Jon Miller is headed to Cooperstown to join the broadcast wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Fine.
But Bill King will forever be remembered as the Bay Area's greatest sports announcer. Period. End of story.
Its been nearly five years since King passed, and knowing Bill, he'd probably tell everyone to "get a life" and concentrate on bigger things then his placement in the HOF. True, baseball was probably King's third-tier sport--he was far more superior doing basketball and football, but he also excelled on balls and strikes and the fact he's not in the Hall is a disgrace.
King and Lon Simmons were the Cadillac of radio pbp in the 80's and 90's. I laugh when I hear how people go ga-ga over the local assortment we have on the airwaves. None of 'em come even remotely close to the eloquence of King and Simmons. Not a one.
The A's Ken Korach is close and is among the most underrated tonsils in the biz, but BILL KING ruled.
His Warriors broadcasts were legendary, ditto the Raiders. He was a virtual audio wordsmith whose descriptions were so good, so precise, so stunningly full of information and King's notoriously brilliant histrionics, that you'd swear you were right at courtside or on the field.
Whether it was Bill being Bill during the immaculate reception or screaming, intelligently, about the incompetence of NBA officials, he had you fixated and drawn to the proceedings. He was that good.
Hope you're doing well up there, Bill, we miss you.
Bill King motivated me to be a broadcaster. He was must listen radio. I used to turn off the the TV sound and listen him call the Raiders. It was amazing how much information he could convey. Jon Miller deserves his HOF nod, but even he would agree that Bill was something special and the bay Area was blessed to have his talents.
ReplyDeleteWhat I would do to honor him as Raider broadcaster extraordinaire? For Bill's birthday or day he was hired,something like that,I would have the Raiders place Bill's image on their helmets in place of the football pirate guy. It just fits-his goatee with maybe that handlebar and Bill's smiling countenance personified Raider football. And add those crossed swords..perfect. A one time tribute to the best that ever was.
ReplyDeleteKing was great doing play by play for the Warriors. His yelling at the ref schtick was priceless.
ReplyDeleteDidn't care for him doing baseball however. Too shrill, poor cadence.
If you want to hear Bill at his finest go to this link.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbmL4psMlLw
Bill belongs in Canton AND Srpingfield; no loss if he never gets to Cooperstown.
ReplyDelete