It was 50 years ago today that Bill Anderson and John Ward did their first broadcast

[Freak]

 

[Nocleats]

I was 7 and listening

 

[HollowaytoSeivers]

My family was proudly listening on WTPR in Paris.

 

[Aerie Vol]

Wasn't born until five years later, but I did stand in the basement working on some project with my dad while we both heard Willie Gault "running all the way to the state capitol."

Dang I miss John.

AV

 

[salsahound]

I was in the 9th grade and probably grounded from getting so many paddling's at school so I'm sure I listened to it. One tee shirt in underwear meant pretty good pain, two meant a little and three meant none.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

WATE in Knoxville. AM 620. Later renamed WETE and was huge as WRJZ after that.

 

[NorCalVol67]

Simply the greatest broadcasting team.

I was one, but I probably was listening to it as I am sure my Dad had it on.

 

[savannahfan]

I remember their start. Maybe not during the first game, but not after too many, I thought "man this guy with Ward is sorta slow". of course, time changed this perception. Bill turned out to be as good at tell we fans in a down to earth what was happening as anyone I have ever heard. He and John were as good a "team" as I have ever listened to. The way they fed off of each other was effortless. Just wish all teams could be as good. It would make watching and listening a much less chaotic experience.

 

[MyBloodRunnethOrange]

I was in my Mama's belly at the time. About 2 months away from making my grand entrance into the world

 

[Tin Man]

Whippersnappers...

 

[volsportsfan]

The world had to wait 13 more excruciating years for my presence

 

[NorCalVol67]

I was in my Mama's belly at the time. About 2 months away from making my grand entrance into the world

Were you listening in Utero?

 

[chuckb1448]

Hands down the best their ever was

 

[catss350]

I have incredibly fond memories of going to my uncles house with my dad when I was a young kid and listening to John Ward with the volume off on the tv. Really miss those times.

 

[Roustabout]

Ward started in 65 right? Did He have a color guy before Anderson joined him in 68?

 

[Type Orange+]

It was also the debut of artificial turf on Shields-Watkins Field and more significantly, Lester McClain, Tennessee's first black football player.

 

[tbones0711]

not giving up my age but wasn't Lindsey Nelson the voice of the Vols prior to J.Ward? I just can't quite recall if he was full-time but he moved onto greener pastures with one of the big 3 networks. He was a top-of-the line broadcaster also.

 

[OldandStillaVol]

Ward started in 65 right? Did He have a color guy before Anderson joined him in 68?

I think he started for UT basketball first. He was great at basketball. The amazing thing to me was how he could change the pace of his delivery for the 2 different sports.

 

[livefaith]

I was 7 and listening

I was 5 & can't remember this. But I'm confident it was playing somewhere around the house if my dad had a pulse.

 

[Roustabout]

I think he started for UT basketball first. He was great at basketball. The amazing thing to me was how he could change the pace of his delivery for the 2 different sports.

He had the goods. I had the privilege of talking ball with John for about 40 minutes. I guess everybody asked him about football and i was always a bigger bball fan. So, when i asked him about the basketball team, he said, "Do you have a place we can sit down? I was like, "Yes sir!" And, we sat in my office and broke down the team for the coming year. This was in the Fall of 98 because i had him autograph some things.

 

[ksgovols]

Listening in on WKRM in Columbia at age 6. Home of Lindsey Nelson!

 

[LakeMaryFLVol]

A lot of people don't understand how innovative and amazing it was to have that amount of stations broadcasting a college football team in 1968. They pioneered and paved the road for my time in the 80's and for Steve back then when he was a Sales rep to running the show today

 

[oheron16]

cut my teeth as a then young Vol fan listening to John, especially after the extra-points: "it's good"
reading the article brought back a lot of memories of looking up to those players- got to meet Dickey and Karl Kremser (even got a kicking lesson from him)
John Ward would really accentuate the kicks made: "kick is up and it's Gooooood!"

 

[dougvolfan]

I was 6 yrs old. Dickey went to our church and knew my father. My father took us down to the field after church one day and we saw the turf that was being put down. Very cool.

 

[CINCYVOL]

Was born during game at Ft Sanders, apparently you could see the stadium from her room. The nurse asked if she wanted to see the game, she told the nurse she’d rather get this baby out.