What are your favorite John Ward calls of all time?

#76
#76
Brave Volunteer said:
"No...Sir....Ree!! No...Sir...Ree!!!"

This one will always be the sweetest to me because of what this call ultimately meant to that season. Also from the same season...

"Your national champion is clad in big orange!!"
Click to expand...
i listened to a lot of John Ward called basketball Games.... even in the houston years. Call me a glutton for punishment! I think a very underrated call and one I haven’t seen mentioned yet was the call when Tennessee wrapped up the old “sec east Division title “on the last regular season game in ‘98, obviously a few months after the Fiesta bowl call. He said something to the effect of “THE SEC east division champion is clad in big orange! Now where have I heard that before?” Never was one better before and won’t ever be one after him !!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#77
#77
There’s so many! I’ll go with the Johnnie Jones run against Alabama! I was just a teenager, and I’ll never forget that call!! He was the best! We’ll miss him for sure!
 
#79
#79
As much as I enjoyed JW football calls I think he was at his best doing basketball. Man he could paint a picture of the Vols on the hardwood like no other. And how he worked the score and time left so seamlessly and regularly without disrupting or seeming mechanically I’ll never know. It’s been years since I did mostly baseball broadcast but it is a difficult thing to do and JW made it seem easy!
 
#80
#80
Steve Ray in the way.... when Steve would take charges on the hardwood. Free throw shooting ...”Guns...bang”.....
 
#85
#85
Not to get off topic, but the PA announcer in Neyland back in the day was great also.

I love how he called out the down and distance in crucial situations to let the drama build.

Fourth.............AND THREE!!!
 
  • Like
Reactions: FïreBall and MikeVol44
#88
#88
WesTnVol said:
TN-Bama game don’t remember the year but it was back when players would fake an injury.
Anyway Bama player went down and John said something about he may be injured or not. He immediately said “Im sorry shouldn’t of said that and I apologize to his family if they are listening.” Class!!! You don’t see or hear that much anymore.
Click to expand...

1982 Bama game. Remember the incident well. Bama was out of time outs and the guy flops. A GT fan who lead season tickets sat in the row behind us immediately yelled, “I hope he broke his blankety leg.” My ex-wife, who was a Bama fan started in on me about how UT fans had no class. That ex-wife label serves her very well.
 
#95
#95
Tin Man said:
"It's football time in Tennessee!"

Hearing John Ward speak those words in his unmistakable way - We were brought into the immediacy of the present. Everything was possible. Victory was achievable. Every time, my heart beat stronger and quicker, my identity as one of the Big Orange faithful was palpable. I was bursting with Tennessee pride, possessed of great gladness, and choking up all at the same time.

Yes, John Ward had some great calls, some that are remembered reverently by his peers in broadcast journalism and sports media. There are phrases which will always be his. No matter who speaks them in the future, they simply will be quoting one of the greats.

But for me, it's always "football time in Tennessee." Like John's spirit, that's eternal.
Click to expand...
This.
 
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top