Mannies has been 'Voice of the Cardinals' since 1956
It was September of 1956 and little did anyone realize the magnitude of what would grace the airwaves. Yes, Elvis Presley appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show that month, but it also marked the beginning of Morry Mannies career of broadcasting Ball State athletics.
After 55 years on the job, the “Voice of the Cardinals” announced Thursday that he would be retiring following the 2011-12 Ball State basketball season.
"Ball State will truly miss Morry as the Voice of the Cardinals," Ball State athletics director Tom Collins said in a release. "He has been an invaluable member of the Ball State and Muncie communities not only as a broadcaster, but as a valuable member of the Muncie culture. Nobody will ever replace his seat and we are going to do our best to send him out on as good a note as possible."
Mannies came to Muncie in the fall of 1956 as a freshman out of Peru High School. He had a love of radio and a love of sports. The two passions merged in Muncie and he never left his alma mater.
“Morry was the ultimate professional in my time at Ball State as a player and a coach," former Ball State coach and player Brady Hoke said. “He is a legend in the broadcasting profession and was incredibly easy to work with on a regular basis. I am proud to have Morry as a friend.”
Mannies graduated from Ball State in 1960 and earned a master's degree in 1964 from the university. He began a teaching career with Muncie Community Schools in the early 1960s, but eventually found his niche in the insurance business. He continued to broadcast Ball State and Muncie-area high school games and is regarded as an institution in east-central Indiana.
Throughout his broadcasting career, Mannies has broadcast over 5,500 Ball State and high school football and basketball games and logged over 30,000 hours behind the microphone for WLBC/WXFN Radio.
He is a three-time winner of the Indiana Sportscaster of the Year Award and a three-time recipient of the Mid-American Conference Sportscaster of the Year honor. Mannies has been inducted into the following Hall of Fames - MAC, Ball State Athletics, Indiana Basketball, Indiana Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association and Delaware County.
A recipient of the Ball State Alumni Association's Beneficence Award in 1985, Mannies was awarded the Alumni Association's highest honor when he received a Distinguished Alumni Award in 2005.
"Morry is a legend in the world of broadcasting," former Ball State football coach Bill Lynch said. "He is the consummate professional and was a joy to work with in my time at Ball State. Nobody can do what he has done for that long of a period of time without dedication and a love for the university. When you talk about Ball State athletics, there is no person more synonymous with its history than Morry.”
The university will hold a reception for Mannies following the basketball season and will have a special recognition for him in Worthen Arena.
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