Staley Da Bear
Well-known member
- Mar 16, 2019
- 2,085
- 0
“He was a professional, consummate,” says Riebandt of Coppock, who passed away at the age of 70 earlier this year. “He was a big Bear fan. At times, he’d let his emotions go a little bit, but that’s where I got my little bravado.”
After Coppock left the Bears, Riebandt got the job in 1982, and he started learning the sorts of things that only experience can teach. The sound system ran on a three-second delay, meaning Riebandt would have to cup his ears to avoid being distracted by the echoes of his own voice.
He also needed to be aware of the stakes off the field. Riebandt entered the job at a time of labor upheaval. He called one game, against the New Orleans Saints, before a strike swallowed half of the season.
“It was a beautiful day in the middle of September,” said Riebandt. “After the warm-ups and the anthem, the players walked to the middle of the field to do a solidarity handshake. Coach [Mike] Ditka was out of his mind on the sidelines. The game was as dull as it could be. It was 10-0, New Orleans won, and then there was a strike.”
A graduate of Notre Dame, Riebandt’s weekends in the fall have often included driving out to South Bend, where he’s a season-ticket holder, on Saturday, then getting back to Chicago in time to call a Bears’ home game. He always aspired to bring the raucous stadium experience that he knew as a college student to Soldier Field.
“The traditions of Notre Dame parallel the traditions of the Bears,” said Riebandt, mentioning the large stadiums and winning traditions dating back before the Great Depression.
When his worlds merge and the Bears sign a player from Notre Dame, would Riebandt show favoritism to his fellow alums?
“Absolutely,” says Riebandt, “Just ask Tom Thayer. I used to introduce him ‘Tom from NOTRE DAME.’”
By his fourth season, calling the game started to feel natural to Riebandt. It helped that Soldier Field had installed a new speaker system that eliminated feedback. It helped even more that the 1985 Bears were so dominant that his voice could be associated with the most memorable team of the modern era.
Years later, certain games stand out more than others. Obviously, there was every moment of the ‘85 season. Riebandt also puts the Fog Bowl and last season’s 15-6 win over the Super Bowl-bound Los Angeles Rams in his personal pantheon.
In 2002, the Bears played the entire season at Memorial Stadium in Champaign as Soldier Field underwent a massive renovation. While the season was forgettable, a 4-12 effort, Riebandt returned to Chicago with a career-defining schtick.