From a Hokie Fan, Jack Fleming was the best to ever do it

[Fairlawncat]

Thought I would drop al line on you Hillbilly's. A close Hokie fan of mine from a nearby county, down here on the WV/VA border was talking about the best radio-announcer, play by play guys to ever do it at the college and pro level. Well, we both came to the same conclusion. Jack Fleming was the best to ever do it, period. I've heard a many of them, and this discussion came up because our longtime radio guy in Blacksburg, Bill Roth, is returning to VT after a 7 year absence. Roth is good imo, but he's no Fleming. Fleming was a special one of a kind talent, and I'm from a border county, went to VT, but raised a WVU fan, so I'm not your usual die hard one way or the other. Like many of us down here in the border counties near Bluefield, we often either root for both schools, or don't hate the other school.

Best wishes on the season. Just wanted to drop a line on Fleming since he came up under discussion today. One hell of a man and radio voice. P.S. When you WVU fans get down to Myrtle, go to Surfside Beach, SC, which is also known as little West Virginia. They actually have a WV bar/grill/sportsbar that isn't just WV owned, it's WV everything inside and out, and at any given time, it seems like at least 1 out of 2 people in this place are from WV or WVU fans. We have a place a condo in Surfside and the WV Bar (Sundown Restaurant and Sports Pub) is my hangout (except when VT plays WVU-they kick me out for that day).

 

[Op2]

Jack was pretty great (and he also did Steelers play-by-play, including the Immaculate Reception, the 50th anniversary of which is coming up later this year) but sadly I get the impression that great play-by-play guys for schools is becoming less important because so many games are on TV. People watch on TV and the networks provide the TV announcers. There should be a way to watch on TV but get to select your announcers.

 

[Vernon]

Thought I would drop al line on you Hillbilly's. A close Hokie fan of mine from a nearby county, down here on the WV/VA border was talking about the best radio-announcer, play by play guys to ever do it at the college and pro level. Well, we both came to the same conclusion. Jack Fleming was the best to ever do it, period. I've heard a many of them, and this discussion came up because our longtime radio guy in Blacksburg, Bill Roth, is returning to VT after a 7 year absence. Roth is good imo, but he's no Fleming. Fleming was a special one of a kind talent, and I'm from a border county, went to VT, but raised a WVU fan, so I'm not your usual die hard one way or the other. Like many of us down here in the border counties near Bluefield, we often either root for both schools, or don't hate the other school.

Best wishes on the season. Just wanted to drop a line on Fleming since he came up under discussion today. One hell of a man and radio voice. P.S. When you WVU fans get down to Myrtle, go to Surfside Beach, SC, which is also known as little West Virginia. They actually have a WV bar/grill/sportsbar that isn't just WV owned, it's WV everything inside and out, and at any given time, it seems like at least 1 out of 2 people in this place are from WV or WVU fans. We have a place a condo in Surfside and the WV Bar (Sundown Restaurant and Sports Pub) is my hangout (except when VT plays WVU-they kick me out for that day).

I didn't realize that Roth was returning. He's very good and always seemed like a class guy. Fleming was on a very different level from most of the guys today but WVU got very lucky to have Caridi following him. He's not Jack but does a great job and chose to stay over the years when he could have earned a lot more money by moving on.

BTW, the Sundown was sold a few years ago and is no longer owned by WV/WVU people but it's still one of the best local hangouts for people from the state and Mountaineer fans.

 

[Vernon]

Jack was pretty great (and he also did Steelers play-by-play, including the Immaculate Reception, the 50th anniversary of which is coming up later this year) but sadly I get the impression that great play-by-play guys for schools is becoming less important because so many games are on TV. People watch on TV and the networks provide the TV announcers. There should be a way to watch on TV but get to select your announcers.

A lot of the 'older' WVU fans use apps or devices that allow them to sync the radio broadcast with TV. I should, but don't, know more about how that works but I'm sure some others here can explain how that works.

 

[Fairlawncat]

Jack was pretty great (and he also did Steelers play-by-play, including the Immaculate Reception, the 50th anniversary of which is coming up later this year) but sadly I get the impression that great play-by-play guys for schools is becoming less important because so many games are on TV. People watch on TV and the networks provide the TV announcers. There should be a way to watch on TV but get to select your announcers.

