Max Falkenstien and Bob Davis share a few laughs in the booth as they sit down. The Kansas Jayhawks open their 2007 campaign against Central Michigan in three days.

“You know how to wear these, don’t you?” Davis asked Max, handing the venerable Falkenstien a headset.

It’s a scene that would warm the hearts of most any KU fan. And the scene, which played out for more than two decades around this time of the year, wouldn’t seem that odd, except it was Wednesday night at Kauffman Stadium. And, of course, it’s now been more than a year since Falkenstien, KU’s broadcaster for 60 years, retired.

When you ask Max how he’s “enjoying retired life” or what he’s doing with all his “free time,” you don’t get the typical answer. Most people slow down when they retire. Not Max. A few months after his final game — a KU basketball loss to Bradley in the first round of the 2006 NCAA Tournament in a scene that warmed the hearts of MU and K-State fans — he was talked into writing his new book, “A Good Place to Stop.”

(In all fairness I should add that I co-authored the book with Max and Doug Vance, former long-time KU athletic department employee. But we didn’t goad him into writing the book. Based on that relationship as well as the bond so many KU fans have felt with Falkenstien for so long, I’m going to refer to him as “Max” throughout the rest of this column.)

Since the book’s release in the spring, Max has been busy as ever with a publicity/signing tour.

“It’s been great,” he said. “Last Friday we had a signing at KU Medical Center and it was solid for an hour and a half. Two young female doctors came up to me and said how they’d listened to me all their lives and how much they enjoyed the broadcasts. I get that about everywhere we go. It always makes me feel old, but it’s fun.”

Although Max has done book signings in some non-traditional places, such as the hospital, this is a big publicity night for him. Even before sitting in the Royals Sports Television Network booth with Davis and Paul Splittorff, Max has been busy.

6:36 — Max is taken to the press conference room in the bowels of Kauffman Stadium to wait before throwing out the first pitch. Besides being the site of Buddy Bell’s nightly postgame press conference, it’s also the holding tank for everyone involved in the pregame rituals. Max has part of his posse with him, including Jim Marchiony, KU’s Associate Athletic Director/External Affairs, who was a savior editor for the book; Bob Snodgrass, the book’s publisher; and Lenny Cohen. And me. OK, maybe it’s not a posse, per se. We encourage Max to stand on top of the mound for his first pitch.

6:41 — Max is escorted to the field. As we walk in front of the Royals dugout, Max looks out at the field. “It’s a long ways,” he laughs, referring to the distance from the mound to home plate. While he’s waiting for the festivities to start, Max walks over and asks Royals rookie Billy Butler if he’ll catch the first pitch. Although fans hoot for Max from the stands, Butler, who’s 21 and from Florida, likely has never heard of Max Falkenstien. To Butler, he’s probably just some old guy wearing a blue KU golf shirt.

… there was the morning of the 1992 Aloha Bowl, Max wrote in “A Good Place to Stop.” Bob (Davis) and I were enjoying a pregame Hawaiian-style brunch at Aloha Stadium before anchoring in our booth for the broadcast. A few of my travel buddies saw an opportunity to have some fun at my expense and asked the Aloha Bowl queen, dressed in a sarong, to sit on my lap. They pointed in my direction with the instructions, “Go over and sit in that old guy’s lap.” Well, she came heading my direction and decided that Bob more aptly fit that description. She settled in his lap, and we all took pictures. Bob didn't seem to mind being the “old guy.”

6:53 — Max and Butler head out for the ceremonial first pitch. Max, who, for the record is 83, decides to stand at the bottom of the pitcher’s mound. He fires the ball toward the plate. It gets to Butler on one hop. Without the velocity, it looks like an Ambiorix Burgos pitch. As Max comes back to the group he laughs about not getting the ball to Butler on the fly. “Matt, put in there that I’m disgusted that I bounced the ball.” Max laughs again. As anyone who listened to a Max broadcast can attest, he liked to laugh.

7:02 — Max is taken to the concourse where he’s to sign copies of the book until about 8. On our way up, I ask Max if he still has an itchy feeling with the football season a couple days away. “I have an empty feeling,” he says. “I feel like I should be doing something (to prepare). Of course, there’s nothing to do. But I still have a close relationship with the coaches and others in the department. It’s different, though, when you’re not on the mike.”

During the 50-minute first inning, with the Royals scoring 5 runs, Max signs several books, and almost inevitably, each person tells him how they listened to him for a lifetime, including a guy named Lannie, who’s probably in his 50s. He has a huge grin on his face and is talking excitedly as if he just stole the book from the stadium shop, or he’s a kid again meeting his hero. “I’ve listened to you all my life!” he blurts out. Then he turns to anyone who’ll listen and adds, “And he’s a lot older than I am.” By the way, several Missouri fans even buy books.

8:05 — Max goes to the press box for appearances on RSTN and the Royals Radio Network. It’s the first time he’s been on the air with Davis since his last basketball game in ‘06. Although he attended most KU football and basketball games last year, Max never made an on-air appearance. “I just didn’t feel it was right,” he said earlier tonight.

After appearing on RSTN in the third inning, Max and his posse, along with Toby Cook, the Royals VP of Community Affairs and Publicity, wait in the press room until Max’s appearance on radio in the fifth inning. While sitting there, Royals announcer Denny Matthews, during his fourth-inning break, walks in. He and Max talk for a few minutes. Max, who’s in the College Football Hall of Fame and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame for broadcasting excellence, congratulates Matthews on the Ford Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame. As a Kansas Citian, there’s something cool about watching Max and Denny talk about their Hall of Fame experiences. Say what you want about Max being a KU guy or Denny not having a lot of flare, but we’re pretty lucky to have both of them.

8:35 — Max goes into the radio booth, where he talks with producer/engineer Don Free, whom Max has known for years, before sitting down between Denny and Ryan Lefebvre. The three have a great inning together, talking about everything from Max’s start in broadcasting (thanks to a biology class, no less) and KU greats such as Wilt Chamberlain, Danny Manning, Gale Sayers and John Riggins.

When they finish, Max signs a few more books and then heads to an open booth at the end of the press box. The Royals still lead 5-0. Max, who’s become a big Royals fan over the years, is still giving himself a hard time about bouncing his first pitch to home plate. But he laughs again.

“It’s time to go home. I’m tired.”

It’s not easy being retired. Especially for a fan favorite.


“Behind the Stats” runs each Thursday. Be sure to catch Matt Fulks on the “Behind the Stats” radio show, live at Chappell’s Restaurant in North Kansas City, co-hosted with Dave O’Hara, each Thursday night from 6-7 p.m. on 1140-AM and 1160-AM. To contact Matt, visit mattfulks.com.