Per Mike Golic on the Mike and Mike Show this morning. Him and Mike Greenburg were discussing the recent poll that list the top 50 sports broadcasters of all time and their name(s) weren't mentioned, they then went on to list the runner ups that the committee had selected, I believe there were 27 runner ups and Cawood Ledford was around the #74 mark, pretty disgraceful in itself, however, out of the seventy some names, Golic say's in a sarcastic manner, "Congrats Cawood Ledford" and about 4 seconds later in another sarcastic manner says, "seriously who is Cawood Ledford?'. Mike Greenburg said I believe HE IS (present tense) the announce for North Carolina basketball.

 

Can you believe these guys said and thought this?

 

They were disgruntled that they hadn't made the top 50 list, but I'd like to say to them, if they don't know who Cawood Ledford is, then they haven't been in the business long enough to appreciate it, therefore, go back to work and take History 101 of Broadcasting School.

 

Just pitiful.

Per Mike Golic on the Mike and Mike Show this morning. Him and Mike Greenburg were discussing the recent poll that list the top 50 sports broadcasters of all time and their name(s) weren't mentioned, they then went on to list the runner ups that the committee had selected, I believe there were 27 runner ups and Cawood Ledford was around the #74 mark, pretty disgraceful in itself, however, out of the seventy some names, Golic say's in a sarcastic manner, "Congrats Cawood Ledford" and about 4 seconds later in another sarcastic manner says, "seriously who is Cawood Ledford?'. Mike Greenburg said I believe HE IS (present tense) the announce for North Carolina basketball.

 

Can you believe these guys said and thought this?

 

They were disgruntled that they hadn't made the top 50 list, but I'd like to say to them, if they don't know who Cawood Ledford is, then they haven't been in the business long enough to appreciate it, therefore, go back to work and take History 101 of Broadcasting School.

 

Just pitiful.

 

 

That is the problem. Mike Golic is an ex athlete and has no idea who many great broadcasters have been in the past. Greenie should know some but the reality is Network Broadcasters are the most popular. Local Broadcasters are not as well known.

 

Outside of our home base, how many knew who Al Michaels was before the 1980 Olympics. Other than fans a few Baseball teams, not many.

 

If Thom Hammond had not left for NBC and done the Olympics and Horse Racing, how many would remember him for his days at WLEX and the Adolph Rupp Show?

 

Cawood was a Radio Broadcaster and that too is harder to identify beyond region. How many of you know who Woody Durham is? (UNC announcer for many, many years) People in the Biz should remember Cawood if they are old enough but he signed off in '92 and Greenie was just starting in the Chicago area then and Golic was still in the NFL.

 

Ledford's peers knew him and thought well enough of him but we have long since past many of those peers.

Maybe I am not giving him enough credit, but why would they know who Ledford was?

 

The whole segment was meant as a joke.

Greenie and Golic are neither of an age nor a geography to be real familiar with Mr. Ledford, IMHO.

Maybe I am not giving him enough credit, but why would they know who Ledford was?

 

The whole segment was meant as a joke.

 

:thumb:

Maybe I am not giving him enough credit, but why would they know who Ledford was?

 

The whole segment was meant as a joke.

 

I dont know, maybe because he is one of the most legendary radio broadcasters in history?? It's not just that he did UK basketball for so many years, he was THE voice of the Final Four for years. He also did the Kentucky Derby, the World Series, and even a little Muhammad Ali. The bottom line is if you are a Basketball player, you know who Bill Russel is. If you are a football player, you know who Bart Starr is. If you are a baseball player, you know who Roger Maris is. If you are a sports radio host, you have to know who Cawood Ledford is.

Ledford had quite a reputation outside of the Bluegrass.

 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cawood Ledford (April 24, 1926 – September 5, 2001) was a Hall of Fame and longtime radio play-by-play announcer for the University of Kentucky basketball and football teams. Ledford's style and professionalism endeared himself to many sports fans in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and he remains among the most popular sports figures in the state.

