Nice Story for you old-timers

In the 50s and 60s LSU games were heard all over the country - usually LSU was one of the few major colleges that played Saturday night games and many local stations around the country picked up those games. I was living in western Virginia in the early 60s and if WWL wasn't coming in too good, I could tune around and find another station carrying the game.

I read this story this morning and had to call my dad. This story mirrors the reason why my dad, born in South Carolina and growing up in Eastern North Carolina is an LSU fan. After my dad read the Doug's story this morning he sent this email to him (hope you enjoy!):

"Hello, Doug. My name is Tom and I live in Charlotte. I got cold chills when your LSU radio article was shown to me by my son a few minutes ago. And here's why. I, too, experienced a near mirror-image experience of LSU radio discovery much the same as you. And, I agree there's nothing like it.

I was born in '46 to a native of Blackstock(mom) and a native of Columbia(dad) who in fact was born in a house that originally sat on the spot where the Capstone building now sits on the USC campus. Dad was a big Frank Howard fan, used to watch his TV show every Sunday after church. We had moved to Bladenboro in eastern North Carolina when in 1959 I discovered LSU, and it was on the radio. It was Halloween night 1959 - you know what's coming - I had been out with my buddies trick-or-treating. I'd gotten as much candy as my bag would hold and had gone home to spread all of it out on my bedroom floor. Somewhere in this process I decided to turn the radio on, AM of course. All of the stations in our area had already signed off for the night the sun having gone down. I used to listen to WKYC, WWL, WLS, KDKA, and WLAC. But, that night I picked up something I'd never heard before, a football game. Really, I had never heard a football game on the radio. The announcer, who's name you recited in the article, got my attention along with some guy named Billy Cannon. What a catchy name! Needless to say it all led up to THE RUN of a lifetime that 49 years later won't go away. I listened to Billy run that punt back, the announcer being drownded out for some said 7 minutes. I couldn't believe my ears and I have been hooked on LSU ever since. My wife thinks I'm nuts. And that's ok. Billy Cannon the icon is larger than legend regardless of his checkered past of the '80's. Who else do you know who has been selected for the college football hall of fame twice? I've been to Death Valley twice, in '86 to see UNC lose to the Tigers, then again in '02 to see the Gamecocks get theirs handed to them. There is no place anywhere like Tiger Stadium, totally unbelievable. On Saturday nights during football season it's the worlds largest open-air liquor warehouse! No doubt about it! Booze everywhere! And the hands-down best food you've ever had tailgating! Next year is the 50th anniversary of THE RUN. I don't know what's planned for the celebration and I can't imagine not being there. I have a connection to tickets to LSU anytime I want to go so we'll see. And, I'll be in Columbia for tomorrow nights game as I was the last time the Tigers came to town. Tomorrow night I'll be sitting next to the Tiger Band. That's going to be really special. That's it. Thanks for your story. Thanks for reading mine."

Doug was nice enough to respond with in a few minutes to my dad this morning. Here's what he had to say:

"Tom:

Thanks so much for sharing your story. Good old fashioned goose bumps IS a great way to describe what it was like to listen to LSU football.

I, too, heard Cannon's Halloween night run the next year. Another thing I remember about that game is that after Billy's run Ole Miss drove down to the LSU two. Then "here come the Chinese Bandits."

Since those long ago years I have also been able to attend a couple or so games at Tiger Stadium. What a great experience! I will be there at Williams-Brice tomorrow night, too.

Again, thanks for your memories.

Doug"

Thanks for sharing.

quote:

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Then "here come the Chinese Bandits."

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I am lucky enough to know one of the "Chinese Bandits" and even though he doesn't like to blow his own horn I do manage to milk some great stories from him. Thanks for the post!

THANKS FOR THE LINK/ BRINGS BACK MEMORIES OF TS. 50's thru 70's

Ferguson is who I remember...I used to live in So Carolina- late 70's and the only place hear the game (reception) was inside your car. I would park outside Polo's, a private after-hrs club at the very top of a hill in the St Andrews area and get the game there. The waitresses all got to know me and would do curb service, as only inside the car could the game be heard.
Always had to wait until the Mexican station would go off the air after dark.

I lived it too but from Shreveport, LA. Baton Rouge may as well been a thousand miles away. Those Saturday night broadcast hooked me forever on the Tigers and I did everything to go to school there and I graduated. It was all because of those radio broadcast. I will be there tommorow and will have to try and find this gamecock. What a memory.

I was in San Diego at the time Cannon made his historic run against Mississippi, going thru Marine Corps boot camp. Of course no radio's allowed in boot, but they did allow us a Sunday morning paper and his run was all over the front page of the San Diego paper the next morning, thats how I found out about it. I get out of boot shortly after his run, went to downtown San Diego on my first liberty, went to a movie, and I be dang if Cannons run was not all over the news reels. I sat thru the same movie twice so I could see that 89 yards of pure beauty again.

Brings back many fond memories. Thanks