I'll save you wading through 90 minutes for the salient clip

[PirateVOL]

https://twitter.com/jameslewis1128/status/1442308218403713028?s=20

It's FOOTBALL time in TENNESSEE!!!

[murfvol]

That was really well done. Driving back from Knoxville last night during the game (long story) was tough. Small hit a 22 yarder just before the half. If memory serves the call was something like, "give to Small and he's out to the 50."

The man just ran 22 yards! The Vols were going to have a chance to put points on the board before half. In fairness, the preceding 15 yard gain was called the same way. It's hard to do a game that poorly.

[Tnphil]

Never be another like those to. That clip takes me back many years.

[PirateVOL]

That was really well done. Driving back from Knoxville last night during the game (long story) was tough. Small hit a 22 yarder just before the half. If memory serves the call was something like, "give to Small and he's out to the 50."

The man just ran 22 yards! The Vols were going to have a chance to put points on the board before half. In fairness, the preceding 15 yard gain was called the same way. It's hard to do a game that poorly.

It was a "sudden change of events" due to Blob attempting to describe something good (or bad)
I once listend to the VOL network broadcast at games, especially away games
But I got very tired of what I was listening to have ZERO relationship to what I was watching.  It was and is sickening.
Tim Priest did make listening somewhat interesting but he's gone now so for me I would rather listen to the opposing team's broadcast.
Blob is ok at basketball but it seems to me he doesn't have a freaking clue what the game of football is or how it is played!

[Tnphil]

The new color guy isn't much either.

[BanditVol]

Not sure how Kessling ever got the job.  Oh well.  Least of my concerns about the Vols at the moment.

Truth is, radio is far less important than it used to be, with every game on TV.

[PirateVOL]

Not sure how Kessling ever got the job.  Oh well.  Least of my concerns about the Vols at the moment.

Truth is, radio is far less important than it used to be, with every game on TV.

We have a poster on this board who was a far, far better football PbyP man than Blob will ever be, even in his dreams!

[Creek Walker]

Not sure how Kessling ever got the job.  Oh well.  Least of my concerns about the Vols at the moment.

Truth is, radio is far less important than it used to be, with every game on TV.

Kesling is a nice guy. And he's good on TV. (He isn't terrible as a basketball play-by-play radio broadcaster, either.) As a football broadcaster, he's just not good. There are several high school broadcasters in Tennessee who are better than Kesling.

The surreal thing is that John Ward was the Voice of the Vols for 30 years. Kesling is now in his 23rd year, with no signs of slowing down. He's been here almost as long as John was, and has had almost none of the impact that Ward had.

As beloved as John Ward was (and remains) in Tennessee, he was one of the most underrated sports broadcasters in the history of radio. There have been some great ones — and forget SEC football guys like Munson. I'm talking great ones like Caray and Scully and Keith Jackson and Howard Cosell. IMO, John Ward could stand with any of them. He was underrated because he wasn't a national name. He worked for a team, and at the college level, rather than on one of the national networks and at the professional level. But he was, I think, the best there has ever been.

[PirateVOL]

Kesling is a nice guy. And he's good on TV. (He isn't terrible as a basketball play-by-play radio broadcaster, either.) As a football broadcaster, he's just not good. There are several high school broadcasters in Tennessee who are better than Kesling.

The surreal thing is that John Ward was the Voice of the Vols for 30 years. Kesling is now in his 23rd year, with no signs of slowing down. He's been here almost as long as John was, and has had almost none of the impact that Ward had.

As beloved as John Ward was (and remains) in Tennessee, he was one of the most underrated sports broadcasters in the history of radio. There have been some great ones — and forget SEC football guys like Munson. I'm talking great ones like Caray and Scully and Keith Jackson and Howard Cosell. IMO, John Ward could stand with any of them. He was underrated because he wasn't a national name. He worked for a team, and at the college level, rather than on one of the national networks and at the professional level. But he was, I think, the best there has ever been.

Lindsey Nelson was pretty dog gone good as well
You are probably too young for the loud sportscoat Voice of Notre Dame and baseball (and also the VOLS)

[Tnphil]

Lindsey Nelson....Mr Cotton Bowl.

I can still hear him..

[PirateVOL]

Lindsey Nelson....Mr Cotton Bowl.

I can still hear him..

other than the loud sports coats and his signature opening “Hello everybody, this is Lindsey Nelson”
Was “deep punt formation”
He also did the ND TV broadcast and I think the Mets games

[BanditVol]

Kesling is a nice guy. And he's good on TV. (He isn't terrible as a basketball play-by-play radio broadcaster, either.) As a football broadcaster, he's just not good. There are several high school broadcasters in Tennessee who are better than Kesling.

The surreal thing is that John Ward was the Voice of the Vols for 30 years. Kesling is now in his 23rd year, with no signs of slowing down. He's been here almost as long as John was, and has had almost none of the impact that Ward had.

As beloved as John Ward was (and remains) in Tennessee, he was one of the most underrated sports broadcasters in the history of radio. There have been some great ones — and forget SEC football guys like Munson. I'm talking great ones like Caray and Scully and Keith Jackson and Howard Cosell. IMO, John Ward could stand with any of them. He was underrated because he wasn't a national name. He worked for a team, and at the college level, rather than on one of the national networks and at the professional level. But he was, I think, the best there has ever been.

I actually know someone who went to school with Kessling and was introduced to him at one point, and he does seem like a decent guy but he is just not good at football broadcasting

We can all agree that John Ward was great.

