What a damn treasure Jack Cristil was...
- Thread starter dawgstudent
- Start date
Yeah, Jack was the best. It sure ain't the same without him.
That pic of him smoking the cig hangs on my office wall.
I will admit to the room getting dusty with chopped onions when Jack signed off after that last basketball game he called. He was absolutely the best. Damn I do miss him.
This is not a knock on Neil Price - he does a great job - but we could have our pick of the best broadcasters in the nation and none would come close to filling Jack's shoes. He is the only person associated with Mississippi State that multiple generations of fans can relate to. He was Mississippi State personified - dry, blunt, not a homer (looking at you Kellum), but also true maroon to the core.
Back when I had bulldog club status on the website, I’d go back about once a year and listen to the entirety of Jacks crowning glory- the 2008 Egg Bowl.
Any "Mount Rushmore" of State athletics deserves his inclusion.
How we don't have a statue on campus with him sitting in a broadcast booth, cigarette in hand, and you can take a picture next to him.
I was lucky enough to get a picture with him in Jacksonville in Jan 11’. Was outside of the alumni party at that watering hole next to the river smoking a cigarette. Went up and asked if he was taking up the money for the gate and he said “Hell no! But I’ll take any you wanna give up!”
Jack was fantastic. I can't tell you how many times I listened to him call Mississippi State football and basketball games on the radio when I was a kid in the 70s and 80s.
Jack's voice was so distinctive and immediately recognizable. I listened to him call the entire 6-3 Alabama game. (No, I wasn't there.)
My father played basketball at State back in the early 60s, and Jack called his games. Jack was so very special to all of us, and I miss him too.
Jack's voice was so distinctive and immediately recognizable. I listened to him call the entire 6-3 Alabama game. (No, I wasn't there.)
My father played basketball at State back in the early 60s, and Jack called his games. Jack was so very special to all of us, and I miss him too.
The best ever. I've listened to a lot of different play by play guys over the years (a hobby), as I was color for a jr college for a bit, and no1 ever come close.
My dad (and I) grew up in Natchez, so he was an LSU fan because that’s what he heard most often on the radio. But I remember if we found ourselves in Jackson on a fall Saturday evening, dad was scanning the radio just to listen to Jack Cristil because he was that good. I went on to graduate from State in 08.
Jim Hawthorne and Jack Cristil were the football voices of my childhood.
Sixpack Remembers nominee so I can find this video again easily, and because it’s so badass.
Six tall, 195, wearing white trousers with grey piping
It needed to happen the year after he passed, now it’s almost too late.
Jack raised me as a DOG, along with my parents...
There’s not many things all MSU people agree on, but everybody loves Jack
One of best friends and I flew up to Syracuse for the 1986 fb opener (Rocky's first year). At the time, my late father-in-law was quite ill (cancer). We were seated across the Carrier Dome from our broadcast booth, but I walked around the bleachers and walked up to the broadcast booth, scratched out a brief get-will to FIL with a pencil and paper, and Jack read it on the air during the game!! He could not have been more gracious, and needless to say FIL and family were thrilled!!
The ball is equidistant from the sideline stripes.
"Another one of his patented 20 yard punts." Don't remember our kickers name, but I'm sure he remembers the comment.
"HE CANNOT GO"
I remember the tornado warning game with Troy......he said something like, "As you can hear, there are sirens here at Davis Wade Stadium...there is a tornado warning for Oktibbeha county, I dont know when we will be back on the air, all I know is im getting the H$LL out of here."
2001 lost that game 21-9.
I wish Jack could have been around for 2014.
I remember the tornado warning game with Troy......he said something like, "As you can hear, there are sirens here at Davis Wade Stadium...there is a tornado warning for Oktibbeha county, I dont know when we will be back on the air, all I know is im getting the H$LL out of here."
2001 lost that game 21-9.
I wish Jack could have been around for 2014.
Neil is the unfortunate one that has had to follow a legend. A legends shoes are hard to fill i.e. Bear Bryant, John Wooden, Nic Saban, John McKay, Woody Hays, Bo Schembechler, Pat Summit, etc etc etc. Someone has to do it and Neil has done an admirable job, but you have to face it, he followed the legend. I'm 62 years old and for over 40 of those years I almost exclusively heard Jack call almost every major MSU sporting event there was. Then all of a sudden he was gone and somebody had to take over and it takes awhile to get accustomed to it but Neil's done well. I hope that when Jim retires that he will take on baseball broadcasting as well.
I was in high school in the late 60’s in North Mississippi and Jack would broadcast high school games and make them sound as exciting as a college game. He was the best.
I worked parking at Football and Basketball 94-96. We had the Media lots. Jack would come out the back of the Hump and smoke cigs. Don’t know if ever had conversations or not but I was in awe like he was the President.
We were playing Auburn a long time ago, and they were trying a sweep to score and go ahead. One of our better defensive guys, can't remember his name, came charging through and knocked the lone defensive lead guy back into the runner, knocking both of them down and saving the game. Jack shouted "He cannot go, he cannot go he cannot go ..." I think we won 10 to 9.
I had the pleasure of being taught Sophomore HS English by his daughter all the way in Augusta, GA. Unfortunately, I only met the legend himself once.
My father used to take a note to him during a time-out of basketball games so that he'd say on the air "so and so in Batesville, your son John Doe is here and sends his regards." Or something along those lines. He told me he used to do it as a student as well. Back then I was always at the games so I never heard this on the radio.
Does anyone have a similar experience or knowledge of this practice or is this one of my old man's exaggerated stories?
My father used to take a note to him during a time-out of basketball games so that he'd say on the air "so and so in Batesville, your son John Doe is here and sends his regards." Or something along those lines. He told me he used to do it as a student as well. Back then I was always at the games so I never heard this on the radio.
Does anyone have a similar experience or knowledge of this practice or is this one of my old man's exaggerated stories?
If you've never read Sid Salter's book about him, you're missing out.
Loved hearing Jack say that phrase.
Speaking of the game v Troy,
I’d rank that right up there with Maine, Alabama and UAB as 4 of the worst losses in football in my lifetime.
Memphis St at home in one of Jackie’s early years wasn’t too great either.
Had the great pleasure to interview him as Reflector sports editor in 1983. Always the best broadcaster while on the air; everyone young and old could get the game story and the atmosphere just by listening to him. Off the air he was a hoot... very humorous, a little profane but always able to tell you every time he felt State got shafted in games he called. Said he always had to have a cutoff switch nearby for those occasions.
I had the great pleasure to work as a spotter with Jack from 1969 to 1974. The entire time I worked with him, I marveled at him because I had been listening to him since I was seven years old and he had always been one of my idols. One of my fondest memories in life. Hated to see him leave us.
i liked it when he would say "Mississippi State lined up going left to right on the radio dial"... that really helped you visualize it as a kid riding down the road with your pop.....
Jack would take messages either on Friday night at the team hotel or on the way to the game on Saturday and read those out on the radio pregame and even sometimes throughout the early 1st Qrt.
It would be like “John Doe from West Point would like to say a big hello to the Robert’s listening in Greenwood MS”
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