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Ted Robinson Becomes Voice of the 49ers
http://www.49ers.com/pressbox/news_detail.php?PRKey=5079
The San Francisco 49ers announced Monday that Ted Robinson will become the fifth play-by-play voice in the 63-year history of the organization. Robinson joins a prestigious group of announcers that have held the play by position including Bob Fouts (1946-62), Lon Simmons (1963-1980, 1987-88), Don Klein (1981-86) and Joe Starkey (1989-2008).
“The San Francisco 49ers enjoy a proud history as a premier football organization and are now well positioned to build upon that legacy,” Robinson said. “I am sincerely honored to be added to the short but esteemed list of distinguished announcers who played a role in bringing the 49ers accomplishments on the field to life.”
Robinson has ties to the organization, serving as the third member of the 49ers radio broadcast team in 1983 with Don Klein and Don Heinrich. He also anchored pre/post-game coverage on 49ers radio network from 1983-86 and anchored the 49ers locker room coverage after 1985 Super Bowl victory.
“We are extremely excited that Ted Robinson has rejoined the 49ers family,” said 49ers Chief Operating Officer Andy Dolich. “He has a wealth of experience at every level of broadcasting and is highly respected amongst his peers and sports fans throughout Northern California.”
Robinson has strong local ties to Bay Area fans as he worked as a radio and television announcer for the San Francisco Giants for nine seasons, as the television announcer for the Oakland Athletics for three seasons, as television announcer for the Golden State Warriors and also as radio announcer for Stanford Cardinal football.
Aside from his local broadcasting career, Robinson has been a play-by-play man for the last six Olympic Games (three Winter Olympics and three Summer Olympics). For the past 22 years, Robinson has been the main broadcaster for the USA Network's coverage of the U.S. Open. Robinson can also be heard and seen as the lead announcer of NBC's coverage of the French Open and The Championships, Wimbledon, a position that he took over in 2000 after Dick Enberg left for CBS.
Robinson has also called many other sports, including NCAA Basketball Championship for 22 years on CBS and Westwood One, Olympic sports for NBC, Westwood One broadcasts of the NFL, Notre Dame Football on SportsChannel America and Pac-10 football/studio host for Versus and Pac-10 basketball on FSN.
While his predecessor was known for his “Touchdown 49ers, What a Bonanza,” Robinson doesn’t have anything planned yet for his first touchdown call, explaining that when he tried in the past for something unique in baseball, he essentially struck out.
“I remember when I went to Minnesota to broadcast baseball, I just for some reason, thought that, ‘Wow. You’re in the Big West. You’d better have a homerun call.’ I tried one or two, and they were horrible. And, thank God I realized it fairly quickly, it was just not me,” explained Robinson. “It was the old story that no two homeruns are alike. Not every homerun is the same, and so, to have a signature call for homeruns, to me, it kind of struck me as maybe forcing something. So, I would say the same thing. Something will naturally happen in a moment of excitement, the first real dramatic 49ers touchdown that I have to call, something will blurt out and I hope that registers. I guess if you’re attracted to being a sports broadcaster it’s because you love spontaneity. You love live. That’s what attracts you to it, so, to script and rehearse something, or to pre-package something, now you’re an actor and you’re not a live sports broadcaster. And, I guess I’ve always tried to remain a live sports broadcaster because I know I’m not an actor.”
One thing he does promise 49ers listeners is that he won’t ever leave them hanging for the score.
“We’re all spoiled now, we are in an era where when we turn the TV on, there’s a score-bar that immediately tells us what the score of the game is, and now we’ve all become conditioned for that immediacy,” said Robinson. “So on radio where there is no visual, if you don’t get a score within 30 seconds, maybe 60 seconds, you start to get frustrated. You want to know what the score of the game is, so to me, that’s the technical part of radio that’s changed more because of television. You can’t get the score enough, you can’t call ball position enough, yards, down and distance. That will be foremost in my mind in the booth in Candlestick in August, on the radio people need to know what the score is, where the ball is and who has the ball and then the other things will fall in to place.”
http://www.49ers.com/pressbox/news_detail.php?PRKey=5079
The San Francisco 49ers announced Monday that Ted Robinson will become the fifth play-by-play voice in the 63-year history of the organization. Robinson joins a prestigious group of announcers that have held the play by position including Bob Fouts (1946-62), Lon Simmons (1963-1980, 1987-88), Don Klein (1981-86) and Joe Starkey (1989-2008).
