Wes Durham - Al Ciraldo

I don't think I understand the idea that Wes could be more of a homer. Have you heard his calls for the 1998, 1999, 2008 UGAg games? The 2009 ACCCG? The 2000 & 2004 Clemson games? The 2008 Florida State game?

Or this?
[y]Dn9SWbVzRpk[/y]
 
I think some people wish he would make seem more "Us versus Them" in a sense. Wes definitely has some homer in him, no doubt, and I think he's the best in the biz.
 
Wreck02 said:
I think some people wish he would make seem more "Us versus Them" in a sense. Wes definitely has some homer in him, no doubt, and I think he's the best in the biz.
Click to expand...

I think a lot of commentators who go down that "us vs. them" road end up making themselves sound like fools. Wes gets plenty pumped up and he's one of the very few people in broadcasting who I can count on to give me accurate information on what's going on without an absurd bias.

It's this simple: I know Wes is on our side, I'm screaming my head off while I'm listening to him. I'll handle the homer part, he can handle the calls and things will end well.
 
Al brought a lot of excitement calling a football game, but he was often incorrect, bless his heart. I recall very often after Al's call, Kim King (the color commentator) would say, "Al, what actually happened on that play...." I don't mean to demean Al in any way, that's just the way he was.

IMO, Al was much better at calling basketball than football.

Wes is outstanding.
 
Jack Hurst could make the hair on your neck stand up, he had some great catch phrases. Al (god love 'em) was the best reason there was to attend the games in person. If it wasn't for (the young left hander) who would always say after a play that Al got wrong, "now Al, what really happened there" you never knew what was really going on.I really like Wes because he has a ton of information off the top of his head. I do wish he would be a little more of a homer though. Do any of you old timers remember back during the Curry era when Skip Carey replaced Al? Skip was very professional but no passion in his play by play.
 
The Jacket said:
I don't think I understand the idea that Wes could be more of a homer. Have you heard his calls for the 1998, 1999, 2008 UGAg games? The 2009 ACCCG? The 2000 & 2004 Clemson games? The 2008 Florida State game?

Or this?
Click to expand...

Boy, we coulda used some of that on Saturday :frown:

But getting back to Al, he was about as much of a Tech man as there ever was. For some reason, however, he called basketball games so well, I could almost visualize it but with football all I could see when I listened to Al was 22 guys all in 622 places at once.

For example...

AL: Biii-i-i-i-i-i-ig John Davis up over that football. Snap to Dewberry... Looking.... Looking... LOOOOOONG pass.... .... ....
THE MAN IS THERE!
...
...
TOUCHDOWN BIG PLAY GARY LEE!!!
...
Flag on the play.
...
FUMBLE! Picked up by Georgia.... he's at the 20, the 25 ... brought down by Ted Roof.

Kim King: No Al, the pass was incomplete and the flag was a fan throwing his GT cup at the Georgia sideline. A Georgia player picked up the ball but the official already blew the play dead. Tech's defense thought there was a turnover and started to run out onto the field and Roof bumped into the Georgia player knocking him back about five yards.

Al: "...First and ten Jackets from their own 45... Lavette in motion..."

Kim: "Its second down, Al."
 
00Burdell said:
Boy, we coulda used some of that on Saturday :frown:

But getting back to Al, he was about as much of a Tech man as there ever was. For some reason, however, he called basketball games so well, I could almost visualize it but with football all I could see when I listened to Al was 22 guys all in 622 places at once.

For example...

AL: Biii-i-i-i-i-i-ig John Davis up over that football. Snap to Dewberry... Looking.... Looking... LOOOOOONG pass.... .... ....
THE MAN IS THERE!
...
...
TOUCHDOWN BIG PLAY GARY LEE!!!
...
Flag on the play.
...
FUMBLE! Picked up by Georgia.... he's at the 20, the 25 ... brought down by Ted Roof.

Kim King: No Al, the pass was incomplete and the flag was a fan throwing his GT cup at the Georgia sideline. A Georgia player picked up the ball but the official already blew the play dead. Tech's defense thought there was a turnover and started to run out onto the field and Roof bumped into the Georgia player knocking him back about five yards.

Al: "...First and ten Jackets from their own 45... Lavette in motion..."

