John Ward/Tennessee multi media archive, what I'd like to see

#26
#26
On eBay you can get new DVDs of The Voice and Give Him 6 for $24.99. Today if you order minimum of $25 total, you can get 15% discount.
 
#27
#27
esarmstrong said:
I've been watching and rewatching that video of the 1975 Kentucky Tennessee basketball game, reliving my very youthful memories of that game and listening to it on my home transistor radio as 13 year-old youth.

John Ward, the basketball announcer, is where the majority of my lasting and vivid memories lie, especially during the King/Grunfeld era.

BTW, look closely at the images of the team being introduced. You will see that those introductions were apparently "harvested" from the Alabama game that same year. If you look closely you can see the players in the background have on red uniforms and a very young C. M. Newton is looking on.

EDIT: BTW, I just noticed in the very opening moments of the game where John Ward says "Woods saunters past the time line". Who in sports broadcasting has ever used the English language in such an artful and unscripted way to describe the action?

There will never be another John Ward in our lifetimes. I believe that is the thing that makes me so sad today and fills me so much with a feeling of nostalgia.
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One time a football running back made a first down “he twists he turns he serpentines his way for a first down”
 
#28
#28
mmmjtx said:
I was in Stokley for TN v KY in 1975, and, quite simply, it was the greatest BB game I have ever seen.
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I was born in 57. Graduated in 1980. Columbia kid, went to the same high school that produced Lindsey Nelson. Had an uncle who worked for NASA in Huntsville. Small world indeed.

I’m still in Columbia and OK the invoices as a Vol Network sponsor. I had the immense privilege of getting to know Ward in his final years. I’ll pass this thread on to the guys at the Vol Network.
 
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#29
#29
Volosaurus rex said:
George Mooney was John Wards immediate predecessor, serving as the Vols' play-by-play announcer from 1952-67 (Vol Network Announcer George Mooney Dies - University of Tennessee Athletics). Perhaps Mooney was ill for the 67 Alabama game and John filled in. According to this source (John Ward (broadcaster - Wikipedia)), Johns first broadcast of a UT basketball game for the Vol Network came in 1958. . . . Shortly after, Ward joined the Army.

After returning to Knoxville, Ward went to work at an advertising agency. In 1964 he began handling the duties as announcer-host-coordinator for UT coaches television shows in football and basketball. His broadcasting career blossomed when he became the Vols' radio play-by-play voice, first, for basketball in 1965 and three years later for football (1968).
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Ward’s first live football broadcast was UGA 68. He did some earlier voiceover play by play for some edited game film. That’s probably what you saw on that 67 Bama game.
 
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#30
#30
I was born in Columbia in ‘58. Family moved to Huntsville in 1964. Stayed there through 1971. Attended Whitesburg schools and Baptist Church.

I believe the player for Ray Mears who rode the unicycle was named Vinnie Tracey. Not sure why I recall that, and it may be wrong.

John Ward also managed to incorporate the words “ pirouette” and “adroitly” into his basketball play-by-play calls.

After the family moved to Nashville in ‘71, Channel 5 TV would replay the Saturday night home UT BB games right after the 10pm news. This was during Ernie/ Bernie era. Their telecast dubbed in John’s play-by-play call with the video tape. Not sure how they managed to air the game so soon after, or what the legal arrangement was. But it was awesome!
 
#31
#31
FallCreekVols said:
I was born in Columbia in ‘58. Family moved to Huntsville in 1964. Stayed there through 1971. Attended Whitesburg schools and Baptist Church.

I believe the player for Ray Mears who rode the unicycle was named Vinnie Tracey. Not sure why I recall that, and it may be wrong.

John Ward also managed to incorporate the words “ pirouette” and “adroitly” into his basketball play-by-play calls.

After the family moved to Nashville in ‘71, Channel 5 TV would replay the Saturday night home UT BB games right after the 10pm news. This was during Ernie/ Bernie era. Their telecast dubbed in John’s play-by-play call with the video tape. Not sure how they managed to air the game so soon after, or what the legal arrangement was. But it was awesome!
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Through tears I can see that John Ward has "made" so many of us give our all. Very few things make you want to go back, but his game calls are unmatched and I remember too
 
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#33
#33
Ptcarter, I remember the 11-6 game but I thought it was against Mercer. Thanks for the correction. If I recall, after that game Coach Mears had the Vols play an intra-squad scrimmage, feeling that the crowd had not received it’s money’s worth.
 
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#35
#35
When I lived in Orange County Ca. I'd call home and get my mother to lay the phone down by the radio and listen to John Ward. This also went on when I lived in Chicago and Dallas Ft Worth areas, I had some big phone bills but didn't care, because listening to John Ward call the plays was just a way of life and one I looked forward to every Saturday.
I miss John Ward tremendously, it seemed Tennessee football went down hill very soon after his retirement, unfortunately.

RIP John Ward, You were Tennessee Football to me!

Tennessee Football hasn't been the same since John Ward's retirement
 
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#36
#36
FallCreekVols said:
Ptcarter, I remember the 11-6 game but I thought it was against Mercer. Thanks for the correction. If I recall, after that game Coach Mears had the Vols play an intra-squad scrimmage, feeling that the crowd had not received it’s money’s worth.
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That is a great story. That was before my years at school, but I do remember listening to it on the radio with my dad. X passes to Y, Y passes to Z. Z back to X... Shot clock makes a lot of sense after a game like that.
 
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#39
#39
Unicycle update!! A former Vol player under Ray Mears was kind enough to respond to my question online. He says the unicycle was ridden first by Roger Peltz, then later by Bill Seale. So, HollowaytoSeivers was correct!
 
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#40
#40
Maybe coach Barnes can get Grant Williams to play the violin during warmups. He can, ya know. Wouldn’t that blow some minds?

Picture it. Lights go down, except for mid court circle. Grant walks out, couple of tune up strokes , then plays the chorus of Rocky Top.
 
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