“The San Francisco 49ers enjoy a proud history as a premier football organization and are now well positioned to build upon that legacy,” Robinson said. “I am sincerely honored to be added to the short but esteemed list of distinguished announcers who played a role in bringing the 49ers accomplishments on the field to life.”
Robinson has ties to the organization, serving as the third member of the 49ers radio broadcast team in 1983 with Don Klein and Don Heinrich. He also anchored pre/post-game coverage on 49ers radio network from 1983-86 and anchored the 49ers locker room coverage after 1985 Super Bowl victory.
“We are extremely excited that Ted Robinson has rejoined the 49ers family,” said 49ers Chief Operating Officer Andy Dolich. “He has a wealth of experience at every level of broadcasting and is highly respected amongst his peers and sports fans throughout Northern California.”
Robinson has strong local ties to Bay Area fans as he worked as a radio and television announcer for the San Francisco Giants for nine seasons, as the television announcer for the Oakland Athletics for three seasons, as television announcer for the Golden State Warriors and also as radio announcer for Stanford Cardinal football.
Aside from his local broadcasting career, Robinson has been a play-by-play man for the last six Olympic Games (three Winter Olympics and three Summer Olympics). For the past 22 years, Robinson has been the main broadcaster for the USA Network's coverage of the U.S. Open. Robinson can also be heard and seen as the lead announcer of NBC's coverage of the French Open and The Championships, Wimbledon, a position that he took over in 2000 after Dick Enberg left for CBS.
Robinson has also called many other sports, including NCAA Basketball Championship for 22 years on CBS and Westwood One, Olympic sports for NBC, Westwood One broadcasts of the NFL, Notre Dame Football on SportsChannel America and Pac-10 football/studio host for Versus and Pac-10 basketball on FSN.
While his predecessor was known for his “Touchdown 49ers, What a Bonanza,” Robinson doesn’t have anything planned yet for his first touchdown call, explaining that when he tried in the past for something unique in baseball, he essentially struck out.
“I remember when I went to Minnesota to broadcast baseball, I just for some reason, thought that, ‘Wow. You’re in the Big West. You’d better have a homerun call.’ I tried one or two, and they were horrible. And, thank God I realized it fairly quickly, it was just not me,” explained Robinson. “It was the old story that no two homeruns are alike. Not every homerun is the same, and so, to have a signature call for homeruns, to me, it kind of struck me as maybe forcing something. So, I would say the same thing. Something will naturally happen in a moment of excitement, the first real dramatic 49ers touchdown that I have to call, something will blurt out and I hope that registers. I guess if you’re attracted to being a sports broadcaster it’s because you love spontaneity. You love live. That’s what attracts you to it, so, to script and rehearse something, or to pre-package something, now you’re an actor and you’re not a live sports broadcaster. And, I guess I’ve always tried to remain a live sports broadcaster because I know I’m not an actor.”
One thing he does promise 49ers listeners is that he won’t ever leave them hanging for the score.
“We’re all spoiled now, we are in an era where when we turn the TV on, there’s a score-bar that immediately tells us what the score of the game is, and now we’ve all become conditioned for that immediacy,” said Robinson. “So on radio where there is no visual, if you don’t get a score within 30 seconds, maybe 60 seconds, you start to get frustrated. You want to know what the score of the game is, so to me, that’s the technical part of radio that’s changed more because of television. You can’t get the score enough, you can’t call ball position enough, yards, down and distance. That will be foremost in my mind in the booth in Candlestick in August, on the radio people need to know what the score is, where the ball is and who has the ball and then the other things will fall in to place.”
Killion: Time for 49ers to bring Rathman home
http://www.mercurynews.com/49ersheadlines/49ers/ci_11382435
Coach Mike Singletary is probably too busy this week to pay attention to my entry in his suggestion box.
But here it is anyway:
Hire Tom Rathman.
As offensive coordinator? Perhaps. Though the concept of a rookie O.C. and a rookie head coach concerns me, Rathman has paid his dues. If not coordinator, how about as a running-backs coach with some added juice — like the ever-popular assistant head coach title?
