Strange: Still talking up Vols

The size and speed of the players, not to mention their ethnicity. Their Star Wars-like equipment. (I know, "Star What?'' our traveler would ask).

The double-decked, bowled-in stadiums with luxury boxes. And let's not even get started with the media blitz.

How comforted, then, our traveler would be to turn on the radio a couple of hours before kickoff in Knoxville and find two familiar friends.

The world around it may have exploded, but "The Locker Room'' has stayed virtually the same for all of its 45 years.

While Andy, Barney and Aunt Bee live on in ageless, endless black-and-white reruns, Gus Manning and Haywood Harris remain real-life icons of Tennessee football.

Their game-day radio show "The Locker Room" is billed (by them) as the longest-running continuous sports radio program in America.

"And who's to dispute it?'' Harris said.

The format hasn't deviated noticeably since it first aired in 1961. Manning and Harris give a scouting report on Tennessee opponent. The opponent's publicity director is always the guest. Manning reviews the day's SEC games.

Manning, 83, has been at UT since 1951, when he was hired by General Robert Neyland to handle publicity. In 1961, Manning recruited Harris to the publicity office.

Ever since, they've been radio partners, co-authors and walking encyclopedias of Tennessee football.

Manning had a streak of attending 608 consecutive UT football games until he slipped on some ice en route to the 2003 Kentucky game and had to go back home.

He and Harris, who allegedly retired in 2000 but still works the press box on game day, were recently among the initial class of inductees to the Tennessee Sports Writers Association Hall of Fame.

Manning already had a radio show when the idea of "The Locker Room" was born. Harris says they were "talked into it" by the station WROL. After a couple of years, it switched over to WIVK and has stayed there ever since.

"We've got good listenership partially because we've got a captive audience,'' Harris said.

Focusing on the opponent makes sense. By Saturday, everything that could possibly be said about the Vols has long since been run into the ground.

Never has a visiting publicist refused to do the show. Of course they haven't. Not even Osama bin Laden would turn down Gus and Haywood.

"They know who their studs are,'' Manning said. "We tell (the audience) what to look for and then it actually happens.''

The dean of guests is Claude Felton of Georgia.

"Two great things have happened in my career,'' said Felton. "Georgia winning the national championship in 1980 and being invited to be on 'The Locker Room'.''

The show is actually taped on Thursday afternoon at WIVK. However, Manning, Harris and their guests maintain the illusion that broadcast is coming live on Saturday from the actual locker room.

"I got 'em one year,'' said Kentucky's Tony Neely. "I said, 'Hey, Gus, you all have done a great job remodeling the locker room. New paneling, new paint, it smells great.'

"I went on and on about how nice it was and they finally started laughing. It was hard to get back on track.''

Manning snorts at the notion that the show requires any preparation. But don't believe him.

Harris lines up all the guests long before the opening kickoff. And Manning comes armed with stats.

"He asks some very good questions,'' Harris said.

Here's a question. Not even these venerable hosts can go on forever. Does "The Locker Room" have a long-range future?

"There's a lot of people would like to take it over,'' said Harris, "but Gus and I won't give 'em a chance 'til we have to.''

That's comforting to hear. So hear them while you can.

Mike Strange may be reached at 865-342-6276 or strange2@knews.com.