I agree man. I grew up listening to Fleming. My second cousin is Mike Compton, who was an All American Center for WVU. I used to love as a kid, turning the Mountaineers on the Tube, but turning the volume down and listening to Fleming on the radio. Living on the VA side of the border, I applied for WVU, VT, Marshall, and UVA many years ago. I got into Marshall and VT, but UVA told me no chance and WVU didn't accept me, otherwise I would have probably ended up in Morgantown. I don't know how it works today, but out of state admission difficulty was a real thing back then, especially for a dude with borderline grades like myself.

 

[Fairlawncat]

I didn't realize that Roth was returning. He's very good and always seemed like a class guy. Fleming was on a very different level from most of the guys today but WVU got very lucky to have Caridi following him. He's not Jack but does a great job and chose to stay over the years when he could have earned a lot more money by moving on.

BTW, the Sundown was sold a few years ago and is no longer owned by WV/WVU people but it's still one of the best local hangouts for people from the state and Mountaineer fans.

Verson, I had no idea the Sunddown was sold. I am down here now and was in there 2 days ago, and man oh man, you would never know it was sold. WVU flags everywhere including no less than 2 WVU golf carts parked outside at any time. Fun hangout. The outside stage attached to the Bar is crazy in the fall when WVU plays. The put it up on a big screen outside. It's like being at a WVU tailgate, just crazy. Surfside Beach is like a West Virginia enclave. You can walk the 16 blocks of the beach and see no less than 5 WVU shirts at any given time, and with all the building/moving down here, the word must be out about Sufside and WV natives, because they are pooring in here, and that makes this a better dam* place.

 

[Vernon]

Verson, I had no idea the Sunddown was sold. I am down here now and was in there 2 days ago, and man oh man, you would never know it wasn't sold. WVU flags everywhere including no less than 2 WVU golf carts parked outside at any time. Fun hangout. The outside stage attached to the Bar is crazy in the fall when WVU plays. The put it up on a big screen outside. It's like being at a WVU tailgate, just crazy.

Ownership changed hands but the same folks still run it daily. It's a weird situation and I'll leave it at that. lol

It's a fun place but so different from it was 25 years ago when it was just a little corner bar, about 1/3 of the size it is now. My house is up in Carolina Forest and try to get down there when I can. Maybe one day I'll get down there and we'll have a drink together.

 

[Fairlawncat]

Ownership changed hands but the same folks still run it daily. It's a weird situation and I'll leave it at that. lol

It's a fun place but so different from it was 25 years ago when it was just a little corner bar, about 1/3 of the size it is now. My house is up in Carolina Forest and try to get down there when I can. Maybe one day I'll get down there and we'll have a drink together.

Sounds good brother

 

[firkinEER]

A LOT of Mountaineers never got the chance to listen to Jack on Sundays.

There would've been many more Steeler fans in WV if the signal went further south.

 

[goldenEERS]

A LOT of Mountaineers never got the chance to listen to Jack on Sundays.

There would've been many more Steeler fans in WV if the signal went further south.

I've always thought jack was the best wvu/ steelers announcer. Steelers guys are so bad now that i can't stand to listen to them at all,even though I'm a big fan.On the other hand I have to say that Tony carretti is amazing. He really does his homework like no other. He is in a class of his own amongst current announcers. We are lucky to have him.

 

[SeronimusPratt]

Man been a while since you’ve been here. Classy post!

 

[Tenn.EER]

Jack Fleming and Woody Ohara were a big part of my childhood while growing up listening to the Mountaineers!

 

[WESTBGVA]

Ownership changed hands but the same folks still run it daily. It's a weird situation and I'll leave it at that. lol

It's a fun place but so different from it was 25 years ago when it was just a little corner bar, about 1/3 of the size it is now. My house is up in Carolina Forest and try to get down there when I can. Maybe one day I'll get down there and we'll have a drink together.

I'll be..I thought a wrestler from Nitro owned it

 

[Nova Mountaineer]

I've always thought jack was the best wvu/ steelers announcer. Steelers guys are so bad now that i can't stand to listen to them at all,even though I'm a big fan.On the other hand I have to say that Tony carretti is amazing. He really does his homework like no other. He is in a class of his own amongst current announcers. We are lucky to have him.

Indeed Jack was a voice unto himself and great. Tony is a better play-by-play annouoncer AND Tony is more approachable and is NOT stuck on himself as was Jack. Tony'll talk to you NOT at you. Like Jack Tony bleeds gold and blue, but Tony is more human about it. Mountaineers are lucky we've had both -