HISTORY

Sunday Buzz: Remembering A USC Episode Of Emergency!

Randolph Mantooth, who portayed firefighter-paramedic Johnny Gage on “Emergency!,” has died at age 80.

This is a good time to point out that an entire episode of “Emergency!” revolved around the 1975 USC-Stanford game at the Coliseum.

The 1976 season premier was titled, “The Game.” In the episode, Squad 51 is assigned to work the USC-Stanford game at the Coliseum.

Fight On and Conquest are played several times. There are multiple scenes of Richard Saukko getting aboard Traveler and riding him through the Coliseum, although it’s definitely not from that USC-Stanford game.

Paramedics Gage and DeSoto are assigned to work the USC-Stanford game at the Coliseum and Gage thumbs through the game program and says, “McKay’s kid? What’s his number?”

“You’re asking me? I don’t know,” DeSoto replies.

Never mind that J.K. McKay’s final season at USC was 1974.

You get to see Vince Evans throw a 69-yard TD pass to wide receiver Junior Lee. But in the show, a fan says, “McKay, what a beautiful play. Fantastic.” And Gage, who didn’t see the play while treating an ailing fan, says, “It was McKay?”

Later, Gage says, “Did you see the stats on Ricky Bell?” At least Bell was the starting tailback in that game.

Later in the episode, the TV play-by-play man (Jack Carter) suffers a heart attack during the game, leaving the analyst (Larry Carroll) to call the game while Gage and DeSoto are treating Carter. Carroll even calls the opponent the Stanford “Cardinals.”

Gage and DeSoto use a defibrillator on Carter a couple feet from Carroll, who is actually calling the game while Carter is motionless and flatlining before he gets taken to the hospital.

The running joke is Gage and DeSoto never see the game because they are so busy treating fans. Among the other problems Gage and DeSoto deal with are a choking victim, a man with breathing difficulties, and an injured photographer.

The episode concludes with another version of Fight On.

The actual game was full of drama too. Stanford upset No. 9-ranked USC, 13-10, as Mike Langford kicked a 37-yard FG as time expired. Langford had missed three field goals before this but also hit a 55-yarder. This was one of four straight losses USC suffered after John McKay announced he would resign. Ricky Bell gained 195 yards in 35 carries.

You can watch the episode here.

28 thoughts on “Sunday Buzz: Remembering A USC Episode Of Emergency!”

  1. Kevin Tighe ( Roy DeSoto ) graduated from Pasadena High School in 1962, and went on to attend Pasadena City College and CSULA where he was a member of Beta Chi fraternity, before receiving a Bachelor’s degree from USC and then an MFA for acting in 1967.

    I bet Kevin knew McKay’s number.

    Mantooth was a long time smoker, had an unknown type of cancer in 2015 and died of pneumonia ( does Riley know this ?!??!? )

    Mantooth was a long time spokesman for the International Association of Firefighters. He was a lifetime member of the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians and a lifetime member of the Washington, D.C.-based Advocates for EMS. His work as an advocate for firefighters and EMTs also extended to Native American peoples. In May 2012, he filmed an Emergency Preparedness video in Minnesota at the Mille Lacs Ojibwe Reservation to be distributed to tribal leaders “I owe an incredible debt to firefighters, EMTs, and paramedics… so that’s a debt that no one can really pay back, but you can try. That’s why it’s so important for me to do what I do.”

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  2. On October 29th, two days after beating ND 24-17 in South Bend, McKay announces he will leave at the end of the season. USC is 7-0 and ranked #3 at the time

    Nov 1 @ Cal, SC loses 28-14

    Nov 8 Stanford SC loses 13-10

    Nov 15 @ Washington SC loses 8-7

    Nov 28 ucla SC loses 28-25

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    2. I think we need to include McKay kicking Texas A&M’s ass 20-0 in his final bowl game [btw, he coulda easily tied UCLA with a kick from the 25——he went for the win instead]…

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      1. Vince Evans couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn and Wendell Tyler fumbled at least 5 times, Evans was horrid that year, amazing job Hackett did on him for the 76 season

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      2. A&M game was a nothing burger, Rose Bowl or nothing back then. The ucla game shouldn’t have been close, SC messed up all game to lose. Thankfully Vermeil left, he was going to make ucla very good

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      4. double btw —- didn’t Vince Evans beat Notre Dame both times he played them?

