I sure didn’t see this coming. An old “radio guy” like me being asked if I’d be interested in writing a column! For Cowboy State Daily no less!
Yes, it was quite the surprise when Jimmy Orr, the executive editor and co-founder of Cowboy State Daily, contacted me and wanted to discuss the possibility of the “Voice of the Cowboys” contributing to the best “all-Wyoming” website in the business.
I’ve done plenty of writing in my day, but not like this. Most of my writing skills have been used for short, pre-produced radio shows like “Wonders of Wyoming” or the “Cowboy Capsule.” Preparing for the play-by-play broadcast of a Cowboy football or basketball game is entirely different.
I’ve been fortunate enough to call Cowboy games for almost four decades now, that’s more than 1,500 game broadcasts. And I was also lucky enough to put the first nightly sports/talk radio show in Wyoming on the air back in 1988, “Sportsline Live,” which aired for more 20 years.
Of course, it was actually a radio play-by-play gig, and a job at KVOC Radio in Casper, that brought me to Wyoming in 1982. I was the “Voice of the Wyoming Wildcatters” and I had found home.
But that was then, and this is now. And now, it is my great privilege and honor to write this column and tell my stories. I can only hope to add to this amazing site in the same manner as great columnists like Bill Sniffin and Rod Miller. I’ll be working with legendary managing editor, Jim Angell, and enjoy the association with old friend Don Day and a most-talented group of reporters in Ellen Fike, Jen Kocher, Wendy Corr, and Clair McFarland. It’s an incredible opportunity, and I am so looking-forward to it.
I’m so excited to tell my stories and share my Wyoming experiences, accumulated over the last 40 years. We’ll be recounting some unique and extraordinary games, and there have been many of those. There have been some big-time performances by great athletes that we will recall. Certain moments that just seem to stick in one’s memory will be discussed. The list of faraway places we’ve been over the years covering the Cowboys and the ‘Catters is lengthy.
We’ve called games in just about every state in the union and in Australia, Mexico, the Carribean, and Canada as well. And there are some crazy experiences connected to many of those places. There are other stories associated with not-so-faraway places too. I will tell of the many unique experiences associated with rivalries. Wyoming’s match-ups with front-range rivals Colorado State and Air Force, and blood-feuds with BYU and Utah, provide a lot of memorable moments.
I must say that I will be dropping a lot of names in these columns. There are so many places and things to write about, but it’s the people who I have come in contact with over the years who have provided most of the memories, and fodder for these columns. You’ll read about Wyoming coaches, players, and administrators. There are more than a few opposing coaches and players who will be mentioned. And, of course, “fan” is short for “fanatics,” so we’ll tell tales about fanatics we’ve encountered along the way too.
I’ve known for many years now that I’ve had the best “job” there is. Being the “Voice of the Cowboys,” doing the radio play-by-play, really isn’t like a job at all. Oh there’s work to be done in preparing for a broadcast, but gathering information is like rehearsing for a big show. Doing “live” radio play-by-play is all about “painting a picture,” describing the action for a listening audience.
I promise that I will approach this column in much the same way. I’ll make it interesting and fun, and continue to paint a picture. I’ve often said that it can be silly to “live in the past,” but I sure do like “visiting” it once in a while. And I look forward to you logging onto Cowboy State Daily in the coming weeks and joining me.
