Mike Keith Is As Good As Advertised

Keith did great. He's not a clone of John Ward, but he brings something of Ward's poetic sense to his call. His enthusiasm is welcome as well.

Now, trading Wilkerson for Stone . . .
Totally agree about Rhythm and Cadence . His first call of first field goal had a great Ward echo to it. And Aguilar role out left TD .”.Mobility.. Presence..Touch “was outstanding on the fly . I think he is a big plus to the game experience.
 
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He was in Huntland Tenn., Friday night and called the Huntland vs Forrest high school football game. what an experience for the Hornets!
 
1.That’s right. Number one Bob has been unfairly criticized during most of his time by our fans it was never really given a chance by most of them.
2. Bob maybe lost some of his zeal the last few years.
3. Mike Keith is an upgrade. All three of these things can be true at the same time.

Keith being an upgrade does not necessarily mean Bob was bad. He would be an upgrade over most just like anyone that followed, the Ward would have been a downgrade. I don’t agree with those that feel like they have to tear down one to build up the other. People feel the need Riley work an attack on Kesling in to anything and I’ve never understood it. Childish names like “Blob”, etc. it’s pathetic. If you think was bad, then that’s fine, I just don’t get the venom. We are talking about a guy who broadcasts games. It doesn’t affect your life that much in the grand scheme
When I was younger, some of the older folk in my family felt John Ward was not as good as Lindsey Nelson. Well, Lindsey Nelson got offered the Notre Dame job and took it. I never heard Nelson do radio for the Vols, but my elders admired him. No idea way we can compare those two guys, or hear them cover the same game to make up our minds.

Sorry bud but Bob? He was boring. Always was. He got his start on TV, not radio. My family watched WBIR for years. When Bob became the 6PM sports anchor? It took about a month for me to prefer WATE's news. When he got hooked up with Jefferson Pilot to extend college football coverage as the sideline explain each school's peculiar traditions? It was boring. Jefferson Pilot wasn't bad. Bob unfairly criticized? Ha! He deserved to be called boring because he WAS! You can't make chicken salad out of chicken 5h1t. He never LOST HIS ZEAL. He never had much. Unless he was calling a touchdown for the opposition. He had more zeal for them scoring than he did when the Vols did. He was neutral Nancy.

No matter, his sorry self retired. BOUT DAMN TIME!
 
Loved Mike but Foster doesn't need to say his name every time he makes a comment. Other than that Loved how he called the game hopefully Ramon will get settled in to the support role.
I think Ramon will learn. He is a work in progress. Did well enough for his first game. Working with Keith will get him going.
 
When I was younger, some of the older folk in my family felt John Ward was not as good as Lindsey Nelson. Well, Lindsey Nelson got offered the Notre Dame job and took it. I never heard Nelson do radio for the Vols, but my elders admired him. No idea way we can compare those two guys, or hear them cover the same game to make up our minds.

Sorry bud but Bob? He was boring. Always was. He got his start on TV, not radio. My family watched WBIR for years. When Bob became the 6PM sports anchor? It took about a month for me to prefer WATE's news. When he got hooked up with Jefferson Pilot to extend college football coverage as the sideline explain each school's peculiar traditions? It was boring. Jefferson Pilot wasn't bad. Bob unfairly criticized? Ha! He deserved to be called boring because he WAS! You can't make chicken salad out of chicken 5h1t. He never LOST HIS ZEAL. He never had much. Unless he was calling a touchdown for the opposition. He had more zeal for them scoring than he did when the Vols did. He was neutral Nancy.

No matter, his sorry self retired. BOUT DAMN TIME!
As I said, Im not talking about that criticism of him being boring, Im talking about it being harped on bon stop for 25 years and Im more referring to the nasty nature of the criticism, such as comments about his weight.
 
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I watched the Auburn game Friday. Ramon Foster is light years ahead of RG3. I think Ramon and Meike Keith are going to get better and better together. I thought they had a good flow.
 
I haven't chosen to listen to the radio broadcast in 25 years.
Yesterday I listened to the broadcast the entire game. I am going to listen to the Vol radio Network as long as Mike Keith is the announcer.
 
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“Who he followed” is relevant because for those of us that grew up with Ward, we were always going to compare the 2. It’s inevitable. For many, the disdain was there from day 1 because they wanted Keith, so 25 years wasn’t going to change anything. There wasn’t going to be objectivity. He wasn’t Ward and he wasn’t Keith ,so any mistake was amplified.

Im not saying Bob was great, Im saying he was mostly good, but not as good of late. I think basketball was his struggle imo. Im mostly saying that I think people exaggerate when criticizing him and often go to insults about weight and stuff that’s just uncalled for. They take a shot at him at every turn and I just don’t understand it. He’s a big part of Vol athletic history even before he got that job. Also, for those that say Ward didn't get to see someone capable fill his shoes, I think Ward was intergral in him getting that job.
Back in 98, I had a buddy who was 100 time the Vol fan I am. But every time I went with him to a game before 98, the Vols won. So he made sure I made every home game with him. Anyway, at some point, John announced he was retiring. We speculated for a week after who Tennessee might get to take over. The next week, Vols were on the road, and our jobs did not allow us to travel, so I had to show up at his house to watch.

