Noah.Dreams
08-29-2005, 04:28 PM
26. LARRY MUNSON
The 2005 season will be Larry Munson's 40th as the beloved voice of the Georgia Bulldogs. In that span, he's made a stadium full of memorable calls. He gives us his top five:
1. "LINDSAY SCOTT, LINDSAY SCOTT, LINDSAY SCOTT!"
Georgia 26, Florida 21
Nov. 8, 1980 in Jacksonville
Undefeated and No. 2-ranked Georgia trailed Florida 21-20 with time running out. The Bulldogs' national title hopes seemed to be over when they took possession on the Georgia 7 with 1:03 left. But Lindsay Scott took a short pass over the middle from Buck Belue and turned it into a 93-yard touchdown that gave the Bulldogs a 26-21 victory. During Scott's run, Munson couldn't help himself and shouted "Run Lindsay!" When Scott scored, Munson never said "Touchdown." He just screamed "Lindsay Scott, Lindsay Scott, Lindsay Scott!"
***
You know, this game has always been called the World's Greatest Cocktail Party. Do you know what is going to happen here tonight and up in St. Simons and Jekyll Island and all those places where all of those Dawg people have got these condominiums for four days? Man, is there going to be some property destroyed tonight!
2. "A HOBNAILED BOOT!"
Georgia 26, Tennessee 24
Oct. 6, 2001 in Knoxville
Under first-year coach Mark Richt, Georgia was trying to win at Tennessee for the first time since 1980. The Vols had apparently sealed the deal by scoring with 44 seconds left to take a 24-20 lead. But freshman David Greene led the Bulldogs back down the field and threw a 6-yard TD pass to Verron Haynes with five seconds left to give the Bulldogs a 26-24 victory. Munson, now 80 years old, proved he had not lost his touch.
***
Touchdown! My God, a touchdown! We threw it to Haynes! We just stuffed them with five seconds left! My God almighty, did you see what he did? David Greene just straightened up, and we snuck the fullback over! ... We just stepped on their face with a HOBNAILED BOOT and broke their nose! We just crushed their face!
3. "LOOK AT THE SUGAR FALLING OUT OF THE SKY!"
Georgia 19, Auburn 14
Nov. 13, 1982 in Auburn
Undefeated Georgia needed a win to capture its third straight SEC title and keep its hopes alive for the national title. But late in the game Auburn drove deep into Georgia territory and threatened to steal the victory. Munson, however, decided he wouldn't let the Bulldogs lose. After every down on the final Auburn drive, he passionately implored the Georgia defense to "hunker down one more time!" Munson's pleading worked; Georgia stopped the Tigers with 42 seconds left when a Randy Campbell pass into the Georgia end zone fell incomplete. As the final seconds ticked off the clock at Jordan-Hare Stadium and Georgia was set to go to the Sugar Bowl to play for it all, Munson looked to the heavens and uttered those famous words.
***
Look at the Sugar falling out of the sky! Look at the Sugar falling out of the sky!
4. "APPLEBY TO WASHINGTON --- 80 YARDS!"
Georgia 10, Florida 7
Nov. 8, 1975 in Jacksonville
Munson had been Georgia's radio voice since 1966, but to many this was the call that sealed the unbreakable bond between Larry and Bulldog Nation. Georgia was given no chance of beating the talented Gators and trailed 7-3 with 3:42 left. That's when Georgia tight end Richard Appleby took a handoff from Matt Robinson and appeared to be running the ball around right end. Instead, Appleby stopped, planted and launched a long pass to Gene Washington, a receiver with world-class speed and Olympic dreams. Washington sailed untouched into the end zone for the winning touchdown.
***
Appleby, the end around, just stopped, planted his feet and threw it! And Washington caught it, thinking of Montreal and the Olympics, and ran out of his shoes down the middle --- 80 yards! Gator Bowl rocking! The girders are bending now! Look at the score!
5. "MY GOD, A FRESHMAN!"
Georgia 16, Tennessee 15
Sept. 6, 1980 in Knoxville
Herschel Walker had been the subject of the biggest recruiting battle the South had ever known. He didn't start his first game when Georgia, coming off a disappointing 6-5 season, went to Tennessee. The Bulldogs trailed the Vols 15-0 with four minutes left in the third quarter when they finally put together a drive down to the Tennessee 16. That's when Walker finally made his presence known to the world.
***
We hand it off to Herschel ... there's a hole! Five! ... Ten! ... Twleve! ... He's running all over people! Oh, you Herschel Walker! ... My God almighty, he ran right through two men! Herschel ran right over two men! They had him dead away inside the 9. He drove right over those orange shirts and is just driving and running with those big thighs. My God, a freshman!
--- Tony Barnhart
27. JAX-VILLE
Until very recently, one of the biggest compliments a person could pay Jacksonville went something like: Honestly, it doesn't stink around here nearly as much as it used to.
