When John Ward stepped down as Voice of the Vols

[TNnative]

Since Ward retired I can honestly say I have not turned the TV down & listened to a radio broadcast while watching... can’t stand boring bob

DrT? I feel you. Hell, I have no idea who the Vol Network sponsors are anymore. But I guess there's enough sheeple who can swallow it, or those twits would have demanded an upgrade by now. Seriously, I don't effing get it.

 

[TNnative]

I am sure that I've posted this before, but when Bob Kesling was announced as the new Voice of the Vols after John Ward's retirement, I simply thought this was the Vol Network throwing a bone to a longtime, loyal employee, who would then step aside after 3 or 4 years and let someone with some real talent take over. Instead, I'm stuck still listening to this erroneous and stammering buffoon 20+ years later.

And as for Mike Keith, he's as bad as any of the other over excitable, play by play lunatics that cover their NFL teams (specifically, Indianapolis, Kansas City, San Francisco, and Carolina come to mind). There are literally 2 play by play guys in the NFL that I like: Brad Sham of the Dallas Cowboys, and Wes Durham of the Atlanta Falcons.

Where Kesling just makes me laugh at his total ineptitude, Keith makes me want to physically rip the radio out out of the dashboard and throw it onto the highway, then stop the car, back up, and run over the radio again.

I agree with some of that JCV. But I beg to differ on others.

Keith is no John Ward, but Hell, who is? But whereas I can not stand to listen to Kesling almost as badly as I go into a rage if someone plays a Taylor Swift song in my presence? Keith at least has a heartbeat in his delivery. We were never going to get another Ward, because the jugheads who make decisions for the Vol Network were going to give it to whoever locally stroked their stupid egos the most. It was going to be Keith or Kesling. And I am sure Keith might have gotten some flack from us, but at least he would not come across as neutral and vanilla. "What a turn of events" (Freak, please bring back the puking smiley, we desperately need it)

But if you thought Bob was going to step aside? What fantasy world were you living in? I knew damn well this dullard was going to ride that horse as long as he could. And as you know? He has, unfortunately. I can't remember who it was connected with the Vol Network I was sitting at a bar with one night, but he brought up how great and professional Kesling was. He asked what I meant when I said, "Opinions vary." I just told him, "I get the game. You are working for the network, so you are gonna toe the line to advance with it, and do the proper amount of butt kissing to climb the rungs. But I can be honest, and give you my gut feeling because I am not on that merry go round. So to be truthful? I have heard Bob. And I have heard eulogies that got me more excited than he does. It's like going to a strip club, and every dancer weighs 300 lbs, and looks like Phyliss Diller. Do you think any dollar are going into garters, or am I hitting the door in record time?

And the fact that the football program had pretty much consistently been on a downward trajectory since Ward retired? Not a surprise to me. I mean, think about it. When you replace a great like Ward with a poser like Kesling as the most prominent voice of your program? That lame brained thinking has been like s**t rolling downhill. How do you purge that thinking from the heads of the egomaniacs in charge? I hope somebody researches and finds a cure. Cause we need one really bad.

I have heard Durham a couple of times. Yeah, he is good. Can't stand the Cowboys, but I will try to tune in sometime and hear Sham. Might be something on YouTube.


Edit: Yeah Sham is good.

 

[TNnative]

NOOOOOOOO SIRRRRRR REEEEEEEE

Thanks for posting, OD. I was there. Thanks for the reminder.

Just noticed something I never did before. And I now know why Collins missed. Watch the replay one more time. Just before the snap, Collins flinched at about 1:58:09 before the center sent it back to the holder. He was lined up right before, but his left foot turned just enough to force him into overcorrecting. Chalk that one up to the crowd. He got rattled.

 

[Orange defense]

Thanks for posting, OD. I was there. Thanks for the reminder.

Just noticed something I never did before. And I now know why Collins missed. Watch the replay one more time. Just before the snap, Collins flinched at about 1:58:09 before the center sent it back to the holder. He was lined up right before, but his left foot turned just enough to force him into overcorrecting. Chalk that one up to the crowd. He got rattled.

I just rewatched that, and you’re right, he did flinch. His foot did look like it turned, and I agree that it was the crowd noise. Good catch!

 

[oheron16]

A true legend, a classic and class announcer - loved to hear his extra-point and field goal calls- "it's up and it's GOOOOOOOOD"
first started listening to him in the 60's, great part of Vol football I miss - besides wins!