Tuesday, September 23, 2008

"We just crushed their face!"


It wasn't surprising news when Larry Munson announced late yesterday afternoon that he would no longer be calling Georgia home football games on the radio. Munson's almost 86 and has had significant health issues in recent years. He sounded very weak when calling the first two games of this season. At the Miami game, Pat Dooley and I actually had a conversation wondering if it was safe for him to be doing it any longer. You can hear some of Munson's most famous calls here. Munson is a legend because he was authentic - you don't hear forced ryhming catchphrases and faked enthusiasm there. No radio voice for any school can connect with the fanbase the same way today because almost all the games are on TV. They used to have to truly be the eyes and ears of the fans. Munson did that as well as anyone has - although it was time, he'll be greatly missed.

There are some times when I get frustrated as a Bucs fan, particularly when Gruden insults my intelligence by lying about something again. ("We love the bull" - the lie Gruden told about supporting Brad Johnson as his QB in early 2004 - should be his official motto). Still, it could be much worse. I could be a lifelong Detroit Lions fan. The owner's son has now gone public saying Matt Millen should be fired as general manager. The team is 0-3 and has been a complete disaster for about eleven of the twelve quarters they've played. The Lions were one last second Bears field goal away from he playoffs when Millen arrived and are 31-84 under three different head coaches since then. Rod Marinelli's a good coach and I'm hoping things work out for him, but no one can clean up Millen's mess. Despite all this, owner William Clay Ford likes Millen personally and won't fire him. Between this, the Tigers colossal flop and the mayoral scandal, it's a tough year for a tough town. At least there's always the Red Wings.

Florida is letting steroid testing for high school athletes lapse after spending 100 grand to catch a whopping one student using the drugs. Some people are reacting with panic, insinuating that removing the threat of testing will prompt a surge of use. That's a load of crap. The program tested 600 kids TOTAL. If anyone thinks a high school football player who believes taking steroids to improve will get him a shot at playing in college and possibly the affections of the hot cheerleader is going to hold back because of a microscopic chance of being chosen, they're deluding themselves. There is simply not enough money available, particularly right now, to have an effective high school testing program.

It's time to take a few years off from inducting people into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Maybe it should be every two years, like the Ryder Cup. If the best two options this year are Run-DMC and Metallica, it wouldn't hurt to wait awhile. Both are worthy, but the talent pool is getting ridiculously thin. War? Little Anthony and the Imperials? These bands are on the same level as the Beatles, U2, Elvis Costello or R.E.M? Sorry, no.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Heath, Metallica has sold 90 million albums world wide. Given that, in spite of being around longer, REM has been (maybe) half as successful, I would agree that they're not on the same level.