Al Ciraldo? What was he like?

[alagold]

I still remember games and specific plays that Al called on radio in football from 60 yrs ago.He made games so interesting with his own "jargon" and maybe even better in basketball.-a treasure.

 

[SandySpringsJacket]

I listened to him as a kid with my dad and absolutely loved him. He had a unique voice and cadence, and his own vocabulary for football and basketball. In basketball, there was the bunny shot and the charity stripe. In football, he called quarters “stanzas”, and I loved when he said “ there is a thriller brewing in Atlanta GA”. Or “hang on to your seats brothers and sisters “. And started the broadcast so dramatically with “Grant Field, Atlanta, Georgia. hello again football fans!” He was one of a kind and I wish we had more audio left from him.

 

[LT 1967]

A couple of pages from Kim King's book, ''Tales from the Georgia Tech Sideline''. The first one is a short statement from Kim about Al's Love for Georgia Tech. The second one is a funny story about Al's interview with Jeff Urczyk after a game. Jeff was an offensive Lineman during the Pepper Rodgers years.

 

[Tech Lawyer]

With Al and others like him , there was a certain romance to listening to the game. When Bobby got it going with basketball , the broadcast of those games with Spider Salley and the Oklahoma Kid were something else. I think Wes was a great announcer, but there was nothing like listening to Al . At the very beginning of the broadcast , this was Al doing Kim's intro. " And now we bring to the microphone. My sidekick. A member of the Ga Tech Hall of Fame. The Young left hander, Kim King." When the Jackets put it on Georgia in Athens on a brisk night this November, I can hear Al saying, "Kim a bombshell brewing in Athens tonight." Kim was always very respectful, but needless to say I don't think he cared for the Bulldogs too much.

 

[Oldgoldandwhite]

I still remember games and specific plays that Al called on radio in football from 60 yrs ago.He made games so interesting with his own "jargon" and maybe even better in basketball.-a treasure.

Yunkus..bunny….goot!

 

[alagold]

Yunkus..bunny….goot!

yep, Yunkus hit some "bunnies" but his "killer" was the 10-15 baseline (either side) jumper which was the most consistent shot in the history of Tech basketball- for those who never saw him. he avg nearly 30 pts per game--enuff said. btw--His 47 pts/20 rebs vs unc up there was the apex.

 

[albanyjacket]

He is at the 40, now the 35 and down he goes for a one yard loss!

 

[bobongo]

With Al and others like him , there was a certain romance to listening to the game. When Bobby got it going with basketball , the broadcast of those games with Spider Salley and the Oklahoma Kid were something else. I think Wes was a great announcer, but there was nothing like listening to Al . At the very beginning of the broadcast , this was Al doing Kim's intro. " And now we bring to the microphone. My sidekick. A member of the Ga Tech Hall of Fame. The Young left hander, Kim King." When the Jackets put it on Georgia in Athens on a brisk night this November, I can hear Al saying, "Kim a bombshell brewing in Athens tonight." Kim was always very respectful, but needless to say I don't think he cared for the Bulldogs too much.

I remember during and after the win over Ugag in '89 Al repeatedly referring to them as the "Bullpups...er Bulldogs".
The next year, I was happy for myself and all Tech fans, but especially glad to see Mr. Ciraldo rewarded for all his years behind the mic by calling a season for a national champion.
Growing up, I never got a chance to go to a game and rarely got to see the Jackets on TV, so Al Ciraldo's voice was for me the sole representation of Georgia Tech.
Because of that, I'll always have an emotional attachment to that unique voice, and it will always be synonymous with Tech. No other sportscaster could every replace that imprint on my mind.

 

[DeepSnap]

From a player's perspective, Al was a treasure. He made it a point to say hi to everyone, to know where they were from, etc., whether you were the lowliest walkon/RedDog with no hope of ever seeing the field or the starting QB.

He was more than our announcer, he was a salesman for WGST, WCNN or whoever was broadcasting GT games, and it carried over to whoever he was talking to. But he also "sold" Georgia Tech. I consider myself very lucky to have known him.

 

[GT11]

He lived and breathed GT. Always had a smile and never said anything bad about anybody. Like Tommy said, he did it all. From sales of advertising time to one man show for basketball games

 

[Northeast Stinger]

As a youngster I didn’t even notice the occasional mixed metaphor. Seared in my memory were the words spoken in dramatic voice late in the fourth quarter as Tech was leading undefeated and eventual national champion Southern Cal- “Bombshell brewing out west here against Southern California.”

Later, as USC converted a fourth and long after a defender slipped down, and then Tech bobbed the ensuing kickoff resulting in another score, mournful voice rising slightly, “Oh..now the wheels have come completely off.”

Those who grew up listening to him were shaped as Tech fans by his word pictures.

 

[Buzzforlife]

Al ”broke in” several announcers over the years such as Kim, Brad Nessler, Steve Holman, Dave Cohen, Bob McCann and also worked the first Braves Baseball Season in Atlanta with Jack Hurst. Had counseled Bob Neal, Alex Hawkins and Harmon Wages.

 

[Oldgoldandwhite]

yep, Yunkus hit some "bunnies" but his "killer" was the 10-15 baseline (either side) jumper which was the most consistent shot in the history of Tech basketball- for those who never saw him. he avg nearly 30 pts per game--enuff said. btw--His 47 pts/20 rebs vs unc up there was the apex.

I was there the night they retired his jersey. Long time ago.

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

I recently had the pleasure of coming across this on Twitter and reposting it to YouTube.

Al wasn’t as popular as the Larry Munson’s and John Ward of his day but he is an icon whose legacy is still alive today. However, I‘m so young I missed his heyday by a long time. I grew up with Wes Durham as a wee kid (we still are treated to his great work when we play on ACCN), Brandon Gaudin gave us good memories in his short time here, and I’m very pleased with the work Andy has done. Andy and Joe are a perfect duo for Tech football!

The point of this thread is to share memories about Al and his broadcasts. Now I do know about Al’s most famous partner, Kim King. I have a connection with King in that my grandfather was a Freshman at Brown High when he was a Senior. Kim is a legend and because he outlasted Al, his work with Wes in the late 90’s and early 00’s I have listened to.

Reason I do this thread now is that Al spent 43 years (1954–1997) at Tech, and yesterday marked 43 days until as he would say “TOE MEETS LEATHER.”

Al Ciraldo was something else. He sometimes would get excited and mess up a play but Kim was there with the younger eyes to set things right. He was a graduate of Florida but spent his entire career at Tech except for a short lived experiment using Milo Hamilton for a year which riled up the students who demanded to have Al back.