Rest in Peace, Larry Munson

I read today that Larry Munson, the voice of the Georgia Bulldogs, died this weekend at the age of 89.

 


When I was growing up, my father would watch the games on TV with the sound turned off so he could listen to Munson on the radio. Or he'd skip watching the game at all, and go work on his car with the radio on, because the calls were good enough that you didn't need to see the action.  Larry Munson was the man who made this joke funny:

FOOTBALL SEASON - NORTH VS SOUTH

STADIUM SIZE

Up north: College football stadiums hold 20,000.

Down south: High school football stadiums hold 20,000.

FATHERS

Up North: Expect their daughter to understand Sylvia Plath.

Down South: Expect their daughters to understand pass interference.

GETTING TO THE STADIUM

Up North: You have to ask, "Where's the stadium?" When you find it you walk right in.

Down South: When you're near it, you'll hear it. On game day, it becomes the State's third largest city.

ANNOUNCER:

Up North: Neutral and paid. 

Down South: Announcer harmonizes with the crowd in the fight song, with a tear in his eye because he is so proud of his team.

That was Larry Munson.  We all loved him for it.  Except for those Georgia Tech guys, of course -- but I think they understood.