But the hosannas are improving. Like this: Jacksonville is an honest-to-Keith-Jackson football Mecca.
If Jacksonville is not quite the capital of college football --- and how can it be when the local university stopped caring about any intercollegiate athlete at Artis Gilmore? --- it is nonetheless a leading destination. You want to go to Jacksonville in October/November and breathe in the second-hand intoxicants of the Florida-Georgia game. You'll want to go in December when the ACC finally gets around to a conference championship game. You may even consider a visit in January when a consistently above-average bowl game jumpstarts a new calendar.
As a package, where better to appreciate the sensory overload of college football --- the sights, the sounds and, yes, even the smells?
--- Steve Hummer
Only in the South . . .
28. OFF THE CHARTS
On Oct. 8, 1988, LSU and Auburn were locked in a battle in Baton Rouge. Auburn led 6-0 when LSU's Tommy Hodson hit Eddie Fuller in the back of the end zone for a touchdown with 1:47 left. The explosion from the crowd of 79,341 was so loud it registered on the seismograph at the LSU Department of Geology. Believe it or not, the play is in the Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum.
--- Tony Barnhart
29. SPECIAL DELIVERY
Danny Ford was in his heyday at Clemson, and his wife, Deborah, was expecting a child. During a checkup late in the pregnancy, the doctor told Deborah Ford the baby would probably be born the next Saturday. One problem: Clemson had a home game that day. Coach Ford proceeded to tell the doc to recheck his calendar because, according to his, the baby was to be born on Friday. Sure enough, labor was induced and the baby was born on Friday. "I just figured it was part of being a coach's wife," Deborah Ford said.
--- Tony Barnhart
30. HOTEL GEORGIA
Leroy Dukes played on Vince Dooley's first Georgia team and was the longtime owner of the Athens Ramada Inn. Dukes had a loyal group of Georgia fans who stayed with him every football season.
"We had a gentleman who had been staying with us well over 20 years, and unfortunately he passed away," Dukes said. "I was sad to hear the news, but those kinds of things happen in our business."
The next season, on the Friday before the first Georgia home game, a man showed up at the front desk.
"It was the son of the man who had died," Dukes said. "He said he was there to claim his room."
Dukes had to inform the young man that the room had been in his father's name.
"Yes, Mr. Dukes," the young man said. "But Daddy left me the room in his will."
"Only in the South," Dukes said.
--- Tony Barnhart
The 2005 season will be Larry Munson's 40th as the beloved voice of the Georgia Bulldogs. In that span, he's made a stadium full of memorable calls. He gives us his top five:
1. "LINDSAY SCOTT, LINDSAY SCOTT, LINDSAY SCOTT!"
Georgia 26, Florida 21
Nov. 8, 1980 in Jacksonville
Undefeated and No. 2-ranked Georgia trailed Florida 21-20 with time running out. The Bulldogs' national title hopes seemed to be over when they took possession on the Georgia 7 with 1:03 left. But Lindsay Scott took a short pass over the middle from Buck Belue and turned it into a 93-yard touchdown that gave the Bulldogs a 26-21 victory. During Scott's run, Munson couldn't help himself and shouted "Run Lindsay!" When Scott scored, Munson never said "Touchdown." He just screamed "Lindsay Scott, Lindsay Scott, Lindsay Scott!"
***
You know, this game has always been called the World's Greatest Cocktail Party. Do you know what is going to happen here tonight and up in St. Simons and Jekyll Island and all those places where all of those Dawg people have got these condominiums for four days? Man, is there going to be some property destroyed tonight!
2. "A HOBNAILED BOOT!"
Georgia 26, Tennessee 24
Oct. 6, 2001 in Knoxville
Under first-year coach Mark Richt, Georgia was trying to win at Tennessee for the first time since 1980. The Vols had apparently sealed the deal by scoring with 44 seconds left to take a 24-20 lead. But freshman David Greene led the Bulldogs back down the field and threw a 6-yard TD pass to Verron Haynes with five seconds left to give the Bulldogs a 26-24 victory. Munson, now 80 years old, proved he had not lost his touch.
***
Touchdown! My God, a touchdown! We threw it to Haynes! We just stuffed them with five seconds left! My God almighty, did you see what he did? David Greene just straightened up, and we snuck the fullback over! ... We just stepped on their face with a HOBNAILED BOOT and broke their nose! We just crushed their face!
3. "LOOK AT THE SUGAR FALLING OUT OF THE SKY!"
