Larry Bird on WTHI Captain Jack Show
February 1979
Jack Hanes Collection
-sometime after New Mexico State game, which was on 2/1. Friday broadcast
Tapelog 11/24
In 1979, during Indiana State University’s run to the NCAA Basketball National Championship game, the team became fans of a local Terre Haute afternoon kids’ program, Captain Jack. The show was hosted by WTHI’s Production Manager, Jack Hanes.
On one memorable February afternoon during the season, members of the team, including Larry Bird, visited WTHI-TV so they could be in the audience for the Captain Jack show.
The players made their own newspaper pirate hats
Production note. This program was recorded at WTHI. What you will mostly see is the live camera shots from the studio. When the show goes to a cartoon or commercial, you will hear the cartoon or commercial but you will see what is going on in the studio.
00:08 Captain Jack promotes the ISU basketball team’s visit, with players cheering off camera.
00:32 Cartoon -Merrie Melodies, Tom Thumb (partial)
04:04 WTHI’s auxiliary tower for power outages
04:17 Captain Jack introduces ISU Players for individual interviews
04:40 Tom Crowder, team is happy with undefeated season.
-from Cayuga, IN
05:36 Rich Nemcek. Team practices 2-2.5 hours a day
-not getting tired this season w/ all the success
06:22 Rick Shaw, student trainer & manager
-he puts in more work than players
07:00 Steve Reed. Guard
07:43 Bob Heaton -Cory, IN, Clay City HS
-hit the half-court shot against New Mexico State to keep team undefeated
08:25 Rod McNelly. Speedway, IN
09:00 ??? player who is redshirted this season. 6’11 center
09:30 Bob “Tex” Ritter. From Indy, says hello to people of Olney, IL
09:55 ***Larry Bird.
From French Lick. Got interested in basketball to meet girls
10:47 Brad Miley, Rushville, IN
-basketball is tiring when coach is on you
11:38 Captain Jack says all the players will color a picture for the audience
12:00 Cartoon -only very beginning
12:12 ISU players coloring pictures in studio while you can hear sound from cartoon on the
air
-can see WTHI Sports Director Bob Forbes watching them draw
14:36 close up of Larry Bird coloring
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15:26 Captain Jack back in studio with ISU players
-they are coloring pictures of Captain Jack. Private contest on which player has best
picture.
16:09 closeup of one of the drawings
16:27 Cartoon
16:40 More studio shots of players coloring
18:45 Close up of Bob Heaton wearing his newspaper hat
Cosmic candy commercial
23:24 Captain Jack back in studio with ISU basketball team
23:45 Shows Rich Nemcek drawing
23:58 Larry Bird’s coloring
24:24 Tom Crowder
24:56 Bob Heaton’s drawing
25:22 Steve Reed
26:08 somebody drew a picture of Coach Bill Hodges
26:15 White piece of paper to symbolize the toilet paper ISU fans throw onto the court at
the start of each game
26:45 They are all declared winners of contest and get WTHI baseball caps
27:16 Tom Crowder gets grand prize of a nutrition t-shirt
27:35 Tom Crowder does his Incredible Hulk impression
27:56 Camera turns green as Crowder takes off his shirt and does his Hulk impression
29:15 end of program
29:20 a few seconds of a Mr. Microphone commercial