BY MATT LEPAY
Voice of the Badgers

MADISON, Wis. — For many sports fans, 2016 will mark the end of an era. A broadcasting era. As a longtime fan of those who have an extra special knack of describing games people play, it seems appropriate to use this week's space to salute three legends of the craft.

Vin Scully. Dick Enberg. Verne Lundquist.

Last Friday night in Los Angeles, the Dodgers honored Scully, who is working his 67th and final season in baseball. It was a moving ceremony featuring speakers such as Sandy Koufax and Kevin Costner. I have never had the pleasure of meeting the man many call baseball's greatest announcer. Yet with his easy, always-in-rhythm delivery, he comes across as an old friend.

Much has been written and said about Vin Scully. Those I know in baseball generally start by saying "He's a great man." Brewers TV voice Brian Anderson likes to say Scully is so good that he has ruined it for the rest of us. During a Brewers visit to Los Angeles in June, "BA" interviewed Scully. Near the end of the interview, Anderson — who is as talented as any broadcaster I know — started to get choked up. 

Knowing that made me feel better Friday when I watched the Dodgers pay tribute to Scully on Friday night. Nothing like sitting in a hotel room in East Lansing, Michigan, and getting watery eyes watching a ceremony on my iPad.

For the last several years, Dick Enberg has been the lead TV voice for the San Diego Padres. The rest of us know him as the voice of nearly everything. Super Bowls. Rose Bowls. Final Fours. Wimbledon. You name it, and there is a decent chance Enberg was there to guide us through.

In fact, Enberg's last visit to the Kohl Center was for a huge basketball game. March 5, 2000. Dick Bennett's Badgers against Indiana. Bob Knight's final regular-season game as the Hoosiers' head coach. Enberg was working with Al McGuire. It was the last assignment for the former Marquette coach, who was seriously ill and died the following January.

The game was a thriller, with the Badgers coming from behind to beat IU. It was an important game that helped Wisconsin earn an NCAA bid. If you remember, it was a pretty good run, ending with a trip to the Final Four.

Enberg is part of the 2011 Rose Bowl Hall of Fame Class. It was a fun luncheon to attend, in no small part because a broadcaster I have long admired went into the Hall with a running back I kind of like — Ron Dayne.

Verne Lundquist is known to many as "Uncle Verne." Even in the subjective world of broadcasting, I have to believe his folksy manner is impossible not to enjoy. 

In the last several years, Lundquist has worked a handful of Wisconsin basketball games for CBS. In addition, on Oct. 23, 1982, he was on the call at Camp Randall Stadium. The Bounce Pass game vs. Illinois.

Trailing 26-22 late in the game, Randy Wright, Al Toon and Jeff Nault combined for one of the program's most exciting plays. "Second down 10. Ball at the 40," Lundquist told the TV audience. "Wright — quick drop. One hopper. It's the 'Oh, my' play! There's a man open! They got it at the 10. Jeff Nault! Touchdown!"

For the next 40 seconds, Lundquist said nothing. He let the pictures tell the story.

A couple of years ago, another great sportscaster, Al Michaels, wrote a book titled You Can't Make This Up. In the preface, he mentions a priceless piece of advice from Curt Gowdy (another giant in the industry). It is a simple message: Don't ever get jaded.

Beyond their obvious talent, each of these men followed that advice. It is sports. It is supposed to be fun. It is supposed to make us feel like that young boy or girl who fell in love with the games.

I will never approach their skill level, but as long as the anticipation of the next game remains exciting, at least I will have the right idea.

Thank you Mr. Scully. Thank you Mr. Enberg. Thank you Mr. Lundquist. You have helped make the games what they are supposed to be.