RIP Ray Christensen - Share Your Most Memorable Call by the Golden Voice!

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RIP Ray Christensen. I have too many memories of him to put in one forum thread.

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We recently had a thread started related to when you became a Gopher fan. If I can go back to my earliest memories of the Gophers it's listening to Ray Christensen do Gopher football games in the 80's. Not many games were on TV back then and we didn't have cable (not sure if that would have helped) so radio was where I grew to love Gopher football. A huge part of that was how Ray broadcast the games.

Rest in peace, Ray!
 

Ray and Herb Carneal were my two favorites. Both guys had a lot of class and Ray was probably a little more excitable.
I used to look forward to the Gopher basketball nights as it would make farm chores actually fun.
 

GopherHoleDigger said:
Listening to Ray call football games in the fall brings me back to hanging out and hunting with my Dad. We would listen to the games in his crappy old beat up truck, eat sandwiches my Mom made, and listen to Ray on the radio. He was awesome, so much so we wouldn't get back to hunting until the game was over. Great memories, makes me miss my father and now Ray. RIP Mr. Christensen. Thank you for being such a wonderful part of my life!
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Same for me. Many Saturday afternoons in Northern Minnesota grouse hunting with my late father... listening in the truck while having a snack, or moving from one spot to another. My Dad was a big college football and Gopher football fan. I recall most vividly the 16-0 win over Michigan...my Dad was going nuts.

Another game I recall, I was driving across central Wisconsin with my now adult son... Minnesota trying to hold a late lead vs Michigan State (they lost, late)... we were 300 + miles east of the Twin Cities on Hwy 60.... 'CCO was fading badly, and in desperation, we pulled through the ditch at a point of somewhat higher elevation, parked in the edge of a cornfield and listened to the 4th quarter. It is a good father/son memory.
 


Iceland12 said:
Pity that you just did...
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I actually remember something similar, but recall it as "will somebody please tackle him?"--Can't remember the details, but has to be 30 years ago at least.

I lived outside the Metro growing up, but the 50,000 watt blow torch of CCO was on every Fall Saturday at our house.
 

I remember one of Clem's teams getting handled at Carver Hawkeye. Ray scolded the Iowa fans for showing their "inferior intelligence" by how they were mocking the Gophers. Later that same season, the Gophers throttled Iowa at Williams arena much to the dismay of Dr. Tom Davis. I can still here Ray. "Sit down Dr. Tom Davis and quit complaining!"


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Here is an extensive Q&A with Ray that we did a number of years ago.

http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/93518?referrer_id=388419

Where Are They Now?

His career spanned more than five decades and included 510 Gopher football games and 1,309 Gopher basketball games. He announced legendary Gopher football players such as Bobby Bell, Sandy Stephens, and Carl Eller as well as Gopher hoopsters Lou Hudson, Jim Brewer, and Kevin McHale.

For some, Ray Christensen epitomizes Gopher sports history, as he has been as much a part of the Gopher athletic department over a 50-year period as anyone. While Goldy the Gopher himself has gone through some changes, and Williams Arena was renovated and Memorial Stadium demolished, one thing stayed constant from 1951-2001 "“ Christensen was the voice of Gopher sports and, in turn, touched many generations of Gopher fans all-the-while announcing many of the greatest moments in Gopher sports history.

After his duty in the Army during World War II, Christensen began his radio career on May 1, 1946 when he began with the Radio Guild for KUOM, the University of Minnesota's campus radio station. While beginning his broadcast career, he was also attending the 'U' to study broadcasting, so he could "œlearn to do what he was already doing."￾

A 1949 graduate of the University of Minnesota, Christensen was always a big sports fan and often spent hours memorizing statistics in the Sunday Peach Section of the Star Tribune. With KUOM serving as the "œHome to the Gophers"￾, Christensen hoped to utilize his passion for the Gophers and his improving radio broadcast career as the voice of the Gophers. Heading into to the 1951 season, Christensen hoped to be the play-by-play announcer of the Gopher football team, and not until the Monday before the season opener versus Washington did Christensen learn that he would be the "œVoice of the Gophers."￾ Five years later, Christensen added Gopher basketball to his plate, which he went on to announce for 45 years.

