues facing collegiate football. The show ended after Schembechler's death in 2006.Current roles and programs
He can be heard analyzing his alma mater's football games on on the Michigan Wolverines Football Radio Network, a role he has served in since the mid-1980s. On the broadcasts he teams with play-by-play man Frank Beckmann and sideline reporter Doug KarschDoug Karsch
Douglas Allen Karsch, III is an American talk radio show host and Michigan Wolverines sports reporter based in Detroit, Michigan.-Education and early career:...
.
Since 1987, Brandstatter has been analyzing National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
games on the Detroit Lions Radio Network, teaming with play-by-play man Dan Miller
Dan Miller (sportscaster)
Dan Miller is an American sportscaster based in Detroit, Michigan. He currently works as the sports director and anchor on WJBK and as a radio play-by-play announcer on the Detroit Lions Radio Network.-Childhood:...
and sideline reporter Tony Ortiz
Tony Ortiz
Tony Ortiz is a sportscaster and sports talk show host for CBS Radio owned sister stations WXYT-FM, WXYT-AM and WWJ in Detroit, MI.-Education and early positions:...
.
Brandstatter also hosts the syndicated weekly Brady Hoke Radio Show, along with Doug Karsch
Doug Karsch
Douglas Allen Karsch, III is an American talk radio show host and Michigan Wolverines sports reporter based in Detroit, Michigan.-Education and early career:...
, and varying assistant coaches and players, during the college football season. It is similar to Inside Michigan Football except it is broadcast live.
He also appears on special football related radio programs such as Detroit radio station WXYT-FM's NFL Draft Day Special as a football analyst.
Other
Besides football, he has broadcast golf on the Michigan Open Golf Championship radio and television network, and was an associate producer on the 'Ameritech Showdown', the Emmy AwardEmmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
winning telecast of the state's PGA Skins game tournament.
Awards and honors
Brandstatter has twice served as the president of the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association. In 2004 and 2008, Brandstatter was named “Sportscaster of the Year in Michigan” by the National Sportscasters/Sportswriters Association. In 2006, Brandstatter was named by the DSBA as the Ty Tyson Award winner for Excellence in Sports Broadcasting in Michigan. Brandy and Bo twice won Michigan Association of Broadcasters ‘Best in Category’ honors. Michigan Replay/Inside Michigan Football has been nominated for Michigan Emmy Awards.Free-lance work
During the off-season, Brandstatter runs Jim Brandstatter, Inc., a freelance company in which he can be hired for public speaking engagements, event hosting, voice-overs and local commercials.Author
Brandstatter has written two nonfiction books about Michigan Wolverines football: Tales from Michigan Stadium (published in 2002) and Tales from Michigan Stadium: Volume II (published in 2007). Both books became bestsellers in the sports category.Personal life
Brandstatter's wife Robbie Timmons has also been in broadcasting; she recently retired as the weekday news anchor on WXYZ-TVWXYZ-TV
WXYZ-TV, channel 7, is an ABC-affiliated television station in Detroit, Michigan, USA. WXYZ-TV is owned by the E.W. Scripps Company, and is the media company's largest-market TV station property...
in Detroit, and was the first woman to anchor the evening news in America when she began her career in 1972 at WILX-TV in Lansing. They met in the mid-1970s while working together at WILX-TV
WILX-TV
WILX-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for Central Michigan. Licensed to the nearby town of Onondaga, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 10. The station can also be seen on Comcast channel 4 in Lansing, and Comcast channel 10 in East Lansing and Jackson. It can...
. Timmons graduated from Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
, Michigan's fierce arch-rival
Michigan-Ohio State rivalry
The Michigan–Ohio State football rivalry, also known as The Game, is an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Wolverines of the University of Michigan and the Buckeyes of The Ohio State University...
.