        #It’dBeNiceIfSomeone…Someday…DidThatForUsAgain

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  3. Good report from Scott and Buddha. A lot of companies in Southern California hired USC students, athletes and non-athletes, to be interns in their companies. LAUSD hired athletes in all sports to serve as afterschool playground supervisors. Los Angeles became a great college town starting with USC and then UCLA and all of the state universities and private colleges. Fight on, Dan, Class of 1962

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  4. Grant Govel was selected in the 9th round by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Good landing spot for him. Pirates do a good job with young pitchers; they just don’t pay to keep them in free agancy. Johnson is the new ace of the staff. Hopefully, the transfer from Hawaii will be a stud as well, and the big high school recruit. Congratulations, Grant, …Pirate uniforms look great. Fight on, Dan, Class of 1962

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  5. As Buddha noted ” Thankfully Vermeil left, he was going to make ucla very good…” I’ve posted this before but anyway – After McKay’s announcement of leaving for the head coaching position with the TB expansion and the squad’s subsequent collapse Vermeil was approached by PHI for their HC slot. Vermeil contacted McKay and asked him what he thought of the offer to which McKay replied “…once ‘maybe twice’ the brass ring come around…..take it!” Which is exactly what Vermeil did.

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    1. “George Allen said, ‘You don’t get many offers to take a head coaching job. Take it.’ I talked to Chuck Knox, and he said, ‘take it.’ My coaching staff said, ‘Coach, you’re crazy. Take the job!’ I was making $30,000 a year coaching UCLA, and I got a raise to $50,000 a year to go to the Eagles.”

      McKay was never asked

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      2. Sybil was asked. I was there & I remember the scene perfectly……Sybil was with playing poker with Dana White and he was up 70 kajillion dollars …. the next thing we knew….

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      3. KAM: Philadelphia Freedom for Vermeil!

        But he would be denied by the Raiders in the 1981 Super Bowl 27-10 and burn out 2 years later. He stayed out of football 15 years before his successful return and 2000 Super Bowl win for the Rams. But he burned out again, then returned and flopped with the Chiefs.

        DON:If he had stayed at UCLA he would have been a revered legend with no expectations. The lure of easy money has a very strong appeal..

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  6. Follow-up to buddha – I did view a very detailed ‘you tube’ video where Vermeil was asked what led up to his signing with the PHI Eagles just after the Roise Bowl victory and no where did he mention McKay. I’m not creating a myth I did read that account but as to time and source – I have none.

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    1. KAM: John McKay recommended Dick Vermeil take the Philadelphia Eagles job? AI sez:

      Yes, that is true. Legendary USC coach John McKay played a pivotal role in convincing Dick Vermeil to accept the head coaching position with the Eagles in 1976. [

      The Advice That Changed Vermeil’s Mind

      When Eagles owner Leonard Tose first reached out to Vermeil—who was then the head coach of the UCLA Bruins—Vermeil was initially hesitant to jump to a struggling NFL franchise. He sought the counsel of McKay, his fierce crosstown rival from the University of Southern California (USC).

      • McKay’s Direct Words: According to historical accounts, when Vermeil told McKay about Philadelphia’s contract offer, McKay bluntly advised him, “Take it”. 
      • The Irony: Ironically, McKay himself left USC that very same year to join the NFL as the inaugural head coach of the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

      The Rest is History

      DON: Vermeil followed McKay’s advice, signed with the Eagles, and went on to completely transform the team. He snapped the franchise’s 18-year postseason drought by taking them to the playoffs in 1978 and eventually led them to Super Bowl XV during the 1980 season. Despite their fierce college rivalry, Vermeil and McKay maintained immense respect for one another in the pros, with Vermeil famously giving McKay the nickname “Dial-a-Quote” due to his legendary wit with reporters.

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      4. Says the person virtually everyone has asked to leave. She comes here every day to do nothing but cry. She loves to lie about that and claim it’s something else.

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      6. Thanks Gab! –

        I knew I’d read it and I also recall McKay specifically telling Vermeil (my recollection) “…once maybe twice in life the brass ring comes round….take it!”

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  7. DON: I have some SC games locked away in the memory-bank but that ’76 game isn’t one of them.

    KAM: Yeah, you think back on games you vividly recall and the list is pretty short

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