Christensen's legendary career includes inductions into the Gopher Athletic Hall of Fame as well as the College Football Hall of Fame. In addition, the Gopher athletic department honored him in his final basketball season with "œRay Christensen Night"￾, where his likeness now hangs from The Barn's rafters with the likes of Hudson, McHale, Brewer, and Mychal Thompson.

Christensen's final football season was the 2000 campaign, and his last basketball season was the 2000-01 season. A few significant statistics that put his legendary career in perspective:
Eight Gopher football and nine Gopher basketball coaches went through the program during Christensen's tenure
His 510 football games equals 30,600 regulation minutes
His 1,309 basketball games equals 52,360 regulation minutes
Ten United States presidents served our country during the Christensen era
Still a passionate Gopher sports fan, Christensen recently took time out of his summer to chat with GopherHole.com about his legendary career, announcing the 1972 brawl versus Ohio State, his thoughts on the greatest Gophers to pass through during his tenure, and what the 'U' means to him and his family.

GH.com: What do you remember about your first Gopher football game?

Ray Christensen: I really wanted to do the play-by-play for the Gopher football team, and I really worked hard in preparing for my auditions prior to the season. The week leading up to the season opener I still did not know if I received the job, so I called the secretary for Ike Armstrong, who was the Athletic Director for the Gophers at the time, and she told me I had the job.

My first year I did not get paid, but I did get $2.50 per meal on the road. The second year they paid me $25 per game.

Heading into that first game I was very nervous but excited. My friends and family all listened to that first broadcast, and they told me I did a great job. They probably would have told me that regardless of how I did though, but it was a lot of fun.

GH.com: What type of broadcast work did you do besides your work with the Gophers?

Christensen: Initially I did the Radio Guild for KUOM. As my career progressed, I also conducted a series of interviews with prominent Minnesotans from all walks of life as well as over 1,000 newscasts. I usually had at least one partner in my football broadcasts and was always a one-man operation in basketball.

GH.com: Did you have any mentors or role models that you tried to emulate in your broadcasting work?

Christensen: I did not have a specific person that I tried to copy, but I have always enjoyed listening to different announcers in every sport. It's a lot of fun to hear how they word phrases or emphasize different aspects of sport.

GH.com: Are you able to listen to the current WCCO Gopher announcing teams?

Christensen: Oh yes, I have heard them quite a bit. I really like what Dave Lee brings to the table, and Kevin Lynch is also doing a great job. It's always fun to have a former athlete on the radio.

GH.com: How was it for you to announce the Rose Bowl?

Christensen: Unfortunately I was not able to announce the Gophers in the Rose Bowl. At that time, WCCO had the local broadcast rights to the Rose Bowl and the Gophers were on WLOL, so the national broadcast was picked up here in Minnesota. That would have been fun to do. I did get to announce quite a few Gopher bowl games through the years and obviously announced the Final Four in 1997.

GH.com: What was your most memorable Gopher football game to announce?

Christensen: I think the two that stick out more than any other are the last second wins at Michigan in 1986 and the Penn State win at Happy Valley. The Michigan win was incredible, as they were first or second in the nation at the time, and we absolutely shocked them. I have never heard 100,000+ fans so silent. Rickey Foggie's run to set up Chip Lohmiller was so much fun to announce, and then Chip nailed the kick and the stadium sat silent. The Penn State win was such a big win for Coach Mason and the program. When Arland Bruce caught that lucky break, my blood pressure went through the roof, and then Dan Nystrom hit it through the uprights!

GH.com: What was your most memorable Gopher basketball game to announce?

