Randy Smith
I guess you can call me "Old School" or old-fashioned, but I tend to think that -some- things are better the way we used to do them. The same goes for radio and TV announcers. It was more fun to listen to the guys who were on the air years ago. They didn't have the technical advantages the guys and gals of today have. They had to be more creative to be enjoyable to listen to.
More specifically, radio play-by-play announcers come to mind. I started thinking about this yesterday and today I decided to list the five best college play-by-play announcers ever; in my humble opinion.
I've limited this to the SEC because these were the guys I listened to growing up and even worked with in my career.
5. Eli Gold-Alabama
I hesitated to put Eli in the mix simply because he only does football for the Crimson Tide, but I realized that another one of my favorites also was limited to football at his school so with Eli's experience with Nascar l put him in at number five. Eli isn't really a homer, but you all know which broadcast it is when you hear his voice. He's been associated with Alabama for more than three decades now, and he does a wonderful job painting a picture for you. His voice is crystal clear and you rarely ever hear him stumble or make a mistake.
4. Larry Munson-Georgia
I always thought Larry Munson ate gravel for breakfast because of his unique voice, but he was the ultimate "homer" among play-by-play guys. For that reason alone, I haven't listed him higher. I always felt to be a great play-by-play announcer you needed to at least try to be as impartial as you could. He painted a beautiful picture of what was happening and was always a real joy to listen to. Munson only did football for Georgia, but I always felt basketball was his best sport. I grew up in Nashville when he was the "Voice of the Vanderbilt Commodores" and his call of the 1965 Vandy-Michigan NCAA Tournament game was the best I've ever heard.
3. Cawood Ledford-Kentucky
Another of the real old school announcers, he built his career on calling Kentucky basketball. He had a unique style as well, but he had a wonderful voice and was perhaps one of the truly great professionals in sports announcing. He had a special way of saying "Kentucky" that let you know right away which broadcast you were listening to. In later years, Cawood marketed sports announcing tools for young up and coming sportscasters, such as football and basketball spotting sheets. I was one of his best customers in the 1970s.
2. Paul Eels-Arkansas
Paul was another one of the guys I grew up watching and listening to in Nashville. He was the "Voice of the Commodores" as well as sports director for WSM radio and TV. I absolutely idolized him as a teenager. He was professional, and had a big booming voice when he was on the air. Paul Eels had as much influence on my career as anyone. I always wanted to be a TV sports anchor and do play-by-play like Paul Eels. I accomplished that goal when I became the sports director at WDEF radio and TV in 1978. Later, when Paul had moved to Arkansas as the "Voice of the Razorbacks", we became good friends.
1. John Ward-Tennessee
Who else would you think I would place at number one? Ward did Tennessee football games for thirty years and basketball games for more years than that. He was named the best college basketball announcer in the country in the 1960s, and that honor held up through the years. Rarely has any announcer captured the hearts of a school's fan base like John Ward did at Tennessee. He created certain catch phrases like, "Give him six" and when he spoke in public and was asked to give an example of what he did on the air, he always politely declined. His reason was simple: when he was on the air, he was a character. He was in that character mode for every minute of the broadcast, and he always declined because you just can't get in that character at the drop of a hat. He was the most professional and prepared sports announcer I have ever been around. He knew when it was time to leave the booth and even though he could have done Tennessee's games many more years, he chose to step down and give Bob Kesling a chance to continue what he did so well on the Vol Network.
There are other announcers who would be on the list if I expanded it past the SEC. One would be the late, legendary Monte Hale who did MTSU's games for more than twenty years. I have no problem with today's announcers. They do a wonderful job but I think most people tend to agree with me; these guys were from a different time and they created something that is awfully hard to replace.
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Randy Smith has been covering sports on radio, television and print for the past 45 years. After leaving WRCB-TV in 2009, he has written two books, and has continued to free-lance as a play-by-play announcer. His career has included a 17-year stretch as host of the Kickoff Call In Show on the University of Tennessee’s prestigious Vol Network. He has been a member of the Vol Network staff for 30 years. He has done play-by-play on ESPN, ESPN II, CSS, and Fox SportSouth, totaling more than 500 games, and served as a well-known sports anchor on Chattanooga Television for more than a quarter-century. In 2003, he became the first television broadcaster to be inducted into the Greater Chattanooga Area Sports Hall of Fame. Randy and his wife Shelia reside in Hixson. They have two married children, (Christi and Chris Perry; Davey and Alison Smith.) They have five grandchildren, Coleman, Boone, Mattingly, DellaMae, and CoraLee.