Kim: "Its second down, Al."
Click to expand...
:lol::lol::lol:
 
they say that Al was a GREAT BB announcer specifically he could do "almost" real time which is VERY difficult b/c BB is such is a fast pace sport.
 
I grew up listening to Al Ciraldo calling Tech games on the radio, and for years the excitement of Jacket football and his voice were synonymous. Over the years, it gets harder to remember the voice. Does anyone have a recording or link for any of his games?
 
Well that's kind of what I remember about Al...his calls with Lavette, and later Jerry Mays...that you just had to wonder what was going on before Kim King would say something. But I really think that was more what I meant when I said I remember Al in the '80's...and I think he was just getting older and declining by that point. Sort of in a Harry Caray way with Steve Stone at his side to correct him.

I'd have to imagine back in the '60's and '70's Al was a little more on top of his game.
 
All time classic Gary Lee KO return.If you look closely at the end where Gary fakes out the kicker you can see Vince Dooley running along the Ga. sideline with his red flapping in the wind.Not easy to see on this clip, but if someone could bring up in slow motion he's easy to spot.Always makes me LOL!
 
00Burdell said:
Boy, we coulda used some of that on Saturday :frown:

But getting back to Al, he was about as much of a Tech man as there ever was. For some reason, however, he called basketball games so well, I could almost visualize it but with football all I could see when I listened to Al was 22 guys all in 622 places at once.

For example...

AL: Biii-i-i-i-i-i-ig John Davis up over that football. Snap to Dewberry... Looking.... Looking... LOOOOOONG pass.... .... ....
THE MAN IS THERE!
...
...
TOUCHDOWN BIG PLAY GARY LEE!!!
...
Flag on the play.
...
FUMBLE! Picked up by Georgia.... he's at the 20, the 25 ... brought down by Ted Roof.

Kim King: No Al, the pass was incomplete and the flag was a fan throwing his GT cup at the Georgia sideline. A Georgia player picked up the ball but the official already blew the play dead. Tech's defense thought there was a turnover and started to run out onto the field and Roof bumped into the Georgia player knocking him back about five yards.

Al: "...First and ten Jackets from their own 45... Lavette in motion..."

Kim: "Its second down, Al."
Click to expand...
Great stuff burdell. Al was always good for his classic pass call "caught and dropped"! or "intercepted and dropped"!Use to drive me crazy, I would scream "Al, which one was it" because there would always be a second of silence before he would say anything else.:lol:
 
Al was a legend. His basketball play by play slipped in the final couple of years. I specifically remember him not being able to keep up with Kenny Anderson & Company.

Kinda of wish Wes used a few more of Al's signature calls during hoops broadcasts.
 
coldbeer said:
Kinda of wish Wes used a few more of Al's signature calls during hoops broadcasts.
Click to expand...
I used to love Al's calls of Mark Price's rainbow threes. He'd call the shot then wait about five seconds to see what happened. If the shot was good, he had that patented way of saying good by taking out the Os which, now that I think about it, is GT.

"LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG one by Price....
.....
.....
.....
.....
-GT-"
 
It didn't matter where you were, when you walked into a room at someone's home, a store on the square in some outlying town, a baber shop on Marrietta Street downtown, or just hearing someone's transistor radio walking down the sidewalk, when you heard that voice you KNEW you were listening to Georgia Tech - Lothridge running the option, the young Left Hander, Kim King passing, or Yunkus shooting from the top of the key...
 
mack said:
I remember Jack Hurst well he was first I ever heard talk about wrestling runners to the ground.I think Wes is a good second though.Al was just tech period.I could not follow him at times since he got so excited but he was a good one.When I started he was on the field like a Ga Lawrence Smith etc.
Click to expand...

Jack Hurst also did Falcon games.
There is no real TECH fan that did not love Al.
 
00Burdell said:
I used to love Al's calls of Mark Price's rainbow threes. He'd call the shot then wait about five seconds to see what happened. If the shot was good, he had that patented way of saying good by taking out the Os which, now that I think about it, is GT.

"LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG one by Price....
.....
.....
.....
.....
-GT-"
Click to expand...

yep.

add Charity Stripe, Bunny Shots, and more.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top