Ah, reminiscing again. I try to live in the present, but sometimes you can’t help but go back. I take you now, in the wayback machine, to the days when the entire state would be gripped in basketball tournament fever, and radio and tv play-by-play descriptions were followed with great interest. Popular intensity, since then, has moderated somewhat.
Today my long-time doctor texted me a yellowed newspaper clipping of a ballgame in 1982. He had a younger brother playing in the game, and they still treasure the memories. I was writing occasionally for the Chaska paper back then. Lots of fun for the town, as they pressed forward with a winning team. Here’s my account of the hilarity added to it by one classic small-town radio play-by play icon.
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Wednesday, March 24, 1982 – the Carver County Herald
Thursday’s game could be his last hurrah
Just when you thought there was no room left for one more star on the Chaska basketball scene, just when you thought nothing could be added to the excitement of Saturdays overtime victory—KSMM plays the Jonckowski tapes.
Some of us are still shaking.
The Jonckowski tapes, for the benefit of the timid who never wander far from WCCO-AM, are the play-by-play reports of the Hawks games on KSMM radio, Shakopee. KSMM is not allowed to broadcast after dark, so they can’t carry live night games. Undaunted, the station plays back a recording of the game a day later, and after you already know the outcome and the score.
Sound dull? Not when you’ve got a game for a state tournament berth, and you rarely get more than a two-point lead… And Dick Jonckowski is screaming out the play-by-play.
Now a word about our announcer. Dick is not your average plaid-slacked, mellow-voiced radio announcer. First, and above all, he is a homer. He’s a sports fanatic, his Shakopee man-cave houses a trove of memorabilia.
For a time he was banned from the sidelines of the Minnesota Vikings football field, by none other than the Great Bud Grant himself, who thought The Junker was just hot-dogging too much in his job as stadium usher. Bud, like many of us, just didn’t understand him.
Never a doubt about Dick‘s loyalties.
Dick Jonckowski’s abiding dream is to broadcast a state tournament game. How do I know this? Because he told everybody, between gasps, during Sunday’s broadcast. No one was surprised, just concerned that his heart will hold out long enough. When he excitedly dropped the microphone during the final seconds of regulation play this week, and all we heard was seconds of suspenseful dead air, well, some of us thought it might have been the Big One for ol’ Dick this time.
The tape is a classic. The whole town is talking about it. Neighbors are bringing it from house to house. Mrs. Young’s Third grade class listened to highlights. Dieters use it as a sweat aid.
In case you have missed it, we’ve written down some highlights for you here. It loses something in the transcription, of course, you must read it with intensity.
He cheers:
“Come on Chaska, let’s go! You’re going to have to start rolling. I had a dream that this would happen, but I really didn’t think it would. (The score is 6–0).
“All right, come on now, here we go, Hawkers!” (6-6)
He coaches:
“Hurry, Whitey! Can’t get it across, He’s going to be called for 10 seconds. No! Just barely made it.
“They’ve got to do something about the big guy. I believe if they put Preiss down low, they could get more baskets. They should be able to get a few chipping in, nice shots.” (32-31)
He’s candid:
“I don’t know if anybody thought the game would be this close. I was sure hoping it wouldn’t be. Chaska, 45–44, in a game that has me almost in a nervous breakdown.”
He didn’t like the officiating:
“Oh, no! They called it for an elbow. I don’t know where they’re seeing these fouls. I can’t believe this, I don’t believe some of the calls. I don’t understand it.
"Now they called charging! Come on, I’m sick and tired of this officiating. That’s the fourth on Lommen and Ronnie has been making all the calls. I can’t believe some of these calls.”
It was the final 25 seconds of play that just about did Dick in. Spectators reported seeing Jonckowski throwing his earphones and disappearing from view in his booth, then jumping up and down in his bright red shirt.
We pick up the play-by-play in progress. It’s loud and intense.
“Pass-in to Lommen with 25 seconds. Preiss up the floor to Dalhke. Dalhke holds it. Gives it to Lano. Oh, Lano was fouled twice, three times, and now he throws it out of bounds. They rule it was last touched by Chaska! They rule that Chaska touched it last! Lano threw the ball and thought it was deflected out by Fairmont, but they rule that Chaska touched it last!
“So they ruled that Lano last touched it, so Fairmont has a shot at the last chance for the last shot. -- Rosenberg, 29-footer, no good! Rebound, no time left on the clock, 8-foot shot, no good, that’s the game! Oh, a called. . . . .
(At this point, there is an unintelligible muffled word, emanating from the announcer’s booth. We won’t speculate.)
“I can’t. I think he called a foul! I think he called a foul with one second left. They’re calling a foul with one second left on the clock. That ball was just loose. You couldn’t tell who had it, you couldn’t tell who had the ball, either way you couldn’t tell who had it, just an unbelievable call, just typical of the way the whole game is gone with these officials.”
“ Oldencamp shooting for Fairmont. Free throw. If he misses it’s overtime or if he makes, a loss for Chaska. Either one, on a very questionable last second call, very questionable last second call and Chaska wants a time out.”
Mercifully, we break for a commercial.
“At the Line is Oldencamp to shoot another.”
(At this point there is a microphone clunk. A full five seconds of silence elapses, leaving us to wonder if Oldencamp wins it for Fairmont or what? Then, gratefully, Dick is back)
“…..over. Oldencamp at the, there’s only one second left. If he makes it, it’s over. Here’s his free-throw, it’s up, it’s no good. Overtime! Overtime! He missed it! Oldencamp choked. He choked. He choked, and we have overtime!”
Will he live long enough for state?
In deference to your blood pressure and our space, we’re withholding the play-by-play during the three minute overtime. Suffice to say that Jonckowski worked himself into a lather, reaching new heights of excitement. We pick it up at the end of overtime:
“It’s Chaska‘s ball and they win. Chaska wins another state tournament berth. Another state tournament berth for the Chaska Hawks. Oh, my God, unbelievable. Fairmont loses. They lose it. Chaska wins it”.
(Now we hear a gasping, and the ominous sound of deep breaths blowing across the top of the microphone.)
“Oh, I’m out of breath. (Gasp). I can hardly talk. Oh, I’m out of breath. Unbelievable win. Unbelievable win for the Chaska Hawks. (Gasp). Fantastic. I can’t believe it. I just hope I live long enough to go to the state tournament, unbelievable, oh I can’t believe this. This is fantastic. It might be the biggest thrill I’ve ever had because I’ve always wanted Chaska to go back to the state so bad, so I could be there. (Gasp). Unbelievable and the fans are on the floor, they’re going crazy. And I’ll try and be back with a wrap up.
“Holy man, I just can’t believe it. I’m just exhausted. “
We were too, Dick. Good luck now in the state tournament and Thursday’s afternoon live broadcast. Thanks for backing the Hawks, but take care of yourself.
Please folks. Pray that the Chaska Hawks take an early 10-point lead and then hold it.
It could save a life.
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Forty-two years later, this is still one of life’s precious moments for me, the doctor and his brother, who won a berth that year in Minnesota’s Big Show.
It’s okay to reminisce.
