Damn. Just damn.
Larry Munson, the legendary voice of University of Georgia football will announce his retirement Monday night, three people familiar with the situation told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
We all knew it was coming. I just hoped it would be under more ideal circumstances.
Every Dawg fan has his or her particular moment when Munson first cast his spell. I fell in love with Larry listening to his incredible 1978 broadcast of the road game at Kentucky. I was at a party and remember joining people drifting away from the larger group to gather around a radio. The tension that Munson was able to create with his play by play became almost unbearable; the call of Rex Robinson kicking the winning field goal was cathartic. Lewis Grizzard later described Larry’s call of the game as “better than being there” and he was spot on with that.
I doubt this is the way Munson wants to go out, but as the saying goes, sometimes the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. In any event, I will be forever grateful for the way the man has enriched our lives for so many years. As an epitaph for his career, to say there will never be another one like him is a woeful understatement, but so be it. God bless you, sir.
Get The Picture 
A Damn Good Dawg. Good luck and thanks for the memories.
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Ahh, the memories…
The Wizard of Words.
The Voice of a Nation.
Let’s make Sanford Stadium ‘rock and roll’ just for him.
I don’t know if the goosebumps will ever be the same…
God bless you, Larry.
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Absolutely TW.
Thanks for making the hair on the back of my neck stand throughout the years.
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I had always hoped Larry would somehow make it to a National Championship Game and call it for the Dawgs. That would have been a fitting note to go out on. Unfortunately, that is not to be. At the very least, I hope he’s able to listen to the game while fishing, as he hoped he would be doing the first time he didn’t call a Georgia game.. which was the Alabama game last year. Keep on keepin’ on Larry!
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I remember when he called the following:
When Georgia trailed Florida in the fourth quarter of a game in 1975, then-Bulldogs coach Vince Dooley called a trick play. Tight end Richard Appleby took an end-around, stopped and threw a touchdown pass to Gene Washington to win the game, 10-7.
“Washington caught it thinking of Montreal and the Olympics and ran out of his shoes right down the middle! Eighty yards! Gator Bowl rocking! Stunned! The girders are bending now!”
I think of Georgia Football and Larry as the same thing.
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I don’t remember Georgia ball without Larry. It won’t be the same.
Thank you sir for the memories and for making “Lindsey Scott. Lindsey Scott,” the hallmark of my time at UGA.
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my earliest memory was the same as yours. I was in Stan Beech’s basement bedroom, listening to Rex Robinson beat the ‘cats. We sat next to a transistor radio, hypnotized by Munson’s call. We were both hooked at the tender age of 10. Stan died a couple of years ago and I miss him, but I’ll always have the memories of the great evening we spent with Larry and Rex. Munson’s sublime calls made him a part of the fabric of my life. God bless Larry Munson.
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I shall raise a toast to him often.
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I am so sad to hear this news…
He is one of the greatest. I was listening to a bunch of mp3’s of his calls about a week ago.
Having lived through John Ward’s retirement at Tennessee, I can tell you that I do feel for you…
…and, no, it will never be the same.
His voice will be missed
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Senator,
Was that ’78 KY game the time he was screaming “10 – 9 – 8 watch the clock! watch the clock!” I can see that radio right now. And I was driving a van when I heard “run Lindsay run!” I had to pull over.
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Same with me. I was home from UGA for the weekend and was to meet some friends at a place in Columbus called the Speakeasy. Even though I was late to meet them, I could not go in until the game was over. I sat in my car for the final portion of the game and listened to Munson make the call. It is still the most exciting sports call that I ever heard. I can’t recall another event being so accurately captured. I could feel the tension in the stadium. I could feel the anticipation of the coaches and the players. As I sat in that dark car with only the dash lights on, I truly felt as if I was in the stands. I could see what he was describing so vividly. When he yelled “Yeah, yeah, Yeah”, the release of tension in me was no less than it was for him. Time seemed to be suspended during those last few minutes of the game in order to give Larry adequate time to describe the action. Of course, time wasn’t suspended, but that was the genius of Larry. He could describe more in less time than any one else. And he loved the Dogs to boot. Now, lets go win one for him.
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In all of sports, Larry Munson is the best announcer of all-time. Baseball had a few like him. College Football used to have some like him. None have endured to this day, but Larry Munson. We Georgia Bulldogs have always turned off every broadcast volume except for his. Our opponents recognize that in post-game comments, they are forced to respond to his call of the game. Everyone knows Larry Munson is a Georgia Bulldog. We are worried about this team’s strength. They are good; very good. Can we contain that guy. Our guys are there; who’s got it. Run. Run. Run. Stadium is rocking. We just broke them. We’re open in the end zone. Down the sideline, we’ve run out of our shoes; Go : Go Plays with just a Bulldog’s name exalted from the mountain top. We just ran right over them. A Freshman. They just can’t stop us; it’s been a battle. We’ve got a man there. We’ve line up for the kick from Watkinsville. I wish Larry Munson nothing but the best personally. For all the kids who never will get their play at Georgia immortalized, we can always imitate Larry Munson and how he would have told the world how the play actually looked. His grovel voice pleading that our opponent not be as good as they seemed to Larry Munson, clearly endeared himself to every opponent each week. My God, they are good he would exclaim. If you haven’t already, you might want to read the comments by other teams’ fans about how much they Love Larry Munson. One would think that his partisan Georgia Bulldog viewpoint would grate on our opponents. It never did. They would just sit there and listen in awe with all the rest of the sports’ world. There might never be another who can emulate, but there should be a School of Journalism course designed to do nothing but study how a game is described for their fans. In closing out his illustrious career, it is only fitting that he would think of us. If you want to be a broadcaster, you must have a thorough study of how he so enjoys life and knows that he is there for us to color the pageantry of a sports’ contest. “I can’t express enough my deep feelings toward the Georgia football fans,” Munson said in a release. “They have been so friendly especially during this most recent period of time. I feel I owe them so much more than I can give. I’ll remember all the great times with the Dogs and have the fondest wishes and good luck toward them all.” It is not us that you owe, but we. Thank you.
I nominate Larry Munson for The Legendary Larry Munson Award.
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I remember listening to the Kevin Butler 60 yd field goal over Clemson with my Mom in the parking lot of the Augusta Mall. I was 8. We yelled and screamed when Munson made the call… as did a hand full of other cars in the lot. Larry, you’ve taken me to every Stadium in the SEC. Thanks for the memories.
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