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| Jim Zabel |
Jim Zabel, the broadcasting legend whose hyperbolic
descriptions of University of Iowa sports teams entertained radio listeners for
more than half a century, died Thursday at his Scottsdale , Ariz.
He was 91.
His wife, Jill, confirmed the news. “He loved everybody, and his world was Iowa and the Iowa
Hawkeyes,” she told the Register.
She said Jim was working in his office, preparing for his
Sunday evening radio show, “Two Guys Named Jim,” which airs on WHO radio in Des Moines .
In a career spanning nearly seven decades at WHO radio in Des Moines , Zabel was the
colorful play-by-play voice for more than 6,100 sporting events, including six
Rose Bowls, 26 NCAA basketball tournaments and several runnings of the Drake
Relays.
He once ran a footrace against Jesse Owens, followed Ronald
Reagan as WHO’s sports director and hosted the longest-running bowling show in
television history.
But Zabel was best known for his cries of “I love it! I love
it! I love it!” that punctuated climactic moments during Hawkeye football and
basketball games. “Hug and kiss those radios, folks,” he implored fans when his
beloved Hawkeyes faced a dramatic turning point. “Man-oh-man-oh-man,” he
groaned when critical fumbles or rim-clanking foul shots put a game out of
reach.
“If you want to know what to put on my tombstone,” Zabel
said in 1994, “just three words: I HAD FUN.”
In addition to his radio work, Zabel was the sports anchor
for WHO-TV for many years. He hosted dozens of televised coach’s shows, as well
as “Beat the Bear” and “Let’s Go Bowling,” which ran for more than 30 years. He
was proud of his seven-days-a-week work schedule.
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