Yup, that’s the Kansas Jayhawks’ play-by-play basketball announcer screaming like his hair’s on fire.

“OH!” he yells with an indignant howl as he comes progressively unglued during a recent Kansas-Missouri game.

“THEY CALL AN INTENTIONAL FOUL! OH MY GOODNESS! HE JUST REACHED DOWN. THEY’RE CALLING IT AN INTENTIONAL FOUL! … WHAT IN THE WORLD?”

We know what you’re thinking. How can I become such a passionate play-by-play man, or — as a fellow broadcaster described Davis — a radio god? That’s what we asked the longtime broadcaster.

“The best thing to do if you want to be a play-by-play man is to be able to ad lib,” Davis said. “There’s no script. You just have to work at it. You can read textbooks or take classes, but the theory of it doesn’t do you much good until you do it.

“When you’re walking down the street or driving your car just start describing what you see. Hook your eyes to your mouth and eliminate your brain. Describe what someone’s wearing, or how they’re walking.”

Just don’t scream at anybody. You have to earn that right. Keep in mind that Davis, who at 66 is in his 43rd year of broadcasting (and 27th for KU) started his career in the summer of 1968, a year before man landed on the moon.

The broadcaster, who also calls Kansas City Royals games on TV, knows the value of channeling emotion to bring a game alive. He also knows it’s not as important as keeping the listener informed.

“What’s the score? Who has the ball? Where are we in the game? Third inning, or eight minutes to play in the third quarter? I don’t think anybody who does this can give the score too much. Somebody is tuning in every time you turn around so you have to keep updating. If you can entertain in the process, that’s great. But keeping them updated is the most important.”

That’s fine. But let’s talk more about that passion.

“Even if you’re the ultimate professional there still has to be a little bit of a fan in you,” he said. “But you need to know your audience. I do national games differently than on the Jayhawk Network.

“People ask me, ‘How do you do it?’ I say, ‘There’s about as many ways to do it as there are people doing it.’ From Harry Carey on one side to Vin Scully on the other. But one thing you learn early on as a broadcaster is you don’t have control over the outcome of a ballgame.

“Dev Nelson, who did Kansas State games in the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s, told me you should prepare every game as if your team is going to lose by 50 points. You still need things that you’ve prepared, and facts and stories.”

Davis has a million of them. And in good times and bad, he always has fun.

“The most fun thing about doing the KU games is getting to know the coaches,” he said. “The worst thing is when you have travel problems (such as) getting to Ames, Iowa, in the middle of a snowstorm. But (fellow broadcaster) Merle Harmon told me one time if people are listening to the game they don’t care if you’re having problems. They just want to hear the game. The game is the story. Not your misery.”

Memories?

“It would be hard to pick out one memory as a favorite,” he said. “It’s been such a fortunate run of many years of such experiences. But ’08 wasn’t too bad when Mario Chalmers hit that shot” (to win the NCAA championship).

“The hardest thing about what I do? The odd hours. You might be working on Christmas Day. When I talk to college classes in broadcasting I say if you’re interesting in doing this and you also want a 9-to-5 job, this might not be for you. You have to love it to do it.”

Davis does.

So does his son, Steven, who broadcasts UMKC men’s basketball games and minor league games for the Royals’ Northwest Arkansas team.

“I’m more excitable,” Davis said. “He’s very steady.”

Takes all types.

“We have so many guys (in this area) who have been so good,” he said. “Max Falkenstien (who partnered with Davis before retiring), Merle Harmon, Bill Grigsby, who we just lost, Monty Moore, Dev Nelson, Gary Bender, Kevin Harlan, Tom Hedrick.”

Davis’ biggest influences include Jack Buck, Dick Enberg and his dad.

“When I was a kid we lived in Independence, Kansas, and my dad was the sports editor of the newspaper,” he said. “I remember him going to cover (games). That’s kind of where this all started.” Davis has some encouraging words.

“Hey, give it a shot,” he said. “See if you can do it. I’ve found this to be a great job and a fun ride.”