So I walk in, pop the top on a bottle of Michelob, and watch the game. A few minutes into it, CBS showed the visitor's press box, and they talk about John in between plays. Suddenly, Jeff says, "Uh oh. look at who is sitting behind John." I hadn't really noticed, but he pointed it out. Sure enough, there was Bob. He knew right then and there that they were going to announce him as John's replacement. As Jeff proclaimed right there to me, "It's a done deal." My reply? "Oh Hell I hope not."

Few days later? My phone rings and he tell me to turn on the TV. Sure enough, they are announcing Bob will be the new voice of the Vols. My reply? Not fit for children or church going folk to read, so use your imagination. You say he was "mostly good". Well imagine when George Lucas and Stephen Spielberg did the casting for "Raiders of the Lost Arc." But instead of casting Harrison Ford, they choose Pauley Shore. Would you say that was mostly good as well?

For me, there is a standard of excellence in radio play by play. If you hire a boring guy? You lose listeners. What fascinates me is how so many Vols fans accepted his appointment. I feel Bob could have been the spokesperson for Hoover vacuum cleaners. Why? They both suck.
 
I like Bob and I briefly encouraged him when I was doing volunteer work at the 10K one spring in the late 80s early 90s. He is a likable person. I found him a bit frustrating as a fan for reasons I do not need to litigate here. When Mr. Ward was calling, as a fan, I was engaged from beginning to the end, win or lose as he gave me hope- it was a professional performance and part of that was the excellence of who John Ward was. Mike has a different flavor of that engagement. He projects the passion of what it is to be infected with the enthusiasm of being a Volunteer even when that borders on insanity. My central nervous system becomes juiced. I think I am happily addicted (except when the refs, those hated rivals, the fans of hated rivals drive me into a frenzy) -am I the only one?
 
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Love Mike Keith! It was so cool hearing him on the call yesterday. I was able to sync it by streaming it.
 
Back in 98, I had a buddy who was 100 time the Vol fan I am. But every time I went with him to a game before 98, the Vols won. So he made sure I made every home game with him. Anyway, at some point, John announced he was retiring. We speculated for a week after who Tennessee might get to take over. The next week, Vols were on the road, and our jobs did not allow us to travel, so I had to show up at his house to watch.

So I walk in, pop the top on a bottle of Michelob, and watch the game. A few minutes into it, CBS showed the visitor's press box, and they talk about John in between plays. Suddenly, Jeff says, "Uh oh. look at who is sitting behind John." I hadn't really noticed, but he pointed it out. Sure enough, there was Bob. He knew right then and there that they were going to announce him as John's replacement. As Jeff proclaimed right there to me, "It's a done deal." My reply? "Oh Hell I hope not."

Few days later? My phone rings and he tell me to turn on the TV. Sure enough, they are announcing Bob will be the new voice of the Vols. My reply? Not fit for children or church going folk to read, so use your imagination. You say he was "mostly good". Well imagine when George Lucas and Stephen Spielberg did the casting for "Raiders of the Lost Arc." But instead of casting Harrison Ford, they choose Pauley Shore. Would you say that was mostly good as well?

For me, there is a standard of excellence in radio play by play. If you hire a boring guy? You lose listeners. What fascinates me is how so many Vols fans accepted his appointment. I feel Bob could have been the spokesperson for Hoover vacuum cleaners. Why? They both suck.
You had me until the last Iine. It’s stuff like that I don’t see reason for. Critical is more than fair, it’s the vitriol and jokes like that I think are silly.
 
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Keith did great. He's not a clone of John Ward, but he brings something of Ward's poetic sense to his call. His enthusiasm is welcome as well.

Now, trading Wilkerson for Stone . . .

You nailed it 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

All those wasted years when Mike should’ve been VOTV. Darn shame.

i’ll also say watching the TV replay Louis Riddick is a top flight analyst.
 
I like Bob and I briefly encouraged him when I was doing volunteer work at the 10K one spring in the late 80s early 90s. He is a likable person. I found him a bit frustrating as a fan for reasons I do not need to litigate here. When Mr. Ward was calling, as a fan, I was engaged from beginning to the end, win or lose as he gave me hope- it was a professional performance and part of that was the excellence of who John Ward was. Mike has a different flavor of that engagement. He projects the passion of what it is to be infected with the enthusiasm of being a Volunteer even when that borders on insanity. My central nervous system becomes juiced. I think I am happily addicted (except when the refs, those hated rivals, the fans of hated rivals drive me into a frenzy) -am I the only one?
I'm in the vast minority...I liked Bob just fine. A lot of people don't know that Bob never pursued this job. He never submitted a resume or asked for an interview. The UTAD reached out to him.

Bob had to be convinced to take the job. He had a comfortable TV gig with Jefferson Pilot and after spending 15 years as Ward's spotter he knew how difficult it would be to follow John.

Different eras-- Bob called games at a time where every thing was televised and Bob had been a TV announcer. I think this played into his delivery style. Ward "painted a picture" and Bob mostly didn't need to. It would be extremely difficult to pair up a John Ward broadcast with a television broadcast today, as John was often in 5 to 10 seconds behind the play. He would often say that a player was "down to the 20 down to the 15" after he was already in the end zone celebrating.

I also think paring him with Tim Priest had an impact-- you gotta to have one straight guy and one guy that yells all the time. Having two guys in the booth yelling over top of each other in excitement would be maddening. Bill Anderson would go stretches and rarely say anything because Ward was so animated.

I'm not into the high pitched, frenetic play call thing myself. Again, I know I'm in the vast minority but I gave Mike a try in this first game and found it really difficult to listen to him.
 
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