Wes Durham is Leaving Tech Radio

Diseqc said:
I'll admit it. I've never heard Wes call a Tech game. I'm either in the stands watching or watching it on TV. Who listens to games on the radio anymore?
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I turned down the TV and listened to Wes for away games. In the stands for home games.
 
Upside is we'll have some pro-tech bias on the prime-time level.
 
boozinbuzz said:
Seems fishy to me. Guy had an 18 year gig at GT, was loved by the fan base and could do no wrong, then he decides to leave to pursue a TV opportunity? He could have stayed at GT and collected a nice paycheck (from ISP) for the rest of his life, not to mention the Falcons gig and the other opportunities that come from living in the capital of college football.

I wonder what really ran him off?
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I don't know if he was unhappy or any of that other stuff. That said, the TV gig is good enough to leave for on its own.

He will make far more on Fox than he ever will at GT. He'll have a chance to be their marquee announcer. He can become a big name along the lines of Herbstreit, etc, and unlike them, Wes is actually a talented announcer.

I think he will have great success on TV. GT was lucky to have him for 18 years. It isn't surprising that they came calling and it isn't surprising that he left.

We'll miss him. I'd like to blame someone, but I'd actually have to know what happened to do that and I don't. But I can't imagine that this wouldn't steal him away even if he was as happy as a Georgie grad in a full dumpster.
 
00Burdell said:
I guess this is the part of the thread where we suggest names that we know and overlook the other 97.3% of qualified replacements not yet discovered.
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Bill Curry! He's available until Alabama needs someone.

And who wouldn't want to hear the unintelligible mumbles of Ted Turner?
 
TechSBP said:
And who wouldn't want to hear the unintelligible mumbles of Ted Turner?
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I vote for Will Forte doing his Ted Turner (while riding Teddy Jr. of course)

s020811-tedturner.jpg
 
00Burdell said:
Those of us who have been around a while remember when Brad Nessler was a local guy who called many Tech basketball games.

Look where he ended up.

Lot of good careers were launched from the campus of Georgia Tech.

Good luck to Wes.
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Yep
 
I grew up in the Ciraldo era, but Wes won me over quickly. He did a great job and truly exuded enthusiasm when Georgia Tech was successful. I don't know all the reasons for his departure, but two things I want to say:
1. If he wants to call some football on TV, why not see if he is interested in continuing to call basketball. I know many play by play guys want to do football and basketball for the school, but if Wes was open to it I would love for him to continue calling basketball.
2. Let's show some class and honor him this fall at a game. Elon would be interesting, to thank him in front of his alma mater. Any other home game would be fine. Wes earned his day of recognition and I would like for him to know he was truly appreciated by Georgia Tech and its fans.
 
I would rather have Hillary Clinton be our play by play announcer and win 14 games than have Wes call the games and win 13. Any announcer will sound good calling a win, and no announcer will sound good enough to make losing enjoyable. The key thing in an announcer is for the person to love Tech. Al couldn't see what was going on half the time, but he loved Tech so much that it didn't matter. If the new person really loves Tech, they'll be doing their job. And, if we win, they'll sound great.
 
AE 87 said:
I think people are ignoring the obvious. We scheduled ourselves to play Elon this year. Wes quit so that he wouldn't have to call a game against his alma mater.
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Winner! :wink:
 
awbuzz said:
I turned down the TV and listened to Wes for away games. In the stands for home games.
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I am always in the stands for home games "with a radio". You have to know what is going on during the game. I will miss Wes. He did a great job. All the best to him!
 
FallOnTheFlats said:
I would rather have Hillary Clinton be our play by play announcer and win 14 games than have Wes call the games and win 13. Any announcer will sound good calling a win, and no announcer will sound good enough to make losing enjoyable. The key thing in an announcer is for the person to love Tech. Al couldn't see what was going on half the time, but he loved Tech so much that it didn't matter. If the new person really loves Tech, they'll be doing their job. And, if we win, they'll sound great.
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Wes has been an outstanding ambassador for GT.


Mods, please ban this loser/troll
:eek4wtf::gtfo2::ban2:.
 
FallOnTheFlats said:
I would rather have Hillary Clinton be our play by play announcer and win 14 games than have Wes call the games and win 13. Any announcer will sound good calling a win, and no announcer will sound good enough to make losing enjoyable. The key thing in an announcer is for the person to love Tech. Al couldn't see what was going on half the time, but he loved Tech so much that it didn't matter. If the new person really loves Tech, they'll be doing their job. And, if we win, they'll sound great.
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Listening to Al call a game in his later years was a real event. The game he was calling was much more interesting than the one going on down on the field!

No one loved Tech more than Al, and the feeling was mutual from fans and his quirkiness doing play-by-play just made him all the more cherished.

Wes is perfect for TV, I often noticed he didn't give down and distance and add those visual details during plays that a radio call requires. On TV you can see that a run is going around left end or a pass is short or long to the left or right. His enthusiasm will shine for TV.

Tech will find another great play-by-play man just like we eventually did after Al retired. It won't be the "next Al" or the "next Wes", but it will be the "first (insert name here)" like they were.
 
brad nesler coined the term "thrillerdome" while doing a Tech hoops broadcast, i remember that
 
Al was passionate but there were some interesting calls and moments.
To wit:

"Dewberry back to pass. He's got time. Pressure!"
"Big Booba Bubby Hodge" instead of Big Bubba Bobby Hodge, from Vidalia, I believe.
"Dewberry ... dip ... dup ... dep ... incomplete."
And my favorite: "The center, a 6-10 junior from Haiti, Georgia, Yvon Joseph." That one prompted me to call my next door neighbor, also a Tech fan, and ask him if he was listening to Ciraldo and did he hear what I just heard, that Joseph was from Haiti, Georgia.

But I'd take Al any day over Munson or Scott whatever his name is.
 
Finally, official news of what Wes is moving onto.
Wes Durham ‏@WesDurham 2m
Very excited to be joining @FOXSportsSouth for their coverage of @theACCfootball & @accmbb this year. (1/2)
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Wes Durham ‏@WesDurham 1m
(2/2) Also looking forward to working with @BrianStann & @jennhildreth starting on Aug. 31, when @umterps host @FIUFootball
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