Christensen: There are a few that stick out, and quite a few of them are from the Final Four season. The two most incredible games were the wins in San Antonio. That Clemson game [double-overtime in the Sweet 16] was one of the greatest sporting events I have ever been a part of. I don't know how the team pulled it out, but it was a remarkable game. Then against UCLA, we were down at half and in the first part of the second half, and we came storming back. That was an incredible weekend. Also from that year was the crazy comeback at Indiana. I feel like that last minute was as incredible of a one-minute of play that I have ever announced.

One other game that was very memorable to me was the year after the Final Four. We started out very poorly in the Big Ten season but turned things around and set up an important few games in the Big Ten Tournament. We first knocked off Northwestern in the first round to make our record 14-14, and we had to finish at least .500 to qualify for the NIT. In the second round we knocked off first-seeded Michigan State, which guaranteed us a spot in the NIT, which we ultimately won.

GH.com: After the win against UCLA when we qualified for the Final Four, you capped off the final seconds with "œThe road to Indianapolis is now paved with GOLD."￾ Was this something you had prepared before the broadcast?

Christensen: People have asked me a lot about that line over the past few years. I guess it struck an accord for many people. Often times I will think of a line or statement in case a big event happens, but this time I did not and it just came to me as the final seconds ticked off the clock.

GH.com: How did you handle the 1972 brawl versus Ohio State at The Barn?

Christensen: That was a very ugly moment in our program's history. Heading into that game and in the first half there was an odd feeling throughout The Barn that I could feel the tension just really heating up. Coach Musselman had the guys really fired up coming out of the half, and I started to prepare myself as an announcer for an ugly second half and that is exactly what happened.

When the fighting itself started, I had to remove all emotion from the situation and just report what I was watching as opposed to showing any sort of favoritism, as it was definitely an ugly scene for Gopher fans. After that night I received many letters of which most of them were very supportive for the tone I took, but there were a few upset Gopher fans that felt I should have been more positive towards us. Many of those people that sent the negative letters later wrote me again after their emotions died down telling me that I did a good job calling that scene.

GH.com: Were there any players or coaches that you were close with over the years?

Christensen: One of the aspects of this job that I enjoyed most was the relationships I developed with the players, coaches, administrators, and fans. It has truly been a special experience. Through the years I got to know some better than others, and the players and coaches that I got to know the best are Paul Giel, the McNamara brothers, Judge Dixon, Tyrone Carter, Bobby Bell, Carl Eller, John-Blair Bickerstaff, and many others.

GH.com: Who was the best Gopher football player during your tenure?

Christensen: In football it is hard to pinpoint one player being better than another, as you cannot really compare an offensive player to a defensive one. One thing I will say is that we had a string in the early 1960s when Tom Brown and Bobby Bell won the Outland Trophy and Carl Eller should have as well but they didn't want to give it to a Gopher three years in a row. That is a remarkable stretch though.

GH.com: Who was the best Gopher basketball player during your years as an announcer?

Christensen: People ask me this often, and it is hard as we've had so many great players go through the program. But if I have to pick one player and one player only, it has to be Lou Hudson. He was so dominant, and he truly made everyone on the team better.

GH.com: What do you remember about the last football and basketball games you announced?

Christensen: It was a disappointing night to be honest, as we lost to North Carolina State in the MicronPC.com Bowl Game in Miami. We had a big halftime lead and we blew the lead in the second half. The thing I knew I was going to miss most about my football announcing was the relationship I had with Dave Mona and Darrell Thompson. Those two guys were such fun to work with.

With basketball it was a bit more difficult as we were in the NIT that year, so I truly did not know which night was going to be my last. It ended up being a very tough and hard fought loss to Tulsa in overtime after an incredible comeback. After the game I was starting to wrap up my final thoughts and was doing a good job of not getting emotional, and I figured I would sign off one last time without any true emotion. Coach Monson and the team always sang The Rouser to the student section after each game win or lose, and that night Coach Monson had the team sing it to me and not the student section, so even though their season had just ended, the guys on the team came over to my side of the court and sang The Rouser in my direction, and I got really emotional. It was a very special moment.

GH.com: What did it mean to you to have Ray Christensen Night?