 

A native of Harlan, Kentucky, Ledford was educated at Hall High School and Centre College in Danville, Kentucky. He began broadcasting high school basketball and football games for WHLN radio in Harlan in 1951 and began broadcasting Kentucky Wildcats games in 1953 after moving to Lexington.[1] He remained in his position of play-by-play announcer for University of Kentucky basketball for 39 years. His last game as an announcer for a Kentucky basketball game was in 1992, when Kentucky fell to Duke University 104-103 in the NCAA East Regional Final, a game widely considered to be the greatest college basketball game ever played.[2] In a gesture of appreciation, Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski walked to the broadcast area immediately after the game's conclusion and congratulated Ledford on his career.

 

He also worked as the play-by-play announcer for national radio broadcasts of the NCAA Men's Final Four on the CBS Radio Network, and called many runnings of the Kentucky Derby for CBS Radio. Ledford also announced broadcasts of basketball games of the Kentucky Colonels, a successful American Basketball Association franchise. However, perhaps because of the success of the University of Kentucky's men's basketball program, Ledford is generally best remembered as a basketball announcer. In a 2001 dedication, the University of Kentucky named its basketball court at Rupp Arena in Ledford's honor. The words "Cawood's Court" and a radio microphone are painted on the floor in commemoration.

 

Cawood Ledford was inducted into the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame in 1987. He won three Eclipse Awards for outstanding coverage of thoroughbred racing. He was also named Kentucky's Sportscaster of the Year a record 22 times.[3]

 

Ledford was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1994. Ledford is generally considered among the finest play-by-play commentators in the history of American sports broadcasting and is highly esteemed by his peers.[4] He was and remains a much beloved and respected figure in Kentucky, in college basketball, in college football, and in horse racing.

 

For the record, Cawood broadcasted the NCAA Final Four on a national radio network for 18 years, the most of any announcer in history.

You can say what you want about my wife and my kids, but when you bash Cawood mister, you've gone tooooooooooooo far!!!

You can say what you want about my wife and my kids, but when you bash Cawood mister, you've gone tooooooooooooo far!!!

 

:laugh::thumb::lol:

You can say what you want about my wife and my kids, but when you bash Cawood mister, you've gone tooooooooooooo far!!!

 

Cawood was one of the best broadcasters of all time. Met Cawood one time. He was one of the nicest and finest gentlemen I have ever met. Mr Golic and Mr. Greene can only hope to be half the person Cawood was.

Cawood was a true gentleman.

Maybe I am not giving him enough credit, but why would they know who Ledford was?

 

The whole segment was meant as a joke.

 

:thumb: That is what I was thinking. Golic and Greenie were no doubt just "cutting up", should anyone reguarly watch their show (and it is very good imo) they do this type of thing alot. I personally would not read to much into it as far as it being a slam or in disrespect to U.K. or the Kentucky fans.

 

Besides, Cawood was the best ever and we all know it. :thumb:

You can say what you want about my wife and my kids, but when you bash Cawood mister, you've gone tooooooooooooo far!!!

 

:thumb::laugh::laugh::laugh: Amen!!!!!

I dont know, maybe because he is one of the most legendary radio broadcasters in history?? It's not just that he did UK basketball for so many years, he was THE voice of the Final Four for years. He also did the Kentucky Derby, the World Series, and even a little Muhammad Ali. The bottom line is if you are a Basketball player, you know who Bill Russel is. If you are a football player, you know who Bart Starr is. If you are a baseball player, you know who Roger Maris is. If you are a sports radio host, you have to know who Cawood Ledford is.

 

:thumb: Exactly.

Maybe I am not giving him enough credit, but why would they know who Ledford was?

 

The whole segment was meant as a joke.

 

Well us Kentucky people don't think its that funny to not know who Cawood Ledford is. People like him, Bill Keightly, Adolph Rupp, and so many others represent what is special about Kentucky basketball.