Friday Features: Three Hall of Fame Broadcasters Reflect on Memorable Careers
By Chris Megginson
Postseason play is a time when magic happens: last-second shots or unexpected win streaks to close the regular season, cutting down the nets after a conference title or hoisting a national championship trophy.
While several individual Gulf South Conference student-athletes have produced these memories over the years, three GSC broadcasters have brought those highlights to life for loyal fans listening on the radio back home for the last three decades.
The University of West Georgia’s Mitch Gray, Lee University’s George Starr and Union University’s Gerry Neese are the longest-serving broadcasters at a current GSC school, combining for nearly 100 years of service and thousands of broadcasts.
“For better or worse, I’m a broadcaster,” admits Gray, who has called the UWG Wolves, formerly Braves, for 36 years. Starr follows closely behind at 34 years and Neese is closing in on 30 years.
Each broadcaster has memories which stand out.
For Gray, it’s UWG’s D3 football title in the early 80s, the football team’s first DII football playoff bid after beating rival Valdosta State University, 44-6, in 1995, or a goal-line stand in 1998 to beat the University of North Alabama. On the hardwood, he says UWG’s upset win in the 2016 GSC Tournament ranks up there with the two wins over Valdosta State in early March 2002 to win the GSC Tournament and South Region, advancing to the program’s only Elite Eight
For Starr, this year’s men’s basketball four-game win streak to end the regular season and earn a first round home game in the GSC Tournament ranks up there with impressive Flames basketball memories, as well as the Lady Flames’ quick success in Division II. Some of his most memorable moments were calling Lee’s multiple runs to the NAIA Baseball World Series in Lewiston, Idaho, including losing the national title after an opponent’s two-out bloop single forced the “if necessary” game.
Neese says he’s had countless buzzer-beater shots in his career, which each stand out, as well as Union’s five NAIA women’s basketball national titles.
“There have been so many,” Neese said. “You try to bring some excitement to it, but you're so darn excited yourself it becomes automatic."
Over the years, equipment improvements have increased sound quality and ease for the three. Starr recalls having to run phone lines from neighboring buildings or the third floor of a venue just to call a game, while Neese says he nearly burned up a bag phone calling games before cell phones. Gray says UWG was on the cutting edge during the mid-90s with the addition of a Smarti to increased road game quality, followed by the introduction of the Tieline. Starr said the biggest equipment change in his mind is the ability to broadcast over the internet via an Ethernet connection or wireless hotspot.
Each of the three have been honored for the craft and loyalty to their team, being inducted into their university’s athletics hall of fame.
“It’s like your family honoring you,” said Gray, who was inducted into the UWG Hall of Fame in 2013. “I absolutely love this place and have adored this place for ever and ever. To see that plaque out there with people who really are Hall of Famers as far as performers, and to think I’ve made a little contribution over the years is really gratifying. When your family embraces you, that’s pretty special.”
Neese was added to Union’s Hall of Fame in 2010, an honor he speaks of in the same fashion he does his box of championship rings.
“Every one of them means something to me. It's all about the kids. It's not about me,” Neese said. “All I try to do is become the eyes of the listener and paint a picture for them of what I'm seeing, and if I've done that, then I've done my job.”
Starr was one of the first to be honored by his school, entering the Lee Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006. He is also a member of the Greater Chattanooga Sports Writers Hall of Fame, beginning his career in newspaper and serving more than 20 years as Lee’s sports information director before retiring from that post in 2017.
While Gray and Starr have worked full-time for their schools for 20-plus years, Neese has remained full-time as a real estate agent and is now a county commissioner, logging more than 100,000 miles driving himself to and from games, often after midnight, to be home for a morning appointment.
Most of those miles are racked up during the postseason, especially during Union’s NAIA days, which would include trips between Kansas City, Missouri or Tulsa, Oklahoma for the men and Jackson, Tennessee for the women, or in Starr’s case an all-night drive from Kansas City (NAIA men’s national) to Frankfort, Kentucky in 2013 when the Lee Lady Flames finished runner-up in its final NAIA season.
Fresh opportunities for postseason memories await this Saturday for Neese and Starr, whose women’s teams meet in the GSC semifinals Saturday. The battle will be heard live on opposite ends of Tennessee, broadcasting on WTJS 93.1 FM in Jackson and WCLE 104.1 FM in Cleveland.
The trio looks forward to meeting each year at a conference tournament media room or when they travel to one another’s home court and are always willing to help the other by sharing pronunciations, information or equipment.
“They’re all just great, great guys. In this conference, it’s some of the best people you’ll ever run into. Every place you go, you could not ask for more helpful folks,” Gray says.
“These two are total professionals and top notch people that you enjoy working with,” Lee said of his veteran broadcasting peers. “In our business when you walk into a gym and you see a smiling face that walks over and says, ‘is there anything I can do to help,’ it’s a good feeling.”
Follow Megginson on Twitter @jcmeggs. Email comments to megginsonjc@gmail.com.
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2017-18 Friday Features Archive
September 1 |
Mississippi College
September 8 |
Montevallo
September 15 |
Valdosta State
September 22 |
West Georgia
September 29 |
Alabama Huntsville
October 6 |
Union
October 13 |
West Alabama
October 20 |
West Florida
October 27 |
Delta State
November 3 |
Christian Brothers
November 10 |
Shorter
November 17 |
North Alabama
November 24 |
Lee
December 1 |
AUM
December 8 |
West Florida
Decemeber 15 |
Mississippi College
December 22 |
Lee
December 29 |
West Alabama
January 5 |
Valdosta State
January 12 |
Christian Brothers
January 19 |
Montevallo
January 26 |
AUM
February 2 |
Mississippi College
February 9 |
West Florida
February 16 |
North Alabama
February 23 |
Alabama Huntsville