Unfortunately, I missed out on the Golden Age of Radio.
For better or for worse, I am a product of the MTV Generation, which means that most of the news, entertainment, and other miscellaneous media information I gather is visual, condensed, and, in short, lame and unimaginative.
Except for sports programming.
One night this past week, I left work later than usual and caught the second half of the Texas/OU basketball game. I listened to the remaining minutes with the usual cracks, hisses, and other interferances that force increased concentration on the action. You know, the way amplitude modulated radio was meant to be listened to.
Listening to the game on the radio brought back a memory from high school. I've been having more of them lately, and I really wish they would stop.
My last year, the Homecoming Dance was the same day as the Texas/OU game. To this day, I still prefer to watch the game by myself, and that's what I did that day, as well. It must've been a 2:30 kick-off that year because I couldn't finish watching the game on tv.
In order to be just moderately late instead of unbelievably late, I had to listen to the final 5 minutes of the game on the radio while I took a shower and got dressed. I was interested in my date with Suzanne, but I was more interested in who would win the game.
I would have made Will Hunting proud that day because apparently, I didn't have to see about a girl.
Anyway, Texas won the game 14-13 on a last-minute Gardere-to-Keith Cash touchdown.
Although listening to versus viewing a game omits much of the action, I still find it preferrable. Obviously, radio play-by-play follows the movement of the ball and leaves the movements of the off-ball players to the imagination of the listener. It's difficult to describe setting a back-door pick or the "go" in a give-and-go and most of those set-up plays are described after the moment. Still, I like hearing about a player "swinging out to the wing" and knowing that there was probably a pick set on the blocks.
Radio play-by-play announcers were once known for their humor, quick thinking, and ability to make the game more interesting than it actually may have been. Most of the sporting vernacular we use today was introduced during through radio broadcasts and long gone are the days of Harry Caray and Chick Hearn.
I read a book many years ago about the ACC; one particular chapter was dedicated to the NC State/UNC rivalry. UNC's radio announcer would embellish the talent and on-court accomplishments of its players; garden variety lay-ups were described as off-balanced, near-miraculous shots over several defenders. When a Wolf Pack player would thunder down the lane for a backboard shaking dunk, the announcer would simply say, "That's a two-point lay-up for State".
Television personalities, simply stated, often have no personality. Musburger is the leading candidate of this category.
As it stands, however, this is an activity that must be enjoyed alone. I've tried listening to games, even Aggie games, on the radio with Melissa in the car. The cracks and hisses I can handle; the grumbling, I cannot.
For better or for worse, I am a product of the MTV Generation, which means that most of the news, entertainment, and other miscellaneous media information I gather is visual, condensed, and, in short, lame and unimaginative.
Except for sports programming.
One night this past week, I left work later than usual and caught the second half of the Texas/OU basketball game. I listened to the remaining minutes with the usual cracks, hisses, and other interferances that force increased concentration on the action. You know, the way amplitude modulated radio was meant to be listened to.
Listening to the game on the radio brought back a memory from high school. I've been having more of them lately, and I really wish they would stop.
My last year, the Homecoming Dance was the same day as the Texas/OU game. To this day, I still prefer to watch the game by myself, and that's what I did that day, as well. It must've been a 2:30 kick-off that year because I couldn't finish watching the game on tv.
In order to be just moderately late instead of unbelievably late, I had to listen to the final 5 minutes of the game on the radio while I took a shower and got dressed. I was interested in my date with Suzanne, but I was more interested in who would win the game.
I would have made Will Hunting proud that day because apparently, I didn't have to see about a girl.
Anyway, Texas won the game 14-13 on a last-minute Gardere-to-Keith Cash touchdown.
Although listening to versus viewing a game omits much of the action, I still find it preferrable. Obviously, radio play-by-play follows the movement of the ball and leaves the movements of the off-ball players to the imagination of the listener. It's difficult to describe setting a back-door pick or the "go" in a give-and-go and most of those set-up plays are described after the moment. Still, I like hearing about a player "swinging out to the wing" and knowing that there was probably a pick set on the blocks.
Radio play-by-play announcers were once known for their humor, quick thinking, and ability to make the game more interesting than it actually may have been. Most of the sporting vernacular we use today was introduced during through radio broadcasts and long gone are the days of Harry Caray and Chick Hearn.
I read a book many years ago about the ACC; one particular chapter was dedicated to the NC State/UNC rivalry. UNC's radio announcer would embellish the talent and on-court accomplishments of its players; garden variety lay-ups were described as off-balanced, near-miraculous shots over several defenders. When a Wolf Pack player would thunder down the lane for a backboard shaking dunk, the announcer would simply say, "That's a two-point lay-up for State".
Television personalities, simply stated, often have no personality. Musburger is the leading candidate of this category.
As it stands, however, this is an activity that must be enjoyed alone. I've tried listening to games, even Aggie games, on the radio with Melissa in the car. The cracks and hisses I can handle; the grumbling, I cannot.
