It's not totally confirmed, but it sounds like I'll be on Savannah's News/Talk 630 am (WBMQ) Thursday (June 21) sometime between 7:00 and 7:45 am assuming three things:- 1. I'm lucid at that ridiculously early hour
2. Ray Steele will let my sleepy ass on the air
3. Nothing more interesting is going on in the world that needs discussion (unlikely).
Warning: My brother says that I have a face for radio and a voice for the Internet. That's bad news for him since its universally accepted that I'm the good looking one.
I don't think there's audio streaming available. If you tune in, tell me how I did. On second thought....just tell me nice things.
By the way....Munson is probably going to be limited to home games according to the AJC and Macon Telegraph's Josh Kendall. The AJC may have gotten scooped on this to begin with, but they've done an ace job covering the story since. Today's interview with Munson at his home is especially candid. Scott Howard will slide over for Play by Play duties on the road games. No word on the road game color man. Update; The Athens Paper has their interview with Munson up (ht - our commenters)
(Update: I think I did ok. A little stammering in my first answer. But otherwise, ok.)
PWD
23 comments:
Open Letter to Damon: Please please please don't let Jeff "What Color are Your Panties" Dantzler do color commentary for Scott during the road games.
I couldn't agree more, if Jeff Dantzler gets any where near that booth I will never listen again.
the coronary is over - at least he will do home games. I'm happy with that. The thought of not hearing Larry on the mic anymore damn near drove me to suicide. At least not I have time to start taking Zoloft.
More from Munson himself is here.
http://onlineathens.com/stories/062107/football_20070621045.shtml
I tend to agree with Mark Bradley of the AJC on this one...... "The best Munson’s eventual successor — and I’d love to see Jeff Dantzler, who’s smart and funny and who has a great grasp of Georgia and its history, get a shot — can hope is that he’ll be judged in the context of the world as it is and not the world we remember." AJC Online June 21st.
You Jeff Dantzler critics have it all wrong.
This might not be the appropriate forum, but what about Ben Jones accepting the offer and going to UGA?
scratch that last comment. I can't read or navigate this site apparently
Have you guys seen those new Viva La Matthew Stafford shirts?
They are sweet, I just got one for the Florida game...
http://sportscrack.com/tees_vivalamatthew.html
I'm certainly not a JD critic, his work and persona speaks for itself. I am however a JD 'I don't want this loser on the radio during football games' guy . You know who else is good with Ga history? Dan Magill, should he get the job? Smart and funny are the very last 2 words I would use to describe him and you my friend obviously don't know the real JD.
i don't think you have to worry about dantzler in the booth. i have a feeling the university is going to go in a different direction; some reasons related to dantzler and some not. i'll be honest, i really don't mind the team of him and howard for basketball though.
a co-worker seems to think they might go with bill hartman jr. i could see that, but my guess is as good as anyone's on this. i don't really want a color man as much as i want someone in the booth that talks football...which is what munson has excelled at. to hell with a radio guy. i want a football guy up there.
I want Scott Howard to get the play by play gig.
Matt Robinson (UGA QB '76) does color for the Jags. I've never heard him, but he's completely qualified.
Bob Neal as play by play would be off the charts great. And we could do worse than Jeff Hullinger (ideas taken from an AJC blog post).
I love what GT has with Wes Durham and Jeff Van Note. Noter adds a lot as the color guy, and Wes is at the top of his profession right now.
PWD
I am glad that Larry is going to do the home games this year so we as fans have an opportunity to appreciate him for all that he means to UGA football.
I really hope that Scott Howard gets the gig. Although I guess he is technically the "analyst" on the current broadcasts, I think he will do very well as the PbP announcer.
If Scott assumes the PbP role, then I expect them to go with a former player as an analyst (my money is on Zeier - who has worked with WSB's team before.)
However, one thing to keep in mind is that Jeff Hullinger is doing part-time news as 750. He is an experienced PbP announcer and would probably jump at the gig.
Of the names mentioned in the ABH, I would be interested in hearing W. Durham. Even though he is the Tech announcer and has an ACC pedigree, I think he is really talented. Besides Scott, I believe Durham would be the only one who might replicate a Munson-ish homer persona.
Nessler makes too much money from ESPN/ABC to make that a possibility. I know Chip went to UGA but he is a baseball guy which would cause schedule problems now that TBS has the MLB playoff broadcasts. Plus he would be expensive too.
Hondo is good where is right now, but would he be an upgrade over Scott? But he is one of the hiring managers so he probably will think about installing himself.
I find Dantzler annoying on the basketball broadcasts. If he is hired it would not be to replace Munson so much as to come in and be the analyst.
I'm not a big fan of Belue on the 680 show, but he has been pretty good as the TV analyst on CSS in the past. If he can get out of his 680 gig, he might push to be the analyst with Scott as the PbP role. Plus I think he would appease some of the old-timers.
I'm sure Durham and Noter are great for GTU games. It's too bad that the station that carries them is scratchy inside the perimeter, and unlistenable outside of it...oh wait, nevermind...
