Interview with Humzey Yessin, September 30, 2009

Partial Transcript: Well, there was LAP, there was LAP, WKLX, and, uh, WVLK, and, and all of them had radio announcers that traveled with the basketball team.

Segment Synopsis: Rouse discusses the structure of the interview with Yessin.

Keywords: Radio announcers; Standard Oil Network; WKLX; WLAP; WVLK

Subjects: Archives; Interviews

Partial Transcript: Uh let's, let's talk about Claude just for a little bit.

Segment Synopsis: Yessin discusses how he got to know Claude Sullivan. Yessin also discusses being a spotter for radio broadcast, and how detailed Sullivan's descriptions were.

Keywords: Claude Sullivan; Sportscasting; Spotters; Stoll Field

Subjects: Broadcasting; Radio; Radio broadcasting

Partial Transcript: Yeah, let's talk about some of those, uh, winning a national championship, for instance.

Segment Synopsis: Yessin discusses Claude Sullivan's relationship with the team. Yessin also discusses Sullivan's pranks.

Keywords: Bernie Shively; Claude Sullivan; National championships; Pranks

Subjects: Broadcasting; Golf; Practical jokes.; Travel

Partial Transcript: I'm looking at, uh, some, uh, notes here from Alan Sullivan.

Segment Synopsis: Yessin discusses the game between the Phillips Oilers and the University of Kentucky basketball team in the 1948 Olympic trial to determine the head coach of the Olympic team.

Keywords: "Wah Wah" Jones; Adolph Rupp; Cliff Barker; Fabulous Five; Kenny Rollins; Olympic trials; Phillips Oilers; Stoll Field

Subjects: Beard, Ralph; Olympics; Rupp, Adolph, 1901-1977.; Sports illustrated

Partial Transcript: Let's talk a little bit about the Big Blue Sports Archive.

Segment Synopsis: Yessin discusses the importance of preserving sports history. Yessin also discusses Claude Sullivan's Standard Oil Network that connected broadcasters across the state.

Keywords: Sports archives; Sports history; Standard Oil Network; WVLK

Subjects: Archives; Broadcasting; Sports--History.

Partial Transcript: So let's talk a little bit about the different things that Claude did.

Segment Synopsis: Yessin discusses Claude Sullivan's work, including covering high school basketball games and having his own radio show.

Keywords: High school basketball; State tournaments; Ted Grizzard

Subjects: High school; Radio

Partial Transcript: Let's talk about that live thing just for a second, we're going back to the archives now. How bad would it be if we lost all those live recordings?

Segment Synopsis: Yessin discusses the importance of saving live recordings.

Keywords: Sports history; Tom Hammond

Subjects: Archives; Olympics; Sports--History.

Partial Transcript: Did Claude Sullivan, uh--what was his relationship with Al Michaels? Did he mentor some of these people who would become--

Segment Synopsis: Yessin discusses Claude Sullivan's role as a mentor to some well-known sportscasters. Yessin also discusses Sullivan's dislike of sports officials.

Keywords: Al Michaels; Claude Sullivan; Mentors; Officiating; Red Barber; Vin Scully

Subjects: Barber, Red, 1908-1992.; Michaels, Al.; Referees; Scully, Vin, 1927-; Sports officiating.; Sportscasters

Partial Transcript: --the UK community, the University of Kentucky basketball program, but, really I mean, uh, all the sports at the University of Kentucky, uh, are, are important and they, they've won some, some championships...

Segment Synopsis: Yessin explains the archives for people who may be scared off by the term. Yessin also discusses why the archives are important.

Keywords: Gay Brewer; Sports history

Subjects: Archives; Athletes; Brewer, Gay; Sports--History.

Partial Transcript: Can you imagine if, if, uh--you know, just vanished?

Segment Synopsis: Yessin discusses Coach Rupp's legacy. Yessin also discusses Rick Kestner and Joe B. Hall.

Keywords: Adolph Rupp; Claude Sullivan; Joe B. Hall; Rick Kestner; Scouting

Subjects: Archives; Basketball coaches--Kentucky; Basketball--Coaching; Coaches (Athletics); Hall, Joe B. (Joe Beasman); Rupp, Adolph, 1901-1977.; Scouting (Athletics)

Partial Transcript: Going back to some of these games, uh, when you listen to these tapes of Claude, he would say that you were gonna be down on the floor seeing if you could get Rupp.

Segment Synopsis: Yessin discusses being a scout for basketball and doing some post-game interviews for Claude Sullivan. Yessin also discusses Sullivan's skills as his own engineer.

Keywords: Basketball scouting; Claude Sullivan; Scouts; Technicians

Subjects: Engineers; Interviews; Scouting (Athletics)

Partial Transcript: Well thanks, Humzey. Is there anything else you'd like to say, just thinking about Claude or the team or--

Segment Synopsis: Yessin discusses Claude Sullivan's love of golf. Yessin also discusses Sullivan's various pursuits, including being an announcer for stock racing.

Keywords: Careers; Claude Sullivan; College basketball; College football; High school basketball; Major League Baseball; State tournament

Subjects: Golf; Major League Baseball (Organization); Stock car racing