Christensen: It was humbling to say the least. I was happy that WCCO and the 'U' let me go out on my own terms, but I did not expect them to honor me like they did. It is very special to have my picture hanging from The Rafters. Gopher fans, players, and coaches have been so wonderful to me and my family through the years, and the Maroon and Gold have been an important part of our lives. It has been a very special relationship.

GH.com: Now we will play a word association game where I will throw out a series of names, and please say the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear them:

Christensen: Sounds good, fire away.

Sandy Stephens: Built like a bull, and there was no better competitor than Sandy. I once saw him in a flag football game on campus, and he treated it like it was a game against Wisconsin.

Bobby Bell: His physique was amazing. He could have played any position on the field and would have been a star at any one of them.

Murray Warmath: A tireless worker on and off the field.

Carl Eller: I am fortunate to call him a friend. A great person and player.

Marion Barber II: When I hear his name, all I think of is power sweep to the right. Man did he run that well. Outstanding special teams player in the NFL.

Tony Dungy: He was a true student of the game. He was always breaking down game tape even in the offseason. Anyone that knew him could tell he would be a coach one day.

Darrell Thompson: Darrell is such a wonderful person. I take pride in calling him a friend. As great of a running back as he is a person.

Rickey Foggie: A competitor who made a lot out of a little. He had gifted athleticism, but he turned it to a level most never imagined possible.

Tyrone Carter: I have never seen a harder worker than Tyrone. He was pushing himself every second of every game and every practice. He earned his success from hard work.

Lou Hudson: Best all around player this program has ever seen.

Bill Musselman: The single hardest worker I have ever met in regards to game preparation. He also had a one-track mind. He loved to win.

Jim Brewer: Best rebounder this program has ever seen and a great scorer.

Kevin McHale: You could see his potential in college, but he didn't reach it until he was in the NBA. He was a great ambassador for the University of Minnesota.

Mychal Thompson: Most fluid and smooth of all the Gophers. He made everything look effortless.

Trent Tucker: If only the three-point line had existed when he was a Gopher. He could shoot lights out.

Willie Burton: He played for the perfect coach for his type of personality and game. He and Clem Haskins had a special relationship, as Clem really knew how to push his buttons.

Richard Coffey: One of my all-time favorite Gophers. He was so determined to be a great player, and he lived up to his own expectations.

Bobby Jackson: Bobby is an all-around winner. If he missed three or four shots in a row, I always knew that if the game was on the line that he'd come through for us. He had that stigma about him unlike any other Gopher I can remember.
 



One of my friends, Jon Benson, posted this beautiful tribute on Facebook. He doesn't have a GH login, but gave me permission to post it for him:

