Frank Herzog was not satisfied in 1975 with having landed the Washington Bullets PBP announcer position.
This is the third installment in our Commanders Wire feature on Washington broadcast legend Frank Herzog.
Herzog didn’t merely want the job; he wanted to do the job well. So, WTOP agreed to send Herzog to the NBA Officials Training Camp in Queens, NY at the Roberto Clemente State Park in the Bronx.
“I listened to the officials, asked questions about fouls and infractions, the charge call. I listened and learned so that by the time I did my first Bullets game (the 1975-76 season opener), I felt like I was better prepared for it.”
The Bullets were a winning franchise; the only NBA team to make the playoffs every season during the 70s. They had even been to the NBA Finals twice, losing in 1970-71 and 1974-75. Frank had landed a great broadcasting opportunity.
Frank was working his third consecutive season as PBP announcer for the Bullets, (1977-78) when the team, for the third time in the decade, made the NBA Finals.
Washington and Seattle were tied at 3 games apiece, but the final game would be played in Seattle. The Bullets led the SuperSonics by 13 after three quarters. But when Washington all-star Elvin Hayes fouled out with 8:05 remaining, the Sonics, down 11, found life, whittling the Bullets lead down to 2 in the last minute.
Wes Unseld sank two free throws putting the Bullets up 4, and when the Sonics missed, Herzog’s understandably excited call in that magical moment was, “Unseld the long rebound. Shuffles to Dandridge. The Bullets are going to win! For the first time in 36 years, Washington DC has a major sports, World Champion!”
What a great thrill to celebrate the Bullets World Championship with the man who cue’d The Fat Lady to sing, radio pxp voice Frank Herzog!@WashWizards @NBCSWashington #DCFamily pic.twitter.com/jRtoXIIwmH
— Steve Buckhantz (@SteveBuckhantz) March 25, 2018
Frank had done NBA PBP for three seasons, the Bullets won the NBA championship, and Herzog couldn’t wait to get back for his fourth season.
Jim Snyder at WTOP TV 9 had different ideas when he approached Herzog about returning to WTOP TV9. Frank responded that the Bullets had just won it all. He was planning on returning for the next season.
To Herzog’s surprise, Snyder replied that yes, the Bullets had won it all, and yes, Frank had broadcast an NBA championship. However, now would be a good time for him to move to something else.
WTOP TV had hired Glenn Brenner, and Snyder was looking for someone to be Brenner’s reliable backup and the lead sports reporter for TV 9. He felt Herzog was the man for the job. “Jim Snyder was my guiding light; the most important force I ever had in broadcasting.”
In addition to backing up Brenner and reporting on the Bullets, Redskins, Caps and Terps, Herzog would still manage to do some PBP announcing on WTOP broadcasts of Maryland basketball. He worked some games with James Brown, some with Sonny Jurgensen.
“We were actually the first televised college basketball game in the history of the Air Force Academy. We had to lay down the cables and everything else.”
Just six months after broadcasting the Bullets NBA championship, Frank and his wife Sharon were attending the WTOP Christmas Party at the Shoreham Hotel in DC. Herzog learned that coincidentally that same night WMAL radio was holding their Christmas party in an adjoining ball room.
“I had met and knew some of the folks at WMAL. So, we went over there and I met and introduced my wife to WMAL GM Andy Ockershausen. I simply mentioned that if anything would ever come open for the PBP announcer of the Redskins radio broadcast, I was interested and would love to come and interview.”
“Bam! Two months later, Dan Lovett suddenly retired from sports anchor at TV7 and as PBP announcer for the Redskins and moved out to California.”
“I went down to WMAL, knocked on Andy’s door, and asked if he remembered our conversation. He had. I interviewed for the job and was hired.”
Frank Herzog had become the voice of the champion Washington Bullets. In addition, he would be the next PBP announcer for the Washington Redskins.