Vol Network Just Not the Same

[tennesseejim]

The upcoming switch to all digital television got me thinking about how far technology has come in America. If you are a football junkie, then you have ample opportunities to catch live games today. You can watch as many as 18 live college football games on a given Saturday, and now with ESPN 360 you can even watch live games over the internet.




Today’s younger viewers would be shocked to hear that you could only see the Vols play back in the 70’s by way of the Johnny Majors or Bill Battle TV shows on Sunday, or by attending the game. Tennessee was not a national powerhouse from 1975-1985, so rarely were the Vol games broadcast live on Television. That left us die-hard fans with one opportunity to follow the game and that was to listen to John Ward and Bill Anderson.




I grew up listening to John Ward and Bill Anderson, but many of you old timers probably remember George Mooney and even Lindsey Nelson. I have heard excerpts from both of them, and they were classic broadcasters to be sure, but John Ward was Tennessee football to me.




I lived and died with each broadcast as I listened to John describe the action at Neyland Stadium, or wherever the Vols played that particular weekend. John was a true radio announcer. He knew that we were not watching the game, so he described the game in a way that made us feel we were sitting there watching it with him.




Every Tennessee fan I know turned down the volume on their TV sets and listened to John when the game happened to be on television. After all, no TV announcer was going to describe the action with such passion and objectivity as John did.




He told us what was happening, and in John’s own words, Bill Anderson told us why. John was accurate, and Bill knew football.


Fast forward to today. I happen to like Bob Kesling as a person, he is an excellent ambassador for the university of Tennessee. Bob is friendly and always willing to take time out to visit with the fans, just as John Ward did, but Bob’s style just doesn’t do the Vol Network justice in my opinion. He is a television announcer not a radio announcer. He does not seem to be concerned about accuracy or adding a little flare to the broadcast, he seems more content to have a conversation with his team members Tim Priest and Mike Stowell.




If you happen to watch the games and listen to Bob, you will notice that he is accurate about half of the time when informing the listeners of the line of scrimmage, He then quickly turns the microphone over to Tim so he can give analysis of the play.

Call me crazy, but I am not concerned about the conversation, I want to know what is going on and where the ball is. I want to know the down and distance, and I would like to hear a little drama over the airwaves, even if the game isn’t producing the kind of drama that I want to hear. John did that; John could make any game sound interesting no matter what the score or situation.




It use to be that I could not wait for the Vol Network broadcast to come on, and I would listen the entire six hours until programming came to and end, now, I don’t even listen to the Vol Network. It’s sad to say that, because the Vol Network was the best in the nation for many years, now it’s just another Network and it sounds just like all the rest.

[volmanbill]

It's hard to follow a legend. Especially in todays media world.

[joeydupree]

I still have got to have my Vol Network.

[AllVolYall]

nice post tennesseejim. I remember the good ole days too. Like others said, it was a different day and time. I'm happy to say I had the opportunity to take that ride.

[hmanvolfan]

I was listening to a Bama game in my van back in the early eighties after they had been regularly kicking the Vols butts. Tennessee took a lead with about a minute and a half left and I was very nervous that the Bear coached team would come back for the win since he was the master of the clock back in his time. They started marching down the field and with about twenty seconds left a Tennessee db intercepted a pass on about the ten yard line. I almost punched a hole in the roof of the van.

[DyronNix]

One of the funny things about being brought up listening to bball games on the Vol Network was having the commercials permanently ingrained in your head.

To this day the following jingle will pop into my head from out of nowhere:

Look at the Philco (what a picture)
Look at that Philco (what a price) . . .

[tennesseejim]

I still remember the "Have a coke and a smile" commercial as well as Brown Squirrel. They were mainstays of the Vol network 'back in the day'.

[B-Stizzy]

Originally Posted by DyronNix

One of the funny things about being brought up listening to bball games on the Vol Network was having the commercials permanently ingrained in your head.

To this day the following jingle will pop into my head from out of nowhere:

Look at the Philco (what a picture)
Look at that Philco (what a price) . . .

Natural....Gas

thats the one i still have pop in my head lol

[Pirate lookin at 40]

You could listen to John Ward and picture the game vividly. Kesling is rather boring, even when the Vols aren't which is rare. Have you ever met John Ward? I work in cable TV and used to work with a couple different people that had worked at his house. Both said that he was a real jerk and that on one particular occasion he was so bad his wife made him go into a different room of the house so that he would leave the guy alone. I've met him a couple of different times myself and found him to be very friendly. Maybe he's just different at home, but aren't we all.

[tennesseejim]

I have met him several times and even been in his home twice. He is a class act all the way. Friendly, and sincere. He is one of the kindest men I have ever met and he still attends all UT games. He sits in the press box with his wife, Bill Anderson, and his wife.

[hmanvolfan]

Originally Posted by Pirate lookin at 40

You could listen to John Ward and picture the game vividly. Kesling is rather boring, even when the Vols aren't which is rare. Have you ever met John Ward? I work in cable TV and used to work with a couple different people that had worked at his house. Both said that he was a real jerk and that on one particular occasion he was so bad his wife made him go into a different room of the house so that he would leave the guy alone. I've met him a couple of different times myself and found him to be very friendly. Maybe he's just different at home, but aren't we all.

Maybe they had just drilled a hole in his wall at the wrong place or knocked an expensive vase on the floor...

[Chemvol]

Originally Posted by hmanvolfan

I was listening to a Bama game in my van back in the early eighties after they had been regularly kicking the Vols butts. Tennessee took a lead with about a minute and a half left and I was very nervous that the Bear coached team would come back for the win since he was the master of the clock back in his time. They started marching down the field and with about twenty seconds left a Tennessee db intercepted a pass on about the ten yard line. I almost punched a hole in the roof of the van.

I remember listening to that game too...almost like it was yesterday.

[jackaro]

I do remember the days of turning down the sound on the television and listening to Ward. He was a master at both football and basketball. It is hard to follow a legend, but Kesling was just terrible when he first started out. He would stumble and bumble his words too much and oftentimes have to correct himself after naming the wrong player. Kesling has improved a great deal since those days, he's improved so much he is mediocre now. One thing that annoys me about Kesling is that when the clock is started he says "they wind the clock." Whenever he says this I picture some guy turning a big knob on the scoreboard to power the game clock.

[hmanvolfan]

Originally Posted by Chemvol

I remember listening to that game too...almost like it was yesterday.

You're right. That moment will be etched in my mind forever.

[Trminton]

John ward has a style all his own in Football and Basketball broadcasts. "Give him 6" when a touchdown occured or "bottom" when a basket was made was all John. I started listening to UT sports in 1979 and really miss his broadcasts.