Out of curiosity, what is it about Dantzler that makes people get all bent out of shape when he is mentioned as a successor to Munson? Scott Howard will be a great choice, but I like Dantzler as well.
To me, it doesn't matter a whole lot about the radio personality anymore. I LOVE Munson and what he meens to UGA and would love to have him around forever, but I never get to hear the guy, and the only time I do it's only his highlights. So to me, I just hope they can hire someone that sounds good during big UGA plays.
Does anyone listen to the radio anymore, now that we're on TV just about every road game? I gave up long ago trying to sinc up the TV and the radio.
It could be a lot worse than Jeff Dantzler. Anyone remember when they let Jessie Tuggle do post-retirement color commentary during Falcons games? Dantlzer wouldn't be a terrible choice. I do think the job would be Scott Howard's to lose.
I just want a play-by-play man who lets me know what's happening on the field. Not all games are televised and I just want to know what's happening when we don't have TV available. And to be honest, that was never Munson's strong suit.
Anon at 1:38 picked up on my suggestion, Chip Carey. I don't know how much of a "homer" he'd be, but I've heard him do play by play for one or two pac10 games on TBS, and I thought he was quite good.
I think Hartman Jr. would be a great choice, maybe as the color guy with Howard doing play-by-play? That'd be a pairing who could settle in comfortably for a long, long time.
When I listen to Jeff Dantzler do color on basketball games, I tend to hear a lot of the same cadence and phrasing that I used to hear from Joe Dean (who used to do SEC regional basketball broadcasts.)
I did not particularly enjoy Joe Dean either.
It does not mean that Dantzler's not a professional or gets things wrong, or would not be a homer like Munson. I would think that he would put his heart and soul into it, because he loves the Dogs as much as any one of us. I just do not happen to enjoy Dantzler's commentary on the basketball broadcasts.
Also, unlike Nessler or Caray or even Wes Durham, I think if you hire Dantzler he would stay for as long as the fanbase would have him. I think Nessler or Caray would not think this the "destination" job. I think Wes Durham will eventually end up at UNC.
There are really two issues here: Who does the play by play at away games (it has to be Scott Howard) and who eventually takes over for Munson when he fully retires?
I think it'd really be neat to do what the Braves did for their PA position this year: open it up to a wide open casting call, from pros and amateurs alike. The best ten tapes received get to come into the booth and call some Georgia scrimmages during fall practice. And the winner is introduced prior to the first game.
Yeah, you'd get a lot of crappy folks who just like the idea of being the next Larry, but you might also get what the Braves got: a guy who called pee-wee football games and high school baseball games in Fayette County. He beat out all these other professional voice guys, mainly cause he was passonate about it.
We could bring in some big nome, but like anonymous at 4:52 said, we need someone who will become an icon in their own right for Georgia Football.
UGA grads in the radio business are great, but we need a CMR for the broadcast booth, not a Ray Goff.
PWD, I often agree with your insights and/or opinions, but you lost me with your ringing endorsement of Wes Durham. It's not just because Wes is the Voice of the Mustard Nation, either....though that isn't a point in his favor.
Wes Durham is to quality sports radio what Wes Craven is to classic cinema. He does a nice job considering the subject he's working with, I guess, but could you really take a steady diet of THAT guy (or someone like him?)
Wes reminds me of nothing so much as the guy who used to do the GREAT GOOGLY MOOGLY commercials for Marietta Toyota several years ago. He's a screamer. His frenzied, high pitched voice is probably capable of sterilizing cockroaches. He makes a routine GTU plunge for 3 up the middle on 2nd and 7 sound like the invasion of Normandy. Some may find this injects "energy" into the broadcast, but to me, it's just the kind of constant tiresome annoyance that makes me want to jam a screwdriver into my own eardrums.
His style is perfect for GTU. For UGA, however? Not so much.
I'd rather have someone like Brad Nessler (who I agree we can't cash whip enough to steal from ESPN). Bill Hartman might be a good choice. He certainly understands the history of the program, he has plenty of broadcast experience, and he's a genuinely likeable guy who's easy on the ears. I dont have a beef with Scott Howard, but I'm less impressed with Jeff Dantzler.
Bottom line is: they're our Bulldogs. I'd listen regardless of who they hire....short of maybe Bill Curry.....but it would be better if they got someone who is smart, articulate, funny, knows the history of the program, is fair enough to call the game honestly but who also is honest enough to admit his loyalties lie with UGA.
Wait. I just described myself. Call me, Damon.
Imagine Wes with a half a fifth of bourbon. He'd then be fine.
Imagine Wes with a half a fifth of bourbon. He'd then be fine.
Would you be drinking the bourbon or would he?
I agree with PWD that SH would likely get the job and be great but you still need another body in there. A buddy and I were talking today that Zeier wouldnt be a bad choice as far as staying in the family but how good would he really be with SH? I think he is worth an interview for sure! Hartman is an interesting choice too! I also think Buck and WD are horrible ideas. WD is good sure, but so was SOS and I didnt want him anywhere near Sanford on a Sat in the fall.
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