Raiders honor a Vegas legend with David Humm Broadcast Booth
Growing up in Las Vegas, David Humm loved to talk football. It was a trait he carried throughout his career at Nebraska, through his days as a Raider and long after his playing days were over.
“We shared the same bedroom growing up, and when we were at Nebraska, we shared the same dorm room,” Humm’s brother Tom said Friday afternoon. “We were inseparable. We played three sports together, and talked a lot about football. David would stay up until 4 o’clock in the morning with his playbook. He was the most prepared quarterback who ever played.”
Humm displayed that mastery of the game as an analyst for the Raiders from 1995 to 2016. The native Las Vegan and graduate of Bishop Gorman High School died on March 27, 2018, after a two-decade battle with multiple sclerosis.
On Friday, the Raiders honored the ex-quarterback by naming their radio booth at Allegiant Stadium the David Humm Broadcast Booth.
With scant fanfare, Raiders owner Mark Davis simply invited Tom Humm and David’s daughter Courtney Humm to the stadium’s press level. He then dropped the drape that had been covering the image of the telegenic Humm during his Raiders days, warming up without his helmet and ready to sling it downfield.
Davis then hugged Tom and Courtney during the emotional moment.
“I had no idea,” Courtney Humm said, dabbing tears from her eyes. “It’s so much. There are not enough words. This display is just unbelievable. I honestly can’t believe this has happened. The Raiders meant so much to my father, and I remember how much he talked about Al Davis and how much playing for the Raiders meant to him.”
Davis, the legendary Raiders owner from 1972 until his death in 2011, set up a broadcast studio in Humm’s home after the former QB was confined to a wheelchair. He continued his career as a pregame and postgame analyst for several years.
“Dad just passed on the love for the Raiders to me,” Courtney Humm said. “So for this to be happening in honor of my father, it’s just simply unbelievable.”
Known as “Hummer,” the lefty QB was a star at Bishop Gorman and later a standout at Nebraska who was selected by the Raiders in the fifth round of the 1975 NFL Draft. He played in Oakland from 1975 to ‘79, and from 1983 to ‘84, backing up Ken Stabler for five seasons and Jim Plunkett in his final two.
Humm also played for the Bills in 1980 and the Colts in ‘81-‘82. But he is forever known as the Original Las Vegas Raider by the team and its Vegas fans.
Tom Humm, long known in Vegas as a marketing exec for Beasley Broadcast Group, recalled his brother’s famously selfless disposition.
“David had MS for 21 years, and after he died all my friends would tell me that when they called David, he would ask how they were doing,” Humm said. “He didn’t care how he was doing. It was, ‘How are you? How are the kids? The family?’ And it wasn’t fake. He was just the greatest guy.”
Smokey rises
Human Nature greeted a familiar face Friday night at their opener at South Point Showroom. Smokey Robinson dropped in to lend support to the weekend run. The Motown legend is largely responsible for delivering the Aussie act to Vegas in 2009.
We have #Motown everywhere … @smokeyrobinson reunites w/ @HumanNatureLive after last night’s opening @southpointlv. Show continues through Sunday … #RJnow @reviewjournal #Vegas pic.twitter.com/Q9oWplql8a
— John Katsilometes (@johnnykats) August 26, 2022
HN co-founder Andrew Tierney said Robinson expressed that the show was as great, if not better, than ever. The show has a new solo section, with some HN originals but still playing the classics. We expect it to be a crowd-pleaser when checking in Sunday night.
Reckless proposition
Michael Shapiro’s Reckless in Vegas brought the three-man horn section of Isaac Tubb (trumpet), Rob Stone (sax) and Kevin Mullinax (trombone, and lead groover) on Thursday night at the Sahara Theater. Everything’s better with horns, especially when the musicians are quasi-choreographed.
Guest star Anne Martinez rocked the room. The incoming guest singer, Niki Scalera, was also in the house, celebrating her birthday before taking the stage for her September run.
Maybe we know this one … @recklessinvegas @reviewjournal #RJnow #Vegas @SAHARALasVegas pic.twitter.com/TvGKSh7ZZU
— John Katsilometes (@johnnykats) August 26, 2022
Notoriety Live proprietor Ken Henderson and his crew were up front, observing with great interest. Henderson’s venue should be in play for RIV when the band ends its series at the Sahara in December.
Shapiro would certainly be up for it. “I love Ken Henderson and his team, and it would definitely be my first choice to work with them.”
No cats, No Dirk
On the the topic of Notoriety, Henderson says there are no plans to stage a Dirk Arthur show without Arthur’s exotic animals. Henderson and Arthur had been planning a “Magic Unleashed” show with a variety of animal acts when a flood of email protests compelled Henderson to call it off. Discussions for a show featuring Arthur’s comedy and magic have also dissipated. The animals are the “wow” for such a show, but the proposed use of animals was also its undoing.
A real ZB fan
The comic couple Traci Skene and Brian Kim bought a new household product during COVID-19.
“It’s a new fan, and we call it Zowie Blowie,” Skene said during her set at “The Dennis Bono Show” at South Point Showroom on Thursday afternoon. “I wake up and say, ‘Turn on Zowie Blowie!’” An insider-locals kinda joke, and a good one. Skene is at Laugh Factory at the Tropicana through the weekend, with John Joseph headlining.
Cool Hang Alert
The buzz is emanating — emanating, I tell you! — out of Maxan Sushi & Jazz, 4130 S Decatur Blvd. The Moonshiners, practitioners in “Prohibition pop,” are back from 7 to 10 p.m. Sunday. No cover. But there is a charge for sushi. We suggest reserving a table at maxanjazz.com.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.
