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Tuesday, March 31, 1998

Fallon hangs up memories, Final Four mike

By JOHN WERNER Waco Tribune-Herald

WACO, Texas - For the past 21 years, Waco's Frank Fallon has enjoyed the best seat in the house as the public address announcer at the NCAA basketball Final Four.

He witnessed the 1979 championship game featuring Indiana State's Larry Bird and Michigan State's Magic Johnson that raised college basketball in the nation's consciousness.

He was at courtside when a young Michael Jordan hit the game-winning shot for North Carolina against Georgetown in 1982. He saw Danny Manning strap Kansas on his back to win the 1988 title over Oklahoma and witnessed Duke's back-to-back championships in 1991-92.

But Monday's championship game at the Alamodome was Fallon's last as the P.A. announcer at the Final Four. He wanted to end his two-decade run in San Antonio, his hometown and the place he began his broadcasting career.

"It's special doing my last Final Four in San Antonio," Fallon said. "I certainly have mixed emotions, but 21 years is a long time and I don't mind stepping aside.

"There have been some years when my adrenalin was pumping so high that I felt like I could step out there and play," Fallon said. "But I don't feel like that any more. When you lose your enthusiasm, it's time to go on to something else."

In an era in which college basketball P.A. announcers often battle to be the loudest and most obnoxious, Fallon has always maintained a quiet dignity. You'll never hear Fallon mimicking Dick Vitale during Final Four player introductions.

"In today's game, there's a lot of hype," Fallon said. "A lot of teams turn out the arena lights and make a show of the introductions. But the NCAA doesn't want that. I try to be enthusiastic, but I try to introduce each player the same way."

With his deep, melodious voice, Fallon only gives the crowd the information it needs during games. He keeps a notepad nearby to track individual scoring, fouls and time outs. During time outs, he'll give pertinent information like shooting percentages.

"People need to be informed without being intrusive," Fallon said. "I try not to point out the obvious. But at the same time, the guy sitting at the top of the Alamodome needs more help keeping up with the game than the guy at courtside."

Fallon landed the P.A. announcer's job before the 1978 Final Four. Instead of allowing the host city to supply the game support crew, the NCAA decided to hire its own statistical crew, sports information staff and P.A. announcer.

NCAA media coordinator David Cawood, a former Baylor sports information director, asked Fallon if he would be interested. Fallon had broadcasted Baylor's football and basketball games since the early 1950s and had done extensive television work.

"The only problem was that I didn't have an audition tape," Fallon said. "The only public address announcing I had done was at the Texas Relays. So I went out to the Heart O' Texas Coliseum and did a simulated public address and dubbed in the crowd noise. I sent it to David and he said it was acceptable."

Fallon's first Final Four in 1978 featured Kentucky, Duke, Arkansas and Notre Dame at the Checkerdome in St. Louis. Kentucky beat Duke in the finals when Jack Givens scored 41 points.

There were many great Final Fours to come. Fallon's favorite championship game was Villanova's 66-64 win over Georgetown in 1985. The Wildcats played a near-flawless game as they shot a Final Four record 78.6 percent.

"Villanova was such an underdog," Fallon said. "That was the year before they put in the shot clock and Villanova slowed it down and played a great game. That's the most exciting game I had seen at that level."

Two of the most exciting finishes came in back-to-back seasons. In 1982, Jordan hit a last-minute shot to send North Carolina to a 63-62 win over Georgetown. The next year, North Carolina State upset heavily favored Houston, 54-52, when Lorenzo Charles grabbed a teammate's airball and stuffed it for a basket in the final seconds.

"I just remember (North Carolina State coach) Jim Valvano running around the floor looking for somebody to hug in the 1983 game," Fallon said. "In the 1982 game, no one knew that Jordan would become the best player in the world when he hit that game-winning bucket."

The most controversial ending that Fallon witnessed was the 1993 final between North Carolina and Michigan when All-America Wolverine forward Chris Webber called an illegal time out in the final seconds and was assessed a technical foul.

"Many of the fans didn't know what was going on," Fallon said. "So I had to explain that Michigan didn't have any time outs remaining. People in the stands have as much right to know as the people watching on TV."

Fallon's most difficult assignment was the 1981 championship game between Indiana and North Carolina - and not because Hoosiers' coach Bobby Knight was stalking the sidelines. President Ronald Reagan had been shot by John David Hinckley earlier that afternoon and there was much debate about whether the game should be postponed.

"I remember seeing Bobby Knight, (North Carolina coach) Dean Smith and (NBA sportscaster) Dick Enberg sitting on orange crates at the Spectrum discussing whether the game should go on," Fallon said. "They decided to go ahead and play."

For the past three years, Fallon has been suffering from Parkinson's disease, a degenerative brain disorder characterized by trembling hands and lips and muscular rigidity. Fallon, who retired from Baylor football and basketball broadcasting in 1995, said the disease is under control through medication.

Fallon, whose successor at the Final Four hasn't been chosen, is amazed how the Final Four has grown since he first started doing the P.A. announcing in 1978.

"I've done the P.A. at places like the Spectrum and Reunion Arena where they can't even hold the Final Four any more because the stadium has to hold at least 35,000," Fallon said. "I don't guess anyone could have foreseen how big it would get. I've been to the Super Bowl, but even that doesn't compare to the Final Four. It's become a part of American sports lore.

"No other sport has three weeks of promotion like the Final Four has with the NCAA Tournament," Fallon said. "By the final game, people are frothing at the mouth to watch it."

But there's one thing the Final Four won't have following Monday's game: Its voice.

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Distributed by The Associated Press