Georgia 19, Auburn 14
Nov. 13, 1982 in Auburn
Undefeated Georgia needed a win to capture its third straight SEC title and keep its hopes alive for the national title. But late in the game Auburn drove deep into Georgia territory and threatened to steal the victory. Munson, however, decided he wouldn't let the Bulldogs lose. After every down on the final Auburn drive, he passionately implored the Georgia defense to "hunker down one more time!" Munson's pleading worked; Georgia stopped the Tigers with 42 seconds left when a Randy Campbell pass into the Georgia end zone fell incomplete. As the final seconds ticked off the clock at Jordan-Hare Stadium and Georgia was set to go to the Sugar Bowl to play for it all, Munson looked to the heavens and uttered those famous words.
***
Look at the Sugar falling out of the sky! Look at the Sugar falling out of the sky!
4. "APPLEBY TO WASHINGTON --- 80 YARDS!"
Georgia 10, Florida 7
Nov. 8, 1975 in Jacksonville
Munson had been Georgia's radio voice since 1966, but to many this was the call that sealed the unbreakable bond between Larry and Bulldog Nation. Georgia was given no chance of beating the talented Gators and trailed 7-3 with 3:42 left. That's when Georgia tight end Richard Appleby took a handoff from Matt Robinson and appeared to be running the ball around right end. Instead, Appleby stopped, planted and launched a long pass to Gene Washington, a receiver with world-class speed and Olympic dreams. Washington sailed untouched into the end zone for the winning touchdown.
***
Appleby, the end around, just stopped, planted his feet and threw it! And Washington caught it, thinking of Montreal and the Olympics, and ran out of his shoes down the middle --- 80 yards! Gator Bowl rocking! The girders are bending now! Look at the score!
5. "MY GOD, A FRESHMAN!"
Georgia 16, Tennessee 15
Sept. 6, 1980 in Knoxville
Herschel Walker had been the subject of the biggest recruiting battle the South had ever known. He didn't start his first game when Georgia, coming off a disappointing 6-5 season, went to Tennessee. The Bulldogs trailed the Vols 15-0 with four minutes left in the third quarter when they finally put together a drive down to the Tennessee 16. That's when Walker finally made his presence known to the world.
***
We hand it off to Herschel ... there's a hole! Five! ... Ten! ... Twleve! ... He's running all over people! Oh, you Herschel Walker! ... My God almighty, he ran right through two men! Herschel ran right over two men! They had him dead away inside the 9. He drove right over those orange shirts and is just driving and running with those big thighs. My God, a freshman!
--- Tony Barnhart
27. JAX-VILLE
Until very recently, one of the biggest compliments a person could pay Jacksonville went something like: Honestly, it doesn't stink around here nearly as much as it used to.
But the hosannas are improving. Like this: Jacksonville is an honest-to-Keith-Jackson football Mecca.
If Jacksonville is not quite the capital of college football --- and how can it be when the local university stopped caring about any intercollegiate athlete at Artis Gilmore? --- it is nonetheless a leading destination. You want to go to Jacksonville in October/November and breathe in the second-hand intoxicants of the Florida-Georgia game. You'll want to go in December when the ACC finally gets around to a conference championship game. You may even consider a visit in January when a consistently above-average bowl game jumpstarts a new calendar.
As a package, where better to appreciate the sensory overload of college football --- the sights, the sounds and, yes, even the smells?
--- Steve Hummer
Only in the South . . .
28. OFF THE CHARTS
On Oct. 8, 1988, LSU and Auburn were locked in a battle in Baton Rouge. Auburn led 6-0 when LSU's Tommy Hodson hit Eddie Fuller in the back of the end zone for a touchdown with 1:47 left. The explosion from the crowd of 79,341 was so loud it registered on the seismograph at the LSU Department of Geology. Believe it or not, the play is in the Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum.
--- Tony Barnhart
29. SPECIAL DELIVERY
Danny Ford was in his heyday at Clemson, and his wife, Deborah, was expecting a child. During a checkup late in the pregnancy, the doctor told Deborah Ford the baby would probably be born the next Saturday. One problem: Clemson had a home game that day. Coach Ford proceeded to tell the doc to recheck his calendar because, according to his, the baby was to be born on Friday. Sure enough, labor was induced and the baby was born on Friday. "I just figured it was part of being a coach's wife," Deborah Ford said.
--- Tony Barnhart
30. HOTEL GEORGIA
Leroy Dukes played on Vince Dooley's first Georgia team and was the longtime owner of the Athens Ramada Inn. Dukes had a loyal group of Georgia fans who stayed with him every football season.
"We had a gentleman who had been staying with us well over 20 years, and unfortunately he passed away," Dukes said. "I was sad to hear the news, but those kinds of things happen in our business."
The next season, on the Friday before the first Georgia home game, a man showed up at the front desk.
"It was the son of the man who had died," Dukes said. "He said he was there to claim his room."
Dukes had to inform the young man that the room had been in his father's name.
"Yes, Mr. Dukes," the young man said. "But Daddy left me the room in his will."
"Only in the South," Dukes said.
--- Tony Barnhart