Georgia's Larry Munson Announces Retirement

>
> For Immediate Release
> Sept. 22, 2008
>
> ATHENS-------Legendary University of Georgia football play-
> by-play announcer Larry Munson, who began broadcasting Bulldog games
> in 1966, has announced his retirement from the booth.
>
> Munson has done only home games thus far this season and in
> 2007; however, he has decided that the Central Michigan broadcast on
> Sept. 6, was his last. The current road game booth crew of Scott
> Howard and Eric Zeier will finish out the 2008 season handling home
> and away games.
>
> "I can't express enough my deep feelings toward the
> Georgia football fans," said Munson. "They have been so friendly
> especially during this most recent period of time. I feel I owe the
> m so much more than I can give. I'll remember all the great times w
> ith the Dogs and have the fondest wishes and good luck toward them a
> ll."
>
>
>
> "Larry made the decision over the weekend after consultation
> with his family, doctor, and close friends," said Michael Munson, L
> arry's son. "The Munson family would like to thank Cox Radio,
> the University of Georgia and the Georgia people who have been so su
> pportive of Larry throughout his long career and especially the last
> several months following his surgery in April. Larry plans to celeb
> rate his 86th birthday this weekend watching the Alabama game with f
> amily and close friends."
>
> Michael Munson also indicated that after 60 years in
> broadcasting, Larry told him "There are lots of things I still want
> to do."
>
> "I want to thank Larry Munson on behalf of this great university for
> 42 dedicated years of delivering the Georgia Bulldogs to fans on fa
> ll Saturday's around the world," said UGA Director of Athletics Damo
> n Evans. "I truly appreciate his return at the start of this season
> from surgery to give us all another opportunity to hear him describe
> the tradition and pageantry of Georgia football as only he could do
> it. This is a day that we all knew would come for the Bulldog Nati
> on, Larry Munson is and will always be a part of what is great about
> being a Georgia Bulldog."
>
>
> Munson's dramatic delivery, along with an unabashed partisanship for
> the Bulldogs, has endeared him to generations of UGA fans.
>
>
>
> "Larry Munson has given the bulk of his professional life in the ser
> vice of the Bulldog Nation and we thank him for it," said UGA Presid
> ent Dr. Michael F. Adams. "He has been a unifying element and rally
> ing point for many years. We are grateful for his many contribution
> s and wish for him improved health and many good times to come."
>
>
>
> "We fully support Larry's wishes and can't thank him enough for
> the thrilling play-by-play he's given the Bulldog Nation and WSB thr
> ough the years," said Cox Radio, Inc. Chief Operating Officer Marc M
> organ
>
>
>
> Born Sept. 28, 1921, in Minneapolis, Munson is an alumnus of
> Moorehead State Teachers College in Moorehead, Minn. After World
> War II, he used his military discharge pay to enroll in
> broadcaster's school back home in Minneapolis. He followed 10 weeks
> of training by landing an assignment to work at a small radio
> station in Devil's Lake, N.D.
>
>
>
> This job started a series of short-term jobs for Munson behind the
> microphone, the last of which took him to Cheyenne, Wyoming. He had
> gotten the job by recording an audition tape of a football game
> between Ohio State and Minnesota, replete with canned crowd noise
> and special effects.
>
>
>
> During his time in Cheyenne, Munson befriended another young
> broadcaster who later gained national fame: Curt Gowdy, who was
> calling University of Wyoming football and basketball games at the
> time. When Gowdy left Cheyenne for a Double A baseball job in
> Oklahoma City, he recommended that Munson replace him. It was the
> break that Munson sought.
>
>
>
> In 1949, when Gowdy joined Mel Allen on the New York Yankees radio
> crew, he again recommended Munson for the job in Oklahoma City.
> Munson eventually spent three years broadcasting baseball there
> before making his next move.
>
>
>
> He left Oklahoma City for Nashville, Tenn., in 1952, taking a job
> calling games for the Nashville Vols, a minor-league affiliate of
> several teams, including the New York Giants, Cincinnati and
> Minnesota. It was a career move that led him into other
> broadcasting directions. He served a stint as a Nashville disc
> jockey and also started what was believed to have been the first-
> ever TV show on fishing. Munson continued to host the fishing show
> long after he left Nashville for Georgia in the mid-1960s.
>
>
>
> While in Nashville, Munson also made his second venture into
> collegiate athletics. He called Vanderbilt University football and
> basketball games over the powerful airwaves of AM station WSM.
>
>
>
> But in 1966 Munson got his big break into major-league baseball when
> he landed a job calling Atlanta Braves baseball in their inaugural
> season. As the Braves' first spring training began, he read a
> newspaper story about the departure of Georgia football announcer Ed
> Thilenius. He then made an inquiry to UGA athletics director Joel
> Eaves, whom he had known during his days at Vanderbilt. Eaves
> offered him the Georgia football job during that first phone call.
>
>
>
> During his career as the Bulldogsí play-by-play man, Munson has held
> a variety of auxiliary jobs. He called games for the Georgia baske
> tball program from 1987-96 and for the Atlanta Falcons from 1989-92.
> He has also hosted various sports talk shows on radio and TV.
>
>
>
> In 1983, Munson was recognized by the Georgia General Assembly ìfor
> his role in the Georgia championship football program.î Fourteen ye
> ars later the same legislative body, led by Governor Zell Miller, ho
> nored him with a proclamation celebrating his 50 years in broadcasti
> ng.
>
>
>
> In 1994, Munson was inducted into the Georgia Association of
> Broadcasters Hall of Fame, and in 2005, he won a similar induction
> into the State of Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.
>
>
>
> Muns <<munson-1.jpg>> on is also the 2003 recipient of the Chris
> Schenkel Award, given annually by the National Football Foundation
> and College Hall of Fame. The award recognizes broadcasters with
> long and distinguished careers in broadcasting college football, as
> well as their contributions to community service.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Karlene Lawrence
> Manager of Internet Operations/Publications Coord.
> UGA Athletic Association
> P.O. Box 1472, Athens, Ga. 30603
> karlene@sports.uga.edu
> www.georgiadogs.com
> www.GXtra.com
>
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> <munson-1.jpg>