23 SEP 08: THE LAST HOBNAILED BOOT

Area sports fans already were a bit in shock. After all, Skip Caray died less than two months ago. Then the Monday evening news revealed Larry Munson was retiring immediately -- and smack dab in the middle of Georgia's football season at that! No wonder Coach Mark Richt asked the fans to wear black this weekend....

Larry Munson spent 43 falls calling Georgia football games. How many Bulldog fans said over the years, "The day he leaves is the day they stop playing baseball at Yankee Stadium" - and now look.

How many people are introduced as "legendary" when they're still in the middle of their career? Yet Larry Munson was given that label for the last several years, when he was introduced as the "Voice of the Georgia Bulldogs." Only one person in Columbus seems to get the same treatment - and it's not Mayor Jim Wetherington, but Al Haynes.

I didn't hear either of Larry Munson's football broadcasts this season. But WRBL's Phil Scoggins admitted Monday evening he sounded weak at times. You don't think that caused the Bulldogs to drop a notch or two in the national polls, do you?!

Larry Munson certainly ranks among the most fascinating play-by-play announcers I've ever heard, because his approach was so unusual. He clearly rooted for Georgia - but he didn't simply root. He worried openly about the Bulldogs during games. Munson sometimes sounded like so many UGA parents, dropping off children for their first semester.

You have to understand: I took a sportscasting course in college under one-time Super Bowl network radio broadcaster Tom Hedrick. In fact, one of my classmates was Kevin Harlan of CBS. I took the class one time, and aced it. Ask Harlan, and he'll admit he took it several times - well, on purpose....

Tom Hedrick taught us how to call the action, without really taking sides. So I was stunned to move to Georgia in November 1984, and hear Larry Munson describe the Auburn game as a matter of "us versus them." He made it sound like this wasn't college football, but war. Of course, I had to learn - in this part of the country, it actually is.

Larry Munson epitomized the Southeastern Conference football spirit, as well as the feelings of its fans. You know - the groups of fans who wanted Jim Donnan fired for only having a record of 8-4....

But of course, Larry Munson became a legend for some of the plays he called. Some became fodder for an annual Munson imitation contest, at a sports bar in metro Atlanta. By comparison, you have to look hard for anyone who still remembers Al Ciraldo's voice at Georgia Tech.

I didn't realize until Monday night that Larry Munson actually went to Georgia in the 1960's to call Atlanta baseball games. He could have wound up in the same booth with Skip Caray - and every time Munson might worry about the score, Caray could tell a joke to calm him down.

Larry Munson also did the play-by-play of Atlanta Falcons games for a few years, including the final game at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in 1991. I know, because I took a radio to that game and heard him. And I needed him, because I was in about the 12^th row of field-level seats with guys standing in front of me half the game.

Larry Munson also broadcast Georgia basketball games for a few years in the 1990s - but that never seemed quite right. There's no time to worry about key missed shots when the action is going back and forth....

If the University of Georgia athletic staff has any smarts at all, they'll quickly do what Atlanta's baseball team did. They'll name the broadcast booth in Athens after Larry Munson, while he's around to appreciate it. But hmmmm - should they prepare a vault for him at Sanford Stadium, alongside UGA VI?

While they're at it, the University of Georgia staff might want to consider WDAK's Scott Miller as a successor to Larry Munson. Miller's broadcast style reminds me so much of Munson - except Miller's "luck" is a spot instead of a lady.

E-MAIL UPDATE: On the way back from Athens, we bounce over Columbus to the far side of Russell County....

Hello Richard,

It has been a while since I have contacted you. I just wanted to let you know that I still read your blog practically every day even though there is not much news about Hurtsboro in there anymore. It seems that your biggest Hurtsboro contributor has decided that he doesn't want to affiliate himself with your blog anymore. Of course you know who I am speaking of....yes you guessed it....the infamous Robert Schweiger.

It appears that Mr. Schweiger has been a busy boy this year with two thwarted law suits and a failed bid for County Commissioner. Fortunately Mr. Schweiger has not prevailed in any of his malicious endeavors. I must say that I am quite surprised that he was able to talk five intelligent adults who ARE actually from Hurtsboro into going along with his feeble plot. I guess they are regretting it now since they each owe the court $700.00. It seems that the ole boy would have learned his lesson after losing his frivolous suit against me for which he was ordered to pay $250.00. Although Mr. Schweiger doesn't think that he has to pay me what he owes he may be in for a little surprise when he finds out that I have a judgment against him filed with the Russell County Probate Court and currently hold a lien on everything he owns until I am paid in full. So you might say that Mr. Schweiger is sleeping in my barn with my dogs and driving my pick up truck. Mr. Schweiger thought he was being funny by sending a $5.00 check every month and making it out to everyone but me. He only revealed the content of his character which is sorely lacking.

