heydaybegone said:
The votes were cast from this PC. (Call Me Sherlock influence never fades!!)
And in the process...the almighty internet displays the loss of Walter Cronkite.
Even TV had produced the best of talent. May Walter be in a place where the news is always better.
Two things; okay, maybe more.
Walter Cronkite was an American icon and will long be remembered as more than that; a good citizen and a man of character. Avuncular, believeable, genuine. Of us, not above us. He served as an example for those in print and electronic media as one to aspire and emulate. I don't know if we'll ever see another like him. Rest in peace, Walter Cronkite. As I write this, CBS is running "Numbers" while CNN and MSNBC are running wall to wall coverage of Cronkite's passing. Even more bizarre, CBS Evening news anchor Katie Couric is on CNN talking about Cronkite.
Two: As to
Van Miller. Like Cronkite, an icon. I had the pleasure of working with Van when Rich Communications' WGR-97 Rock held the radio rights to the Bills during the Superbowl years and again when I re-joined 97 Rock and worked with Van in production and special pre-game features. The man is the epitome of a professional
broadcaster. Even when he alledgedly "slowed down" in his later years, he was better than 75% of the guys in the business. And he's a "one-take" marvel in production. Tell him the copy has to be in at 29.5 and he NAILS it. First time. Then he'll ask, "You want another take,
buddy? Save that, I'll give you another." Van calls everybody
buddy.
We used to produce special client vignettes (as a token of thanks to special local clients who bought schedules on Bills football games.) Van would re-create a play, using the client's name as the player who scored the winning TD or interception. He would do this off the top of his head. No script. Flawless. Every time. All I'd say is, "this one's for Custom Transmission, the guy's name is Joe Barbushka." Van would do a 30 second PBP call, using Joe Barbushka's name, creating the play by play that sounded so believable you'd have thought Barbushka really was a player who scored the winning touchdown in overtime against the Dolphins.
Always a pleasure to work with and quick with a quip. His Henny Youngman-type shtick is legendary. His Superbowl calls and the Comeback Game against the Oilers are ones for the ages. Vanisms: "Fandemonium!" "Do you believe it!" I'm lucky to have a CD of them somewhere in the archives. The guy knew how to set the stage and played the emotion of the game perfectly.
Here's another observation.
You NEVER wanted to go on stage after Van... unless maybe you're Dan Neaverth or Sandy Beach who are great presenters. Even then, there's some reservation. I was at the Buffalo Broadcasters induction the year WGR carried the induction live as John Otto was being inducted. Van was introducing one of the inductees and he was on his "A" game. I clearly recall Dan Neaverth standing a few feet away from me at the back of the room as Van walked to the podium. Dan just turned to me and said, "Watch this, Van's gonna kill this crowd." And he did. Rick Azar and Ed Kilgore were in the house and Van went after them in a Rickles-like shtick that had people on the floor.
I worked with
Joey Reynolds a few times, first at WHTT in the Classic Hits era (86-88) when he filled in for Sandy Beach on the morning show, and later, when WGR was one of the first stations in the country to carry Joey's all night show from WOR NewYork. Reynolds is such a legend in his own right that he deserves to be in the Hall for his longevity as well as setting the stage for any "shock jock" (I hate that term) or "reality jock" that came after him. The pros in the talk radio/reality radio business will be the first to give Joey the credit he deserves. The guys who don't give Joey the credit have no "respect for the game" and think they invented talk radio or morning reality radio.