Jon Benson is remembering those who are no longer with us.
1 hr ·
RIP Ray Christensen
I knew this day would come eventually, but the fact that Ray has passed away is an extremely sad day for Gopher sports.
There were two sports figures who shaped much of my youth: Michael Jordan, and Ray Christensen. Whether I was having a good day or a bad day, the voice of Ray Christensen was always there to make me smile.
I was fortunate enough to be able to meet Ray a number of times and he was always very kind and complementary to a kid that was probably wide-eyed and star struck. Ray was truly a hero to me growing up. He inspired me, he brought comfort, and consistency. Even when the Gophers weren’t very good, Ray was always “must-listen” radio. My first dream job was to be a sports broadcaster. This was because of Ray
People reference "Where were you moments" in their lives. During my 37 years, the ones that most frequently come to mind are Gopher games with Ray on the mic. I'd like to recall a few of those.
As a 7 year-old in 1987 I remember begging my parents to let me leave a family event so I could go and sit in the car to listen to Ray broadcast the Gophers football team take on the Michigan Wolverines. We lost that game, but the memory that has stuck with me is Ray calling Darrell Thompson’s 99 yard touchdown run. 30 years later I can still vividly recall sitting in that blue Ford Tempo on a crisp fall day listening to Ray describe Darrell Thompson bouncing outside and sprinting up the sideline for 99 yards. The fact that we lost is irrelevant, the positivity of that moment is all I remember.
Being a Gopher sports fan requires that we learn how to deal with losses. This is a tremendous life lesson.
For that Ray, I thank you.
I also remember in the late 1980’s listening to the Willie Burton, Melvin Newbern, Richard Coffey, and Jim Shikenjanski led teams that made a run into the Elite 8. It was a magical couple of years under Clem Haskins and Ray was there to call every game. The way in which he would say Jim Shikenjanski would always make me smile. Still does.
For that Ray, I thank you.
I remember December 17, 1991, laying on the floor of my bedroom in Saint Anthony sorting baseball cards and listening to the Gopher basketball team play Detroit-Mercy. Voshon Lenard hit a half-court shot to win the game by 2 points. Ray called that moment. That moment began the legacy of Voshon Lenard, my all-time favorite Gopher basketball player, and cemented that moment as a lifelong memory for me. I still have my Voshon Lenard jersey and shorts from 1992. It is probably the oldest piece of clothing I own, and it is also treated with more respect than any other item I possess.
Ray’s call on that shot was incredible.
For that Ray, I thank you.
When the 1992 Gopher basketball team went on to win the NIT Title, my dad and I listened to Ray every chance we got. Back in those days, you could turn down the TV volume and listen to the radio broadcast in real-time with the TV broadcast. On the few occasions when I couldn’t listen to the games live I would make sure to try to record the radio broadcast on cassettes and then my dad and I would listen to them later. That was back in the day when you had to record things off the radio with cassette tapes. Most people tried to record the Top 40 Countdown and then would be upset when the DJ talked over the beginning of the song they wanted. I recorded Gopher sports broadcasts with Ray Christensen and all I wanted to hear was that classic voice spinning his yarn. Since the internet wasn’t around at that time you didn’t have to worry about the results getting spoiled for you. In many ways, these are the earliest memories I have with my dad and it really strengthened our relationship.
For that Ray, I thank you.
When the Gopher basketball team made its glorious run to the 1997 Final Four, I listened to Ray making those calls over and over again, I can still hear his voice exploding inside my head. I can still hear Ray describing Bobby Jackson’s magic, John Thomas’ punishing screens, Courtney James crashing the glass, Eric Harris’ defensive wizardry, and Charles Thomas and Quincy Lewis coming off the bench.
For that Ray I thank you.
Since his retirement the Gopher radio broadcast has been fortunate to be led by Mike Grimm. Grimmer is a great voice and I really enjoy listening to him. But… He will never be Ray. Nobody will ever match his skill, grace, and presence.
He is an icon.
For that last few years, we all got to hear the occasionally commercial for Washburn-McReavy Funeral Chapels. I always thought that Ray was rather brilliant to have his final commercials be for a funeral home. I am sure his service and arrangements will be well handled.
Thank you Ray.
May you rest in peace in heaven aka Williams Arena.
#SkiUMah
 



Although I don't recall a specific call by Ray C. I do remember sitting at Gopher games in Memorial Stadium from the late 60's-70's listening to Julie Pearlt announce the game while listening to Ray's play-by-play from my pocket transistor radio with the plastic earphone. Talk about 2 extremely different styles and voices, but both classic. I feel I had the truly best of both worlds. Both are and will truly be missed and treasured.
 



Ray will be missed greatly. Even if he wasn't broadcasting games, it was somehow weirdly comforting simply knowing he was still around. I do not have a specific memory of a game-call to mention, but rather an overall feeling that he was always synonymous with Gopher sports to me. I might not have known him, but he always felt like my uncle sitting next to me during a Gopher game that I couldn't watch in person.

I started with football season tickets during the Barber/Maroney years. Prior to that I was like most MN sports fans - always pulling for my teams but overall a bit fair weather when it came to the Gophers. During the dark years of the 90's, I was doing a lot of hunting in the fall in SW MN. We always had the Gopher football games on the radio as we road hunted or traveled between wetlands. Those Wacker years were frustrating and the team seemed farther away from competence than ever in those days. But, despite how bad the team was, it was still great to listen to Ray and his calls of the games. He still made it seem exciting and worth while.

