Mississippi State broadcaster Jack Cristil stepping down

I always loved driving home on a Saturday night and picking up a game on the radio with Cristil, Ward, Munson, Fyffe or Forney calling the action.

It made the two-lane roads not as lonely. A clang of the cowbell to you, Jack Cristil, and thanks.

 

Well, he is 85 years old. I can live with curmudgeons like him. Joe Buck on the other hand...

 

Missippi State is misspelled in the subject line of this thread.[/crossthread]

 

The Tupelo paper did a story a few years ago about how Jack is very active in and actually led different services at his Jewish synagogue that he attends.
He has a satisfying life away from the athletics and I'm sure is not as "miserable" as some might think.
Jack was getting started when my 82-year-old dad was on campus at State.
Daddy managed for the football team and actually served as a spotter for Jack during a game or two when they were both much younger.
Good call, Jack.

 

I think I mentioned this in another thread, but it deserves a re-mention in honor of Jack's retirement.

My favorite line from Jack was one afternoon after State had lost at LSU something like 31-3, and had about 10 yards of total offense: "The MAACO (or whoever the sponsor was) Drive of the Game is my drive out of here just as fast as I can get away."

Jack will be missed.

 

Went back and looked this up today for a quickie preview story we threw together.
Since Cristil started doing MSU's football broadcasts, there have been exactly 100 different SEC football coaches. There have been 92 basketball coaches during his tenure on that sport.
When Cristil started, Bear Bryant was a well-respected coach in the SEC -- at Kentucky. Darrell Royal was Mississippi State's coach during Cristil's second season.
The league also had the same number of teams (12) as it does today, but two of them were Georgia Tech and Tulane.

 

Listening to the finale now. I hate to say this, but Cristal sounds like he could keel over before the next dead ball.

 

Duke's had the same broadcaster/beat writer for the past 58 years?