Hank Flick Radio Interview

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Jan 26, 2010
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http://vspor.to/xiBzOo

Wanted to pass this along for those interested. I enjoyed listening to him talk again, and he talks about message board fans. He also references Jackie and the bull. Gives you a great perspective on players and coaches. Talks about Rocky getting fired. Great interview. The interviewer doesn't even talk. He just let's Hank go.

SIAP
 

Tds & Beer

Redshirt
Jan 26, 2010
1,082
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http://vspor.to/xiBzOo

Wanted to pass this along for those interested. I enjoyed listening to him talk again, and he talks about message board fans. He also references Jackie and the bull. Gives you a great perspective on players and coaches. Talks about Rocky getting fired. Great interview. The interviewer doesn't even talk. He just let's Hank go.

SIAP
 

MsuDogfan12

Redshirt
Jan 16, 2012
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I understand it was time for him to go in football, but he was the voice for basketball at the games. I haven't found one person that hated him for basketball and he was really known for his intro to every game. People would recite it with him. If I had big $$$ to donate I would donate it only if they brought him back for basketball. Maybe we can start a petition and send it to Scott..
 

Faustdog

All-Conference
Jun 4, 2007
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I've seen some posts that his pride would get in the way, but I don't see that.
 

drt7891

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Dec 6, 2010
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He added to the atmosphere and his introduction was legendary. I wish I had him as a teacher while I was at State because I have heard he is one of the "must-take" professors.
 

lawdawg02

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Jan 23, 2007
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At least that's the story I heard.

Flick always taught a class to the athletic teams about handling the media - not for credit, and Flick didn't get paid, just volunteered his time. Somehow, Croom and Flick got sideways and Croom took that away from Flick. Flick decided he was done with the football team, and was told that if he didn't do PA for football, he couldn't do basketball either. We then hired John Holmes or whoever the new guy is.

I don't know how accurate that story is. But I do know that football and especially basketball games are not the same in Starkville without him. I would love to again be welcomed to Humphrey Coliseum for an evening of BAAAAAAASKETBAAALL, MISSISSIPPI STATE STYLE!
 

MsuDogfan12

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Jan 16, 2012
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I heard the same thing I've been trying to get into one of his classes for the past couple years and they are always full by the time I get to sign up. I think it would really help the atmosphere if he came back.
 

jb1020

Freshman
Jun 7, 2009
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I remember Byrne saying we needed a PA announcer that sounded more an announcer for the NBA or NFL.

I thought Flick was great at the hump, and good enough for football.

And his class was great.
 

DISTRICT DOG

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Nov 28, 2008
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Hank was by far the greatest influence on me by any professor at MSU. He was one of the few people on that campus that talked the talk and then walked the walk. I was bartending and I saw Hank walking by, so I ran outside and told him to come in and I would give him a few drinks on the house...he looked at me dead in the eyes and said "I have a class tomorrow and 18 people depend on me to be at my best" That is how hank is 100% of the time, to this day every time I am in Starkville I run by his office and just sit and talk with him. If you're in college and you dont take his class, then you will never understand.
 

Tds & Beer

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Jan 26, 2010
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drt7891 said:
He added to the atmosphere and his introduction was legendary. I wish I had him as a teacher while I was at State because I have heard he is one of the "must-take" professors.
If you have never been around him, he is one of the funniest peopleyou can be around. He and the business stats teacher, I forget his name, werenon-stop hilariousness.Another thing that was great about Hank's class was how much he knows about communication. He can breakanything in life down into something dealing with communication andmake a lot of sense out of it.
 

drt7891

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Dec 6, 2010
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and was probably the best class I ever took at MSU. The guy knows his stuff. I learned more in his class than I really have in any other class at State. He has always been in the same conversation as Flick about professors to take while you are here (I kept hearing references to the Pike house with Flick).

McCormick told this story, to get around saying "We are doing this for ***** and giggles," about a Prussian Stats genius whose name was Otto Von *****'nGiggles and we were doing something in his honor. I've never enjoyed a class more in my time here.
 

hometowndawg

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Aug 15, 2011
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Listening to how Hank talked about Greg Byrne, the person who fired him, gave me a ton of respect for Hank. If someone fired me out of the blue the way Hank described it I would be furious about it. Probably would have quit my job as a teacher too. Hank's willingness to "fall on the sword"(his words) for Greg just amazes me. This is the one thing that could possibly taint Greg's time at MSU and Hank seems to downplay it often.
 

RocketDawg

All-Conference
Oct 21, 2011
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When he was still the announcer for football, people continuously called for his head. I never did, but I also didn't care for his delivery all that much. And many comments were made by opposing fans too. I suspect that all together (not counting my thoughts) is the reason Byrne got rid of Flick ... it certainly couldn't have been Croom's opinion of his nasal Southern accent, since on could hardly understand what Croom said. Could have been the case with Byrne though.<div>
</div><div>I like the guy we have now for football. I think he does a good job. Haven't been to a BB game so I can't say there ... honestly didn't remember that Flick was the announcer at the Hump.</div><div>
</div><div>But there are always people who are dissatisfied, regardless of what action the University takes. If Stans stays, people will gripe; if they fire him, other people will gripe.</div>
 

dawgstudent

Heisman
Apr 15, 2003
39,245
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was that Byrne asked him to stop doing football but to keep doing basketball. Dr. Flick didn't want to stop doing both - it was all or nothing.

