Honoring John Ward

#1

sport3500

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#1
I think it would be fitting if they do a retirement ceremony and put John Ward's name up there with the retired jerseys and Ray Mears at TBA sometime this season.....

What does the board think?
 
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#2
#2
I think it would be fitting if they do a retirement ceremony and put John Ward's name up there with the retired jerseys and Ray Mears at TBA sometime this season.....

What does the board think?

Could be wrong, but I think that has already been done. Seems like they have a Ward banner in the rafters.

Edit: Just looked it up. Ward and Mears were both honored with banner on March 1, 2006.
 
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#3
#3
I think it would be fitting if they do a retirement ceremony and put John Ward's name up there with the retired jerseys and Ray Mears at TBA sometime this season.....

What does the board think?

I'm down with that. I just listened to some of the old John Ward recordings and it made me remember some old times sitting around the radio with my dad (RIP-I love you). Those were great times in the 70s and 80s.

I know these young players don't look at these boards--thank G-d--but if they did, I can hear John saying' ..here is Admiral, coming around the key...he gets the feed... he drives to the corner, he squares,,,shoots,,,BOTTOM!

Man, Admiral, you couldn't be do better than that.
 
#6
#6
Fortunately, they honored him while he was still alive. While he deserves plenty of threads, there are already several.
 
#12
#12
I think that they named just one floor of the Neyland skybox for Ward. 5th floor possibly. The John Ward Broadcast Level or something.

He had an interesting view at Stokely. He had to hike to the top row opposite the benches and there was a long walkway out to the platform hanging from the ceiling. It might have been made out of wood.
 
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#13
#13
Ward might actually have been better/more entertaining calling basketball games than he was football. And he was damn good at calling football.

I got in on the whole John Ward era. I would listen with my dad before and during the Ernie/Bernie era. There is no telling how many baskets I made with paper wads into trashcans during those games. Actually going to a game was fun, but somehow not as exciting as listening to John Ward.

To your point, it could be argued either way. Two different sports. I would just go with, he was simply very good at both.
 
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#14
#14
I've seen a lot of posts about John Ward doing basketball games by himself. But AW Davis was the color man for a few years after he was no longer an assistant coach.

AW coached at UT from 1969-1975 and the following 2 years at Walters State. He was on the radio with JW for a couple of years no earlier than the Cliff Wettig year in 1977-78.
 
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#18
#18
I got in on the whole John Ward era. I would listen with my dad before and during the Ernie/Bernie era. There is no telling how many baskets I made with paper wads into trashcans during those games. Actually going to a game was fun, but somehow not as exciting as listening to John Ward.

To your point, it could be argued either way. Two different sports. I would just go with, he was simply very good at both.

I did the same. I would put on gym shorts and a wife beater t shirt and make the dining room my stokley. Vols always won because I always scored all the points
 
#20
#20
Why not add ward to the arena name? Thompson boiling-ward arena

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#22
#22
I had the neef hoop that hung on the door with the orange foam ball. I had some nasty dunks. Just saying.

As did I. My 1st dunks were made by jumping and putting my foot on the closet door to get an extra boost. When I finally didn't need the boost from the closet door, I became Dr. J and/or Dale Ellis (my first Vol basketball hero).
 
#24
#24
I think that they named just one floor of the Neyland skybox for Ward. 5th floor possibly. The John Ward Broadcast Level or something.

He had an interesting view at Stokely. He had to hike to the top row opposite the benches and there was a long walkway out to the platform hanging from the ceiling. It might have been made out of wood.



In the early years at Stokely there were not even bleachers on one side of the court. Made it a huge cavernous room.

And the press /broadcast table was suspended from the ceiling with the catwalk you mention to get to it. It looked dangerous to me.

Someone with a better memory than me can correct me but I remember the early Stokely years play by play was done by the one and only Lowell Blanchard--the raido personality who did the popular daily country "Mid Day Merry go round" I think it WNOX.

John Ward came after Blanchard and I think by then Stokely was finished and there was a place for him court side.

Going back over 50 years though and it's not easy!

digging deeper I see that Ward and Blanchard worked basketball together in 1965. But, earlier in the 60s it was Blanchard and a former Fulton Hi B'baller (I cant remember his name--Joe something) who did color with Blanchard. I remember seeing them walk the catwalk to get into position to call a game.

anyone older than me with a memory feel free to add to


In 1966 the 7,500 seat capacity "Armory-Fieldhouse" was increased to 12,700 and renamed "Stokely Athletic Center" to honor W. B. Stokely whose donation funded the renovation.
 
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