Whatever it takes, find a way to get Rathman back in the 49ers fold.
Right now Rathman is in limbo — still under contract with the Raiders until next week but guaranteed of nothing. The 2008 rumor mill has had him heading to Seattle to join Jim Mora's staff with Greg Knapp — but that hasn't officially happened yet.
So the 49ers should act quickly. Because Rathman is a perfect fit for the Singletary era: smashmouth football firmly rooted in Bill Walsh's legacy.
Last week — after Singletary fired offensive coordinator Mike Martz and running-backs coach Tony Nathan — he outlined his offensive plans. Singletary said he was looking for a style "that used to be here when Coach Bill Walsh was here, but in a different mindset. I want to have the ability to know that I can impose my will on the defense."
When he said that, the image of No. 44 barreling into the end zone popped into my head.
Rathman has quietly been one of the most successful running-backs coaches in the league.
He has been an NFL assistant for 11 years — which means he's probably more than ready to make the leap to offensive coordinator. More so than a lot of the young self-promoting pups who are getting buzz.
Self-promotion has never been his strong suit. As a player, Rathman was out of the John Taylor school — he let his actions do the talking.
And as an assistant coach, his actions speak volumes. When he was with the 49ers from 1997 to 2002, his unit led the league in rushing twice and finished second once. In two years with the Raiders, the rushing attack has been one of the few bright spots: sixth in the league last year and 10th this season. (We'll ignore his three years in Detroit because, well, it was the Lions.) Last season, he helped transform Justin Fargas from afterthought to primary focus.
"I've learned so much from him," Fargas said last year. "He's constantly coaching the small details of the game, the reads and protections, protecting the ball."
Not surprisingly — given his own background — Rathman's runners are also solid blockers, good at picking up the blitz and they don't fumble a lot.
Of course, the most important thing in Rathman's favor is that he's part of the 49ers legacy. He played for Walsh and George Seifert. He worked alongside Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and Roger Craig. He coached side by side with Bobb McKittrick in the offensive-line guru's final years.
He knows what it means to be a 49er, how much hard work went into those great teams, how much pride was instilled. It's a connection that has been largely lost in the York era. It's an intangible that couldn't be provided by Jim Fassel or Scott Linehan.
He's one of the few from the 49ers dynasty who has chosen coaching. When he retired after the 1994 season, he paid his dues at Serra High and Menlo College before coming to work for Steve Mariucci. He is highly regarded around the league and will definitely have options.
But he should be back in the 49ers fold. If Singletary gives him a call this week, they can celebrate the 20th anniversary of when the two men met over the line of scrimmage in the NFC championship game at Soldiers Field.
In the 26-below weather, the Bears were predicted to destroy the finesse 49ers. Instead, it was a 28-3 49ers romp.
And Rathman — who had to pick up a blitzing Singletary a time or two that day — reminded observers of just who the 49ers were back then.
"There's no doubt it used to be a finesse passing team," Rathman said. "But this is a power offense."
That's exactly what Singletary is dreaming of. Time for Rathman to come home.
http://www.mercurynews.com/49ersheadlines/49ers/ci_11382435
Coach Mike Singletary is probably too busy this week to pay attention to my entry in his suggestion box.
But here it is anyway:
Hire Tom Rathman.
As offensive coordinator? Perhaps. Though the concept of a rookie O.C. and a rookie head coach concerns me, Rathman has paid his dues. If not coordinator, how about as a running-backs coach with some added juice — like the ever-popular assistant head coach title?
Whatever it takes, find a way to get Rathman back in the 49ers fold.
Right now Rathman is in limbo — still under contract with the Raiders until next week but guaranteed of nothing. The 2008 rumor mill has had him heading to Seattle to join Jim Mora's staff with Greg Knapp — but that hasn't officially happened yet.
So the 49ers should act quickly. Because Rathman is a perfect fit for the Singletary era: smashmouth football firmly rooted in Bill Walsh's legacy.
Last week — after Singletary fired offensive coordinator Mike Martz and running-backs coach Tony Nathan — he outlined his offensive plans. Singletary said he was looking for a style "that used to be here when Coach Bill Walsh was here, but in a different mindset. I want to have the ability to know that I can impose my will on the defense."
