Jim Zabel

{{Short description|American broadcaster}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Jim Zabel

| image = Ed Podolak and Jim Zabel 2009-09-20.jpg

| caption = Ed Podolak (left) and Zabel at the WHO-radio studios in Des Moines, Iowa, September 2009

| birth_name = James Zabel

| birth_date = {{birth date|1921|9|5}}

| birth_place =

| death_date = {{death date and age|2013|5|23|1921|9|5}}

| death_place = Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S.

| occupation = Sports broadcaster

| years_active = 1944–2013

| spouse =

| children =

}}

Jim Zabel (September 5, 1921 – May 23, 2013) was an American radio and television broadcaster best known for serving as the play-by-play announcer for Iowa Hawkeyes football and men's basketball games for 48 years on WHO (AM) Radio. A native of Davenport, Iowa, Zabel attended The University of Iowa, where he was an editor of the student newspaper, graduating with a degree in journalism in 1944.Hawkeye 1944 (yearbook) Zabel joined WHO as the sports director in 1944,[http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/speeches/1984/22084b.htm Reagan Library] He was employed by the station as a talk-show host after retiring from play-by-play.{{Cite web |url=http://www.whoradio.com/pages/twoguysnamedjim.html |title=Two Guys Named Jim |access-date=2009-08-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080907193814/http://www.whoradio.com/pages/twoguysnamedjim.html |archive-date=2008-09-07 |url-status=dead }}

Zabel worked for WHO-AM and its sister television station, WHO-TV, as both a sports broadcaster and as a host of general-interest programs. His television shows included Beat the Bear, which lasted for 25 years,{{Cite web |url=http://www.offenburger.com/lspaper.asp?link=20051013 |title=Chuck Offenburger |access-date=2009-08-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719124050/http://www.offenburger.com/lspaper.asp?link=20051013 |archive-date=2011-07-19 |url-status=dead }} and Let's Go Bowling, which lasted for more than 30 years.[http://georgedavisoniowalaw.typepad.com/george_davison_iowa_law/2008/04/jim-zabel-being.html George Davison]

Zabel was a live presence for a half-century of sporting events in Iowa, including the Drake Relays,[http://ddr.lib.drake.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/du-relays&CISOPTR=434 Drake Library] for which he provided radio commentary for many years. It has been estimated that he provided commentary for more than 6,100 sporting events.[http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070819/sports11/110240002] Des Moines Register He was named to the Iowa Sports Hall of Fame in 2007. In 1997, Zabel was succeeded by Gary Dolphin as the play-by-play announcer for network broadcasts of Iowa Hawkeyes football and men's basketball games.

Zabel died on May 23, 2013, at the age of 91 doing what he loved, preparing for his Sunday evening WHO-radio show, Two Guys Named Jim at his home in Arizona.{{Cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/2013/05/24/jim-zabel-iowa-broadcasting-legend-dies/2358185/|title = Jim Zabel, Iowa broadcasting legend, dies at 91| website=USA Today }}{{cite web|url=http://whotv.com/2013/05/23/sporting-icon-jim-zabel-dies/|title=SPORTING ICON: Jim Zabel Dies|last=Hoyle|first=Sam|date=May 23, 2013|publisher=WHO-TV|accessdate=May 24, 2013}}