John Ward has passed away.

#76
#76
wmcovol said:
Greatest basketball announcer of all time anywhere! True Voice of the Vols. No one will ever come close. God bless him.
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This. He was a good football announcer, but he was greatest calling a basketball game. Loved hearing John saying "good" after a Dale Ellis or Tony White made basket.
 
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#78
#78
Back when John Ward was calling the games I would always be down in Alabama deer hunting on the 3rd sat in October. At game time our farm house would fill up with our local Alabama friends to watch the game with us. If the game was on TV they wanted to turn the sound on the tv off and listen to John on the radio. If the game was only on the radio we had John on the radio. They loved him too.
He was the best ever.

RIP
 
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#79
#79
No matter when you turned the game on, within seconds you knew the score and how much time remained. Nowadays it may take what seems forever to find out score and time remaining. He and Majors were great together on the Johnny Majors show. Post game interviews with Kevin O'Neill were great too. O'Neill would have Ward rolling with laughter.
 
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#82
#82
One of my favorite memories was when he spent 20 minutes talking basketball with me one on one.

He will be missed.
 
#83
#83
My prayers go out to his family through this trying time! He was hands down the best broadcaster I've ever had the pleasure of listening to! He will be missed!!!
 
#86
#86
I’m really heartbroken. I listened to John as a kid on the radio washing the car with my Dad around 7 yrs old, in the Army at Redstone in my late teens, volume down on my TV with John calling games until he retired thru my adulthood. He was a big exciting part of our lives for a long time. No TV necessary with him in the booth. RIP John Ward. Gone but not or ever forgotten.
“Did he make it make it?....He made it!...Touchdown Tennessee!”!
 
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#87
#87
Much respect paid to a great one from another kind of era that will never be seen again.
 
#89
#89
What.a legend!

Tonight there are old men in this great state with tears running down their cheeks. And I am one of them.

Probably the best game I ever heard was the UT-South Carolina game in 1970.

From Mountain Home to Memphis and all points in between it will always be Football Time in Tennessee!

Thank you John Ward!
 
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#90
#90
I'll never forget my first Vol game in person ever in 1998 vs Arkansas and listening to his amazing broadcast in my headphones in the stands with him screaming "Give him Six!" when Cheese scored that final TD and the place erupted....

I miss those days :(
 
#91
#91
My buddy texted me and I broke down in the middle of Kroger. RIP to a legend and a man that painted the way with his voice to bleed orange. Heavy hearted and saddened but heaven is brighter in orange. GIVE HIM SIX!
 
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#94
#94
Every Vol fan should have tears tonight. We lost a legend.

The games he called, the memories I have because of John Ward.

Favorite game was the Notre Dame game in South bend, or when Jeff Powell busted through the left side of the line in the 3rd quarter of the ‘86 Sugar bowl and blew past Blades and went 60 yards. Still gives me goosebumps.

Thank you John for being a key part of my childhood.

RIP Mr. Ward.
 
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#95
#95
''....William Howard fullback from Lima, Oh....smashes off right guard for 3 yards, hard earned yards Bill Anderson. Twisting, turning, churning to move the chains for the big orange.''

It's a black day in Rocky Top, the Voice of the Tennessee Volunteers has fallen silent but will be remembered.
 
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#96
#96
vols 30 said:
This. He was a good football announcer, but he was greatest calling a basketball game. Loved hearing John saying "good" after a Dale Ellis or Tony White made basket.
Click to expand...

He was beyond great at both. I’ve never heard his equal from anyone announcing a college football or basketball game. He was the eyes and ears for so many of us who didn’t grow up being able to watch the Vols in person. I started listening to John with my mom and dad at the age of 7, didn’t actually step foot in Neyland Stadium until I was a college freshman at Tennessee 12 years later....and during those 12 years John gave me the pictures, the feel, the sounds of Tennessee football in a way that made me love it....so many great, lifelong memories all due to this man’s enormous passion and talent. RIP to the greatest to ever do it....he’s deeply missed already.
 
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#97
#97
I have a great number of memories narrated by the voice of Mr. Ward.

Prayers of comfort and peace for his family. From what I knew of him, I have no doubt that he's in good shape.
 
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#98
#98
RIP John Ward. You, sir...are a true VFL. You made Tennessee come to life for me. You will be missed.
 
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