I was sad when he quit (like everything about him, his timing was great and he stopped when he was still at the top of his game). One of the cool things about the new TCF Bank Stadium was when they had him in to call one offensive series for the Gophers during that historic first game against Air Force.
 

Sad day. Fall Saturdays, working outside, and listening to Ray call the game still is vivid to me. Wasn't a Gopher basketball fan until I got to the U and then listening to him call the away games became a part of my life. Love that he considered Lou Hudson the best Gopher ever. Makes me feel like I know a little bit about basketball. Remember driving home after the Ohio State brawl and caught some of what he said. Could just hear the pain and sadness in his voice because he knew the criticism that would be coming about a University he loved.
 


When I was a kid, KFGO radio in Fargo did a on air live performance of "A Christmas Carol" with on air personalities and local celebrities playing the parts. Mr. Ray Christensen played Scrooge.
 

Sid Hartman said:
RT @wccoradio: Sad news for the WCCO family this morning. We've learned legendary play-by-play man Ray Christensen has died. More coverage on air today.
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It was the Iowa game 1992 and I knew I was going to propose to my future wife before Thanksgiving. However I had not missed a home football game for 12 years and wasn't about to now. So, still wanting to make it something she would always remember, I asked Ray to do it over the radio for me. Back then, we listened to the play-by-play on our radios while sitting in our seats at the game. So, in the first quarter between plays, there it was, Ray issued my proposal and she accepted. A few years later we had a chance to meet up with him and thanked him. If any of you have the copy of Ray's book Gopher Tales, check out page 48 where a chapter titled "the Proposal" tells the story. BTW the Gophers also won that day, 28-13.
 

I remember sitting at the kitchen table listening to the games as a kid. The smell of my dad's coffee as he would tell us to quiet down so we could hear what Ray said. We would listen to the games and then me and my brothers would go out in the backyard to play football and argue who would get to be Ricky Foggie or Darrell Thompson.

And it will always stay with me the way he said "Washburn McGreavey Funeral Homes."
 

go4nut said:
It was the Iowa game 1992 and I knew I was going to propose to my future wife before Thanksgiving. However I had not missed a home football game for 12 years and wasn't about to now. So, still wanting to make it something she would always remember, I asked Ray to do it over the radio for me. Back then, we listened to the play-by-play on our radios while sitting in our seats at the game. So, in the first quarter between plays, there it was, Ray issued my proposal and she accepted. A few years later we had a chance to meet up with him and thanked him. If any of you have the copy of Ray's book Gopher Tales, check out page 48 where a chapter titled "the Proposal" tells the story. BTW the Gophers also won that day, 28-13.
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Pretty good story.
 


I remember '98 sitting in car in parking lot at Terry Redlin Art Center in Watertown SD; my entire extended family went into Art Center while I listened to Ray describe Gophers ineffectual attempts to stop Antwan Randle El.
 

A Minnesota treasure. He will not be forgotten.
 

go4nut said:
It was the Iowa game 1992 and I knew I was going to propose to my future wife before Thanksgiving. However I had not missed a home football game for 12 years and wasn't about to now. So, still wanting to make it something she would always remember, I asked Ray to do it over the radio for me. Back then, we listened to the play-by-play on our radios while sitting in our seats at the game. So, in the first quarter between plays, there it was, Ray issued my proposal and she accepted. A few years later we had a chance to meet up with him and thanked him. If any of you have the copy of Ray's book Gopher Tales, check out page 48 where a chapter titled "the Proposal" tells the story. BTW the Gophers also won that day, 28-13.
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Nice!
 

I knew Ray professionally and he was one of the nicest guys I ever met. As we used to say, "a prince of a man." Absolutely nothing phony or stuck up about him - treated everyone with the same courtesy and really took his job seriously.
 

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