On an upbeat note I am looking forward to seeing the elections to completion in October and watching Hurtsboro improve with new leadership. I am confident that both candidates who remain on the ballot are concerned about Hurtsboro's future. With the right leadership Hurtsboro can thrive and continue to improve providing its citizenry with needed services such as round the clock police protection, sanitation services, and revitalization of it's down town. There are lots of federal grants that Hurtsboro could not qualify for without a charter. Hurtsboro has another untapped gold mine….it is widely seen as a "hunters paradise". Hunters come from all over the United States to enjoy the rich pleasures of the outdoors there. I think both Ray Tapley and Tatonya Burns have positive outlooks on fixing Hurtsboro's ills instead of trying to air dirty laundry which is practically an invite for those who live in larger surrounding cities who wish to do harm. There will be some monumental hurdles to cross but I believe they can be overcome. Hurtsboro is not ready for the grave and neither are its people. I am not from Hurtsboro and I no longer have a financial interest in seeing the town prosper. My interest is strictly personal. I made a lot of friends in Hurtsboro when I policed it's streets for a total of three years. I know the majority of people there would give you the shirt off their back even if they didn't have another. I didn't leave Hurtsboro because I didn't like it or its people. In fact I still visit routinely when I want to get away from the big city and see my friends.

Those FEW who followed Mr. Schweiger have assisted him in (pardon my expression) placing a proverbial turd in the punch bowl. I hope everyone gets behind the cart and helps push it forward because the only other directions are back and standing still. It's their community and they have to make it better.

Sincerely,

Sam Smith (former resident and a friend of Hurtsboro)

Robert Schweiger did make a donation to this blog at one time, as any reader is welcome to do. I'm not sure that makes him an "affiliate." I mean, he's never asked me for a glossy autographed picture....

But I don't think Constable Schweiger is giving up yet, in his effort to dissolve the Hurtsboro city charter. He's asked Alabama Attorney General Troy King to review the case. King has gone after possible graft with absentee ballots - but an absentee mayor may be something else.

Wow - Sam Smith has a lien on all of Robert Schweiger's belongings? Surely one of Schweiger's horses is worth more than $250, to settle this court judgment. It's either that, or the Constable is turning all of his e-mails to our blog into a book proposal.

When we went to Hurtsboro last Thanksgiving, we noticed plenty of hunters in the restaurant at lunchtime. In fact, that really could be an "untapped gold mine" - for finding a new police chief, for instance.

We returned to Thursday night poker last week, after several weeks away. Learn how we did by visiting our other blog, "On the Flop!"

BLOG UPDATE: At last we come to Columbus - where early voting for the general election opened Monday. If people already are marking ballots for President, why are they even going to the trouble of having those debates?

A small gaggle of Democrats spread the word in the media that they were voting early Monday at the Government Center. And so they.... wait a second. Do you call a group of politicians a "gaggle," like geese? Nahhh - politicians are probably like lions. They're a pride.

But anyway: A group of big-name Democrats assembled at the Government Center to vote 43 days early. These must be the exceptions -- the ones who don't object to showing photo ID at the polls.

District Judge candidate Stephen Hyles told WLTZ he wanted to cast his vote as early as possible. I'm not sure why he's in such a hurry -- unless he figures he'll have to campaign non-stop for six weeks to beat Haywood Turner.

The Muscogee County Election Board is encouraging people to vote early, because a big crowd is expected at the polls six weeks from today. Look at it this way -- this election year started ridiculously on 3 January. You might as well end it ridiculously early, by voting before September's over.

Since early voting is underway, we decided it was time to roll out our first campaign ad of the season. It's admittedly inspired by the race for Congress in east Alabama between Mike Rogers and Joshua Segall. Based on the TV commercials, this is coming down to which you hate more -- " Big Oil" or people in New York City.

Now for other news, from a Monday when a lot of items could have been our main topic....

+ The Muscogee County School Board was told staff members have found $3.9 million which can be cut from the budget, without laying off any staff members. This will disappoint some critics, who want the cuts to start with the administration building construction crew.

+ District Judge Doug Pullen ruled the Expedia web site must pay Columbus city motel taxes, when customers reserve rooms. The way this web site is resisting, it's likely to pay when.... well, you know.... when it's Expedient.

+ A federal judge dismissed a sexual discrimination suit against Phenix City Councilor Ray Bush. But WRBL noted it was thrown out due to a technicality - so the complaint might not be Bush-league after all.

+ A ceremony in downtown Phenix City handed over four acres along the Chattahoochee River to Troy University. Critics have called it a $2.9 million land giveaway, which takes prime real estate off the city tax rolls. And to make matters worse, a business school is planned there - to teach entrepreneurs the fine art of tax-dodging.

(Troy University needs eight million dollars in donations over the next three years to complete the business school development. Who knows - if you give a arge enough amount, you might get a condominium at the Phenixian at no extra charge.)

+ Troy football coach Larry Blakeney spoke at the Columbus Quarterback Club. Blakeney said a schedule with games at Ohio State and Louisiana State are great for recruiting, as well as the fans. He listed every reason except the most obvious one - those big stadiums are great for the athletic department bank account.

+ Instant Message to the New York oil speculators: Thanks a lot! October crude - up more than 16 dollars a barrel?! You really DO want us to celebrate National Stay-at-Home Week....

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