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I'm not even sure if its possible to sync up John Murphy's broadcast with the television these days. The radio streaming feed is bound to be behind by a minute or two. I am not about to invest in radio stereo equipment in this day and age. Plus, is wgr synced up with the spectrum feed, the digital antenna feed, or a satelite feed? There's no way all of these are all going to be at the same exact part of the broadcast.

Edited by wagon127
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I could not take Van Miller.  When things were going bad he wore his heart on his sleeve and brought me down even more.  I don’t need to be made to feel worse about already soul-crushing losses.  I need to be reminded it’s just a game in those situations. 

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On 5/24/2020 at 2:48 PM, First Round Bust said:

for a few years in the mid 1970s WKBW radio won the radio rights to do Bills games in place of Van Miller:

 

the crew was Al Meltzer PBP - he was a sportscaster from Philly who worked weekends Bils game; Rick Azar color - he was long-time local WKBW TV sportscaster who also did the Bills weekly highlights show (previous week game on the Sat before next game) and Ed Rutkowski - sideline - former Bill

 

Overall quality was middle of the road - the rights went back and Van Miller returned

 

So other than original Van, Meltzer-Azar-Rutkowski crew, back to Van and then onto Murphy I guess that's your entire history of Bills radio coverage.

 

PS - Van Mller was also the voice of the Buffalo Braves, would hustle back to studio to the 11 PM sports (otherwise you got Chuck Healy from Strikes, Spares and Misses fame - if you don't know don't ask)

 

Jon Murphy is a former bartender - to me seems to have that loud be heard over the din-tavern voice rather than a broadcaster...that is what I think of most when he does a game, some guy in a bar yelling at the TV

 

 

It is Rick Azar's voice on the call for OJ's run to break 2000. It did not seem like he was doing the color in that clip.  I had always thought he did the p x p so what you describe is news to me.  I wonder how many years that lasted.

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As a lover of Van Miller's everything, is it okay to question how much effing drama and suspense he added to seemingly ordinary play calls? I seem to remember a lot of (and please consider each dot to be like a tenth of a second): "Kelly takes the snap...................surveys the field.......................***** his arm......................**at this point crowd noise often indicates a development in the play that has yet to be narrated**..................the pass is in the air....................AND HE FINDS REED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD FOR A FIRST DOWN!!!" Then he'd give this succinct, effective, energetic recap quickly before the Bills ran up to the line and got off another play in rapid succession. 

 

I remember, let's call them pregnant pauses, in his play-by-play. 

 

And we liked it.

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On 5/26/2020 at 9:45 AM, Charles Romes said:

I could not take Van Miller.  When things were going bad he wore his heart on his sleeve and brought me down even more.  I don’t need to be made to feel worse about already soul-crushing losses.  I need to be reminded it’s just a game in those situations. 


Did anybody listen to Van’s radio broadcast of any of the Bills’ Super Bowls?

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I never head Van Miller but as someone who has tried to do play by play for soccer it is harder than it looks and it is a real skill. The one thing I remember being taught is that while your job is to convey excitement to the listener / viewer it is also to paint the picture the scene that they can't see. Even in those moments of high drama.

 

I provide the link below to the commentary of the late, great, Brian Moore as an example. The most dramatic ending to an English soccer season ever. 1st v 2nd on the final day. Arsenal score the vital 2nd goal in the last minute of added time to leapfrog Liverpool and claim the title and listen to what Moore does..... he paints the picture. He describes the desolation of the Liverpool players. It is incredible commentary in that moment of extreme drama to remember what your job is.... it is to paint the picture. I think it might be the single greatest piece of sports commentary ever.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFo1eyWbTtc

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13 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

I never head Van Miller but as someone who has tried to do play by play for soccer it is harder than it looks and it is a real skill. The one thing I remember being taught is that while your job is to convey excitement to the listener / viewer it is also to paint the picture the scene that they can't see. Even in those moments of high drama.

 

I provide the link below to the commentary of the late, great, Brian Moore as an example. The most dramatic ending to an English soccer season ever. 1st v 2nd on the final day. Arsenal score the vital 2nd goal in the last minute of added time to leapfrog Liverpool and claim the title and listen to what Moore does..... he paints the picture. He describes the desolation of the Liverpool players. It is incredible commentary in that moment of extreme drama to remember what your job is.... it is to paint the picture. I think it might be the single greatest piece of sports commentary ever.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFo1eyWbTtc

 

13 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

I never head Van Miller but as someone who has tried to do play by play for soccer it is harder than it looks and it is a real skill. The one thing I remember being taught is that while your job is to convey excitement to the listener / viewer it is also to paint the picture the scene that they can't see. Even in those moments of high drama.

 

I provide the link below to the commentary of the late, great, Brian Moore as an example. The most dramatic ending to an English soccer season ever. 1st v 2nd on the final day. Arsenal score the vital 2nd goal in the last minute of added time to leapfrog Liverpool and claim the title and listen to what Moore does..... he paints the picture. He describes the desolation of the Liverpool players. It is incredible commentary in that moment of extreme drama to remember what your job is.... it is to paint the picture. I think it might be the single greatest piece of sports commentary ever.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFo1eyWbTtc


In  possibly the worst example of painting a picture that I heard, back in 1986, the San Francisco Giants hired a broadcaster named Phil Stone to their radio team.  Phil had previously done just TV broadcasting.  Here was his radio call:  “Here’s the pitch, centerfielder’s under it, inning over.”

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On 5/26/2020 at 1:00 AM, stuvian said:

Dick Stockton

 

Dick Enberg

 

Brent Musberger

 

Madden and Summerall

 

Charlie Jones

 

Bob Trumpy

 

gimme old school

 

+ Curt Gowdy

 

20 hours ago, CIrvine said:

Keith Jackson.

 

He was great, even created a new verb: "collisioned" as in "he collisioned with the receiver."  One of my high school English teachers referenced this on occasion as an example of bad grammar.

Edited by Haslett_Stomp
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21 hours ago, Richard Noggin said:

As a lover of Van Miller's everything, is it okay to question how much effing drama and suspense he added to seemingly ordinary play calls? I seem to remember a lot of (and please consider each dot to be like a tenth of a second): "Kelly takes the snap...................surveys the field.......................***** his arm......................**at this point crowd noise often indicates a development in the play that has yet to be narrated**..................the pass is in the air....................AND HE FINDS REED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD FOR A FIRST DOWN!!!" Then he'd give this succinct, effective, energetic recap quickly before the Bills ran up to the line and got off another play in rapid succession. 

 

I remember, let's call them pregnant pauses, in his play-by-play. 

 

And we liked it.

I did hate it when the QB would be back to pass and Miller would say..."He lets it fly..."  You'd envision a 20 yard plus pass and then Miller would continue..."and the pass was completed for 3 yards."  Drove me nuts.

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