When he said that, the image of No. 44 barreling into the end zone popped into my head.
Rathman has quietly been one of the most successful running-backs coaches in the league.
He has been an NFL assistant for 11 years — which means he's probably more than ready to make the leap to offensive coordinator. More so than a lot of the young self-promoting pups who are getting buzz.
Self-promotion has never been his strong suit. As a player, Rathman was out of the John Taylor school — he let his actions do the talking.
And as an assistant coach, his actions speak volumes. When he was with the 49ers from 1997 to 2002, his unit led the league in rushing twice and finished second once. In two years with the Raiders, the rushing attack has been one of the few bright spots: sixth in the league last year and 10th this season. (We'll ignore his three years in Detroit because, well, it was the Lions.) Last season, he helped transform Justin Fargas from afterthought to primary focus.
"I've learned so much from him," Fargas said last year. "He's constantly coaching the small details of the game, the reads and protections, protecting the ball."
Not surprisingly — given his own background — Rathman's runners are also solid blockers, good at picking up the blitz and they don't fumble a lot.
Of course, the most important thing in Rathman's favor is that he's part of the 49ers legacy. He played for Walsh and George Seifert. He worked alongside Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and Roger Craig. He coached side by side with Bobb McKittrick in the offensive-line guru's final years.
He knows what it means to be a 49er, how much hard work went into those great teams, how much pride was instilled. It's a connection that has been largely lost in the York era. It's an intangible that couldn't be provided by Jim Fassel or Scott Linehan.
He's one of the few from the 49ers dynasty who has chosen coaching. When he retired after the 1994 season, he paid his dues at Serra High and Menlo College before coming to work for Steve Mariucci. He is highly regarded around the league and will definitely have options.
But he should be back in the 49ers fold. If Singletary gives him a call this week, they can celebrate the 20th anniversary of when the two men met over the line of scrimmage in the NFC championship game at Soldiers Field.
In the 26-below weather, the Bears were predicted to destroy the finesse 49ers. Instead, it was a 28-3 49ers romp.
And Rathman — who had to pick up a blitzing Singletary a time or two that day — reminded observers of just who the 49ers were back then.
"There's no doubt it used to be a finesse passing team," Rathman said. "But this is a power offense."
That's exactly what Singletary is dreaming of. Time for Rathman to come home.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame released their latest trimmed down list of finalists, this time to 17, and unfortunately 49ers RB Roger Craig didn’t make the latest round of cuts.
A few players who spent some time in a 49ers uniform did make the list however, including Richard Dent, Bob Hayes, and Rod Woodson, who is a first-year eligible player for the Hall.
A few players who spent some time in a 49ers uniform did make the list however, including Richard Dent, Bob Hayes, and Rod Woodson, who is a first-year eligible player for the Hall.
Rathman Interviewed for RB Coach
http://49ers.com/blog49/?p=394
Tom Rathman met today with head coach Mike Singletary and general manager Scot McCloughan to discuss the open running backs coach position with the 49ers, a position he held the last two years with the Oakland Raiders.
Rathman has both coaching and playing ties with the 49ers, having helped San Francisco capture two World Championships (Super Bowl XXIII and XXIV) and seven NFC West titles, prior to serving as the team’s running backs coach from 1997-2002.
There is nothing to report at this time in terms of a contract, but I’m told the meetings went very well.
There are also no scheduled interviews today for the offensive coordinator vacancy
http://49ers.com/blog49/?p=394
Tom Rathman met today with head coach Mike Singletary and general manager Scot McCloughan to discuss the open running backs coach position with the 49ers, a position he held the last two years with the Oakland Raiders.
Rathman has both coaching and playing ties with the 49ers, having helped San Francisco capture two World Championships (Super Bowl XXIII and XXIV) and seven NFC West titles, prior to serving as the team’s running backs coach from 1997-2002.
There is nothing to report at this time in terms of a contract, but I’m told the meetings went very well.
