Acknowledge Your Influences: Jim Irwin

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"I'm Jim Irwin...and that's a viewpoint."

My parents grew up in the 1920's during the during the "golden age of radio" before TV was the dominant form of entertainment and well before the Internet was conceived. As kids my sisters and brothers and I awoke to the sounds of WTMJ radio as our parents went about getting ready (or us ready) for the day. Sports, news, "Beautiful Music" with Gordon Hinkley or "Sunday Dance Bands" with Jack Baker were commonly played, but the voice most often heard was that of sportscasting legend Jim Irwin.

  

For years when I lived at home as a kid I would make sure I listened to the sports at 7:45am. After that Jim Irwin gave his "viewpoint." It was a three to five minute segment where Jim Irwin would talk about lots of different subjects, but mostly how sports impacted daily life or the societal commentary made or reflected by sports. Sometimes these opinion pieces were funny. Sometimes they were critical. They were always honest and they were always interesting. At the end Jim Irwin would always say "I'm Jim Irwin...and that's a viewpoint." When I heard that I knew it was time to get out the door and go to school. Hearing his viewpoint became a morning tradition for me and mornings weren't quite the same when there was a different announcer doing sports that morning and there was no viewpoint.

Growing up liking sports and loving radio I listened to all the Wisconsin Badger football and basketball, Milwaukee Bucks basketball, Milwaukee Brewers baseball (when Bob Uecker was filming his TV show "Mr. Belvedere" Jim Irwin sometimes filled in), and of course Green Bay Packer football. All of them had Jim Irwin as the play-by-play announcer. He wasn't always the rowdiest, funniest, announcer. What he did have was an intensity to his voice and delivery that made every play seem like it could be the most exciting play of the game. He was a consummate professional and yet had a comforting style that made you enjoy the game, to really "see it" in your minds eye. Appreciate it more if you were one of millions who turned the sound down on TV to listen to Jim Irwin, especially Packers games when he announced with Max McGee. He gave a local flavor and history that was so enjoyable to listen to. It was fun to hear him talk to long time listeners that sent him notes to talk about during the game (he even mentioned my brother and sister-in-law  twice when on two occasions their bakery delivered home made bread to Jim and Max in the broadcast booth).

Radio is one media that is deeply personalized. It connects with us in very personal ways and becomes a part of our lives. Radio is still the best media for local news, traffic, weather, sports, and entertainment. Radio provides the opportunity for the announcer and listener to connect in a personnel way. It might be through playing a song that sparks a great memory, the excitement of a great sports game, and there is still a thrill from hearing the announcer saying your name on the radio.  

I later spent 15 years in radio in one position or another. I never met Jim Irwin, except through the radio, yet I'm convinced he had a positive influence on my decision to get into radio, and why to this day I love the medium. I was very sad when I learned of his death. The sucky thing about getting older is hearing when your influences die. I never met you Mr. Irwin, but I wanted to acknowledge and thank you in some way for the influence and years of entertainment you provided for myself and millions of others. In this digital age where people share and download their music, podcasting has replaced traditional radio stations, and advertisers You were a classy, professional person who brought joy to millions. Looking back on life, not many of us can say we accomplished something better than that.

I hope Mr. Irwin you'll appreciate the spirit in which I borrow your catch phrase to end this column because I think my last statement sums up your life best.

I'm Everet Kamikawa...and that's a viewpoint.

Story from Fox 11