I thought we needed a change for football at the time but basketball is where Flick shines.
 

lawdawg02

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Jan 23, 2007
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for asking him to stop football had something to do with Croom and the media seminar and wanting to cut Flick out of it.

They say the second thing that goes with old age is your memory. I don't quite remember what the first thing is...
 

kimmer

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Jun 10, 2011
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It really is a good reminder that in the midst of the rough and tumble world of big time college athletics the coaches and players are still human beings with feelings that can be hurt, hopes, dreams, disappointments and often need a friend as it can really be a lonely life. We fans very often forget about that.

I thought the story about Jim Hatfield not wanting Flick to introduce him before a BB game because he didn't want his children to hear him get booed was so poignant as well as the story about Rocky calling him up after his dismissal. Wow.

I did think it got just a little weird at times when he talked about mouthing the words 'I love you' to JWS in the press box or when he was talking about his affection for Greg Byrne who actually fired him. But, overall a great listen.
 

RocketDawg

All-Conference
Oct 21, 2011
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He was certainly unique in football. I never really cared for him there, but not enough to register any complaints. But I remember thinking when I heard the new guy two or three years ago ... where's Flick? So he was sort of an icon, whether you liked him as PA announcer or not. I would have been fine with keeping him, even though I didn't particularly like his delivery. And I don't even know the new guy's name.

Otherwise, I can't comment on Dr. Flick. He may be the greatest guy in the world and a fantastic professor ... I have no idea. Never saw him as far as I know, and he probably wasn't even born when I was at MSU. And I never took speech anyway (isn't that what he taught)?

I just know that there was a lot of board criticism over him several years ago so maybe Byrne read the boards and took their advice.
 

DowntownDawg

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May 28, 2007
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...Ripping Byrne and saying that a fall segment of the fanbase is unhappy with Stansbury? Best thing they did was shut up and listen to Hank.
 

drunkernhelldawg

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Nov 25, 2007
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It's a Mississippi State classic. I hope it is preserved in a prominent place.

Mississippi State Style . . . That's what I'm talking about.
 

DawgWild

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Sep 5, 2010
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As i recall looking back, several on this board wanted him gone. i didn't care for him too much in football but i could at least hear him. He was great in basketball though! I would welcome him back. The new guy is just a standard professional sounding pa guy. He just has no personality. Hank had lots of personality to add to the announcing.
 

RocketCityDawg

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Nov 11, 2007
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Trying to imitate his unique, sometimes (to some) annoying style, but he's one of a kind.
And he loves MSU as much as Jack Cristil.

And, although I thought I wouldn't.....I miss him.

RCD

PS - There's a lot of MSU history, good and bad, I thought I'd never miss, over the past 50 years....but I miss it all.
Even the bad times were good.
 

gdogg

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Feb 24, 2008
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My guess is they have yet to have their "I love you moment"

Two facts: I had Flick for two classes, best professor ever and

Sixpack board wanted his *** fired by a 3 to 1 margin.
 

dawgatUSM

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Apr 6, 2008
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Flick can choose to have no ill will towards Byrne for that firing, but I sure do. Byrne did lots of good things here, but we were nothing more than a tool for him. He has no deep connection to Mississippi State like the fan base does (and thankfully, like Stricklin does)... And when that happens, you do stupid stuff and fire a cultural icon (in Mississippi State circles at least) on a whim... Stupid, Stupid, Stupid...

I used to frequent visiting teams message boards after games just to see what they thought Starkville and DWS, etc... It never failed that they would talk about Flick in some way.
 

MsuDogfan12

Redshirt
Jan 16, 2012
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The hump was amazing to go to when Flick was in charge. I pray we one day bring him back. It would be a sold out crowd. The new guy is painful to listen to just as much as our "mike man"we have. #bringFlickback
 

Maroon Eagle

All-American
May 24, 2006
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...He's one of the top professors who taught classes I was in when I was an undergrad. I'd also put Dr. Radvanyi & Dr. Zacharias up there with him.
 

jb1020

Freshman
Jun 7, 2009
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and him giving the "all or nothing" response. But this is the first I've heard of Croom wanting him out for whatever reason? I couldn't imagine Croom even realizing there was a PA announcer at the football games, much less care who it was.
 

kimmer

Redshirt
Jun 10, 2011
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I do know there was a significant amount of chatter about amongst the message board fans the vast majority of which wanted him replaced. Many of the comments were downright mean. I don't remember that many people that stood up at the time and lobbied to keep him. Nobody of course is above being replaced but I thought he had reached a bit of an icon status. One thing is for sure. Nobody else had an announcer that sounded like him.

I remember listening to the UGA broadcast team from the hump some years ago and they were going on about the 'terrible' PA announcer that described as sounding like an old fashioned train conductor (all aboard!) Thought that was funny.