Top 10 College Football Radio Announcers

[MarshalTide]

Being 40, I remember listening to John Forney call games as a kid. The SEC has had some legendary announcers.

[url]http://bleacherreport.com/articles/236303-the-top-10-college-football-radio-announcers-of-all-time[/URL]

 

[theBIGyowski]

I might have put Fyffe a little higher up the list...but it's a fair list I believe.

Funny thing is that I was at a scrimmage a few years back and there was an older gentleman 3 rows behind me talking to what looked like a 10 year old boy. I did not look back for a while because I was paying attention to the guys on the field, but this man sounded EXACTLY like John Forney. It was so eerie that I was scared to turn around and look. Of course it wasn't Forney, but it gave me chills listening to him explain things to the little boy...almost like it was his ghost giving a breakdown to the next generation of Tide fans. I even had a buddy of mine sitting a few seats down who turned to me at some point and commented how that guy sounded exactly like Forney. Great day is what it was.

 

[bamanut_aj]

I have to admit that I expected to see John Ward on that list. But I also have to admit that I'm not very familiar with legendary radio announcers from other conferences, and really, not even from our conference. Growing up in the all-access television age does that to a person.

 

[hollisx4]

Oh man, what about John Ward from UT (Give him SIX!!!!) and Cawood Ledford from Kentucky?

 

[IHateUT]

I think John Ward definitely should have been on the list. He was a great announcer. Living in TN I still get to hear him talk about natural gas.

 

[bamabryan]

I never cared to hear Jim Fyffe call a game. He was more like a cheerleader than a play-by-play announcer IMO. And his "Touchdown Auburrrrrrnnnnn" sent me scrambling for a garbage can to throw up. uke:

 

[TommyMac]

They got the right pair for #1 and #2 right, just in the wrong order. :BigA::BigA:

 

[glasscutter256]

Where do you think Eli Gold would rank? I think He'll be at the top before his career is over. He has a Keith Jackson persona to me.

 

[exiledNms]

Where do you think Eli Gold would rank? I think He'll be at the top before his career is over. He has a Keith Jackson persona to me.

Disagree.

 

[bamabryan]

Disagree.

I agree with you. :iagree:

I don't think Eli has ever been close to being in the same class as Keith Jackson.

 

[VolFan1]

I think John Ward definitely should have been on the list. He was a great announcer. Living in TN I still get to hear him talk about natural gas.

Him and the British woman saying....natural gas

 

[LibrarianTider]

Oh man, what about John Ward from UT (Give him SIX!!!!)

Wow. I have a cousin that grew up in Tennessee and everytime we would see a hot chick he would say "give him sex!". He told me that he adapted that from UT's announcer. Never knew that dude's name until now.

We still say that btw.

 

[laughinggravy]

I remember walking out on our back porch in Lynn Haven, Fl. in the early sixties, since dad was a big Bama fan also he would have the game on. The first thing I would hear was the voice of John Forney. Great memories. Forney should be no. 1.

 

[jdatide]

I never enjoyed listening to Larry Munson. He rarely called players by name, except for star players. It was usually "our runner tackled by one of their guys." He became famous for his outlandish statements...but I found him to be annoying.

 

[PattheCatinSaudi]

I agree with you. :iagree:

I don't think Eli has ever been close to being in the same class as Keith Jackson.

I agree with you agreeing with Exiled. :biggrin2:

 

[exiledNms]

Also, living here in exile, I have yet to see Jack Cristil's appeal on the MSU games. Despite the near-constant admonitions from my MSU alum buddies, I just don't get it. Longevity doesn't equal success; I've been practicing my ear-piercing wolf whistle for over 40 years now & haven't gotten it to work yet! :biggrin2: So I'm out on the Jack C. fan-train.

[Although, it was dang amusing to hear him call last year's UM-MSU game..."Well, there's another sack...hope our QB doesn't get hurt out there since we appear unable to block for him..." (paraphrase, but it does convey the general idea.)]

 

[tidehawk]

One thing you need to remember is that Jim Fyffe was not calling a game for us to hear - he was calling from the orange and blue perspective.

I despise the barn, but I knew Jim personally and you could not find a better guy. He was very personable and would do anything in the world to help you. We had a common love for the Andy Griffith Show and I did several shows with him and Doug Amos doing Andy trivia. I miss Jim a lot.

 

[bamadp]

I like Eli...but the "voice of the Crimson Tide" will always be John Forney.