MILWAUKEE — We celebrate the career of one of the good guys in the media business. Brian Manthey is retiring from We Energies, but well before that, and when I first got to town, he worked with and was the voice of the Admirals.
But his crowning achievement was the Badgers play by play voice for the 1993 Rose Bowl on January 1, 1994. What I like to call the spark of Wisconsin's sports renaissance and rise to prominence and respectability.
Just before the Packers and others got better. When people in this state were starving for a winner.
"They'll stretch the play. Give it to Moss, Moss cuts up the middle. Moss bounces into the end zone! Brent Moss with his first Rose Bowl touchdown and the Badgers have taken the lead, 6-3."
"When I think back about the WTMJ days, certainly was the Rose Bowl years, such a highlight," former Badgers play by play announcer Brian Manthey says. "And being able to broadcast that Rose Bowl game, the first time they went in 31 years. And to get the win was certainly phenomenal."
"We still wait for the signal, touchdown! He's got six more!" Manthey says.
"But I certainly think back to all the great people that I worked with at WTMJ, and people that are still there as part of either the TV or radio side. Certainly, Gene Mueller was a good friend and someone that we certainly went back and forth, talked sports with every morning. Lance Allan who's still there. Certainly, a lot of great people that I worked with over the years."
As well as his other sports team he was associated with the Admirals.
"I had two different stints with the Admirals. And people like Phil Wittliff, and Mike Wojciechowski. Wojo down there, and certainly Jon Greenberg who's now the President there," Manthey says.
A great voice. But a well earned and deserved retirement, congrats Brian!
