Starkey is most famous for his frenetic call of The Play in the 1982 Big Game between Cal and Stanford: "Oh, the band is out on the field!" Starkey nearly lost his voice during and after this event, which he hailed as "the most amazing, sensational, dramatic, heartrending, exciting, thrilling finish in the history of college football!"[4]
On August 18, 2022, the University of California announced that Starkey would retire after the Golden Bears' 2022 season.[7]
San Francisco 49ers
Prior to assuming play-by-play duties with the 49ers in 1989 he served as color analyst on 49ers radio broadcasts in 1987 and 1988 with the legendary Lon Simmons handling play-by-play. He also called the radio broadcasts of Super Bowl XXIV and Super Bowl XXIX.
Young almost falls down...throws to the endzone—OWENS! OWENS! OWENS! OWENS! OWENS! He caught it! He caught it! He caught it! A 25-yard touchdown pass! Terrell Owens, he hasn't held on to anything—including his fingers—all day and he makes the winning touchdown catch! I don't believe it! One of the greatest finishes in 49er history! Somehow, someway, Owens, right down the middle! The coverage was there, he had very little room, the ball had to be perfect—IT WAS! And he caught it! Niners will win it! Niners will win it![8]
— Joe Starkey's call of The Catch II on January 3, 1999.
When the 49ers moved their broadcasts from KGO to rival station KNBR in 2005, Starkey had to resign from KGO in order to continue his role with the 49ers.[9] Starkey is still the broadcaster for the Cal Bears on KGO radio indefinitely. [1]
On December 18, 2008, Starkey announced his retirement as the play-by-play announcer of the 49ers, citing difficulties with travel from Saturday Cal football games to Sunday 49ers games.
In December 2010, The National Football Foundation honored him with "The Chris Schenkel Award" for his long and distinguished career broadcasting college football for the University of California at its annual awards dinner at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. He was nine times voted Best California play-by-play broadcaster by the Associated Press and was inducted into the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame in 2009. In 2016, he was inducted in the University of California Sports Hall of Fame.
Personal
Starkey and his wife Diane reside in the Bay Area. They have three sons and six grandchildren.
References
^ abcCrumpacker, John (December 19, 2008). "Starkey to quit 49ers' booth". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on December 21, 2008. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
^ abLoyolan 1964. Loyola University Chicago. 1964. p. 121.
^Chapin, Dwight (June 23, 2005). "Starkey to stay with 49ers". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on July 7, 2005. Retrieved August 18, 2022.