There are also no scheduled interviews today for the offensive coordinator vacancy
Lets go ahead and bring in Jeff Jagodzinski as our OC (former Boston College HC). BC ran a pro style offense and Jagodzinski worked with ROY Matt Ryan. If he were to be hired, I would see him sticking around for a awhile until a Head Coaching position becomes available for him. He would definitely need to prove himself again that he is capable of running an NFL team.
Your thoughts?
Your thoughts?
Yup
49ers hire Rathman to coach running backs
http://www.mercurynews.com/49ersheadlines/49ers/ci_11400881
A new era of 49ers football will get help from a familiar name.
Tom Rathman, a fullback during the team's dynasty years, will return to the 49ers as running-backs coach. He agreed to terms on a deal Wednesday, just hours after interviewing with General Manager Scot McCloughan and Coach Mike Singletary.
"Our conversation was very to the point," Rathman said. "(Singletary) knows what his vision has to be ... you have to be able to run the football."
The team's offensive-coordinator position remains vacant and there have been no interviews to date. Singletary has indicated he wants to emphasize the running game, a philosophy he underscored with his first hire as a head coach.
Rathman, 46, was a versatile and hard-nosed runner for the 49ers in 1986-93, often paving the way for running back Roger Craig. Rathman's best season came in 1989, when he amassed 921 yards from scrimmage (305 rushing, 616 receiving).
Rathman worked in the organization as running-backs coach in 1997-2002. The 49ers finished in the NFL's top 10 for rushing offense five times during his six seasons and had five 1,000-yard rushers.
Rathman followed Coach Steve Mariucci to Detroit, where the running game lagged. The woeful Lions never ranked higher than 19th in the NFL in rushing yards during their 2003-05 tenure.
Rathman had better luck during the past two seasons with the Raiders, who finished sixth in NFL rushing offense in 2007 and 10th in 2008.
Because his contract in Oakland expired, the 49ers did not need permission from the Raiders to interview Rathman. But a club spokesman said the team alerted the Raiders to the interview as a courtesy.
Rathman replaces Tony Nathan, who was fired shortly after the season along with offensive coordinator Mike Martz and quarterbacks coach Ted Tollner.
Rathman's name surfaced quickly as a possible addition to Singletary's staff. The Grand Island, Neb., native was a popular member of the 49ers during his playing days. Rathman won two Super Bowls during his career, and scored two touchdowns in Super Bowl XXIV.
49ers hire Rathman to coach running backs
http://www.mercurynews.com/49ersheadlines/49ers/ci_11400881
A new era of 49ers football will get help from a familiar name.
Tom Rathman, a fullback during the team's dynasty years, will return to the 49ers as running-backs coach. He agreed to terms on a deal Wednesday, just hours after interviewing with General Manager Scot McCloughan and Coach Mike Singletary.
"Our conversation was very to the point," Rathman said. "(Singletary) knows what his vision has to be ... you have to be able to run the football."
The team's offensive-coordinator position remains vacant and there have been no interviews to date. Singletary has indicated he wants to emphasize the running game, a philosophy he underscored with his first hire as a head coach.
Rathman, 46, was a versatile and hard-nosed runner for the 49ers in 1986-93, often paving the way for running back Roger Craig. Rathman's best season came in 1989, when he amassed 921 yards from scrimmage (305 rushing, 616 receiving).
Rathman worked in the organization as running-backs coach in 1997-2002. The 49ers finished in the NFL's top 10 for rushing offense five times during his six seasons and had five 1,000-yard rushers.
Rathman followed Coach Steve Mariucci to Detroit, where the running game lagged. The woeful Lions never ranked higher than 19th in the NFL in rushing yards during their 2003-05 tenure.
Rathman had better luck during the past two seasons with the Raiders, who finished sixth in NFL rushing offense in 2007 and 10th in 2008.
Because his contract in Oakland expired, the 49ers did not need permission from the Raiders to interview Rathman. But a club spokesman said the team alerted the Raiders to the interview as a courtesy.
Rathman replaces Tony Nathan, who was fired shortly after the season along with offensive coordinator Mike Martz and quarterbacks coach Ted Tollner.
Rathman's name surfaced quickly as a possible addition to Singletary's staff. The Grand Island, Neb., native was a popular member of the 49ers during his playing days. Rathman won two Super Bowls during his career, and scored two touchdowns in Super Bowl XXIV.