[Tnphil]

other than the loud sports coats and his signature opening “Hello everybody, this is Lindsey Nelson”
Was “deep punt formation”
He also did the ND TV broadcast and I think the Mets games

Correct....and he was founder of the University of Tennessee's Vol Network.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindsey_Nelson

[Tnphil]

Kesling is a nice guy. And he's good on TV. (He isn't terrible as a basketball play-by-play radio broadcaster, either.) As a football broadcaster, he's just not good. There are several high school broadcasters in Tennessee who are better than Kesling.

The surreal thing is that John Ward was the Voice of the Vols for 30 years. Kesling is now in his 23rd year, with no signs of slowing down. He's been here almost as long as John was, and has had almost none of the impact that Ward had.

As beloved as John Ward was (and remains) in Tennessee, he was one of the most underrated sports broadcasters in the history of radio. There have been some great ones — and forget SEC football guys like Munson. I'm talking great ones like Caray and Scully and Keith Jackson and Howard Cosell. IMO, John Ward could stand with any of them. He was underrated because he wasn't a national name. He worked for a team, and at the college level, rather than on one of the national networks and at the professional level. But he was, I think, the best there has ever been.

Good post.....Ward and the others like him could paint a picture and put you in the stadium at the 50 yard line even though you were 100's of miles away.

[BanditVol]

My friend who knows Kessling says that he was in a group, going back to their days at Hess Hall, that also included Paul Finebaum.

He says that Finebaum used to whine all the time that UT was not treating him well.  Thus, in spite of the fact that he sometimes refers to himself as a "fan" of UT, my opinion is that he has always hated the Vols and is a closet bammer. He did live in bammer for most of his career (lives in NYC now I think...for which he is given a pass, but I digress).

I followed Finebaum down here in bammer for many years prior to him joining the SECN.  After being a guy with a rep for saying anything and criticizing anyone (no "sacred cows"), when the Albert Means stuff hit the fan, and Fulmer was unmasked as one of the sources, ole Paul went full bammer homer mode, giving credence to the most ridiculous conspiracy theories that pandered to the majority of bammer fans that never acknowledged that they cheated (some friends of mine that are actually reasonable people did admit they cheated, but I dont think the majority of gumps ever truly accepted it). 

In short, he sold out. I have not had any respect for him since.  He still shows a crimson bias at times, but on the SECN he has had to at least appear more objective.  Thus he will mention he is suffering as a UT fan.  Based on what my friend says, he is likely very FOS.

[PirateVOL]

Good post.....Ward and the others like him could paint a picture and put you in the stadium at the 50 yard line even though you were 100's of miles away.

As great as he was at football, he was sublime at basketball
Who was in the game, the offense/defense and followed the ball
I'm told my head would follow the ball around as Ward described it

Besides, "KING of the Volunteers!"
The KY game in 81 - superb

[Coupe De VOL]

Is there a way to get "a holt" of Wards football broadcasts in there entirety?  Surely someone has made such an archive.  I have not searched for it on bit torrent or the like, but it would not surprise me if something like that existed.

I would love to listen to random games from the 70s and 80s just to pass the time.  I also have this idea to -now no laughing here - to create a computer program or "Artificial Intelligence" if you will, that can speak like John did and uses phraseology like john did, etc.  The start of a huge job like that would be to digitize and catalog as much of his play by play as possible.  I'm dreaming here of course but it is doable and I have thought on it a lot from time to time.

Now if you could build such a voice engine as I mention above, the next step would be to marry it with an interface that can decipher in real time what is going on in a live broadcast football game.  Then what you got there is John Ward calling the game again.  I'm convinced it could be done, and to me it would be heaven.  Even if it worked 70% as good as the real thing, It would be better to me than anything else out there.

I think this idea would work well with other great announcers like Nelson and  Scully et al, but I would especially love to see Cosell, Gifford, and Meredith replicated in audio.  I get that some may cringe at the notion, but I really believe even a gross approximation would be highly entertaining.  

[BanditVol]

Is there a way to get "a holt" of Wards football broadcasts in there entirety?  Surely someone has made such an archive.  I have not searched for it on bit torrent or the like, but it would not surprise me if something like that existed.

I would love to listen to random games from the 70s and 80s just to pass the time.  I also have this idea to -now no laughing here - to create a computer program or "Artificial Intelligence" if you will, that can speak like John did and uses phraseology like john did, etc.  The start of a huge job like that would be to digitize and catalog as much of his play by play as possible.  I'm dreaming here of course but it is doable and I have thought on it a lot from time to time.

Now if you could build such a voice engine as I mention above, the next step would be to marry it with an interface that can decipher in real time what is going on in a live broadcast football game.  Then what you got there is John Ward calling the game again.  I'm convinced it could be done, and to me it would be heaven.  Even if it worked 70% as good as the real thing, It would be better to me than anything else out there.

I think this idea would work well with other great announcers like Nelson and  Scully et al, but I would especially love to see Cosell, Gifford, and Meredith replicated in audio.  I get that some may cringe at the notion, but I really believe even a gross approximation would be highly entertaining.  

Agree about your idea for an App, it could be done and would be entertaining.  The gaffes it would occasionally create would also be entertaining.  I have had similar thoughts about the classic original series star trek.  Throw all the episodes into a database, do some AI, and get "new" CGI shows.  That might be highly entertaining.   

In the case of a show, a human could always edit it later.

For a live game, you could do a short delay,maybe 20 seconds, and allow some quick editing.