[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Pages 18590-18591]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO LARRY MUNSON

  Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. President, I rise today, along with my colleague, 
my fellow University of Georgia graduate, Senator Isakson, to honor a 
man who died last week who became a legend in his own time in our great 
State, a legend who was respected by, as we would say, folks on both 
sides of the aisle. That term for this man means he was respected by 
Georgia Tech football fans as well as University of Georgia football 
fans.
  The man I am talking about is Larry Munson. Larry Munson was not a 
southerner by birth, but he became a southerner and Georgia Bulldog by 
passion. He was the Georgia football announcer for over four decades. 
During those four decades, he not only witnessed some of the most 
memorable football games, but he made some of the most memorable calls. 
His way of describing a football play will go down in the annals of 
broadcasting as not only being unique, not only being fascinating, but 
it will go down in the annals of sports broadcasting as being some of 
the best and most professional calls ever made on a football field.
  But there was more to Larry Munson than the ``Run, Lindsay, run,'' 
more to Larry Munson than the ``Oh, you Herschel Walker,'' more to 
Larry Munson than ``We just stomped on them with a hob-nailed boot.'' 
He was a man who had passion for life, a man who had a thorough 
understanding of his profession, and a man who worked very hard at his 
profession.
  He used to get up every Saturday morning before a football game and 
have coffee with our legendary coach, Vince Dooley. Coach Dooley said 
he finally had to stop having coffee with Larry Munson because Larry 
was ever the pessimist, from a football standpoint. Coach Dooley would 
come to those coffees feeling good about his chances in the ball game 
that day, and by the time he finished having coffee with Larry Munson, 
he had to go back and rewrite his playbook.
  Larry Munson was simply a man who loved the University of Georgia. He 
loved calling football games, and he loved putting his emotions into 
those calls. He was also a man who cared not just about the University 
of Georgia but about his students. He used to have what he called a 
Wednesday night movie night where he would invite students to join him 
at a theater in Athens, GA, and he would share time--his time--with 
students that he loved. He did this for years and years and years. I 
have heard stories from some of those folks who attended those movie 
nights that Larry Munson was more passionate about movies than he was 
about University of Georgia football, which is hard to imagine.
  As we look back on the life of Larry Munson, those of us who live and 
breathe Georgia football will always remember the passionate calls, the 
way he put his heart and soul into the football game, but we will also 
remember the man Larry Munson, who enjoyed life, enjoyed people, 
enjoyed his profession, and who gave so much back to his profession.
  He was a man who loved the outdoors. He came south from his 
birthplace of Minneapolis many years ago. He remained a true southerner 
not just for his 40 years of broadcasting at the University of Georgia 
but in his bass fishing, for example. I remember when he would come 
down to our part of the world in south Georgia to speak to a touchdown 
club, or whatever it may be, and he would always call up and say, 
``Where is the best bass pond in south Georgia? That is where I want to 
be this afternoon before my speech.'' He thoroughly enjoyed the 
outdoors, and he enjoyed being around people. That was obvious in the 
way he expressed himself behind the microphone when he called football 
games.
  As we celebrate the life of Larry Munson, we celebrate more than his 
historic calls. His passion for football, his passion for his family, 
and his passion for friends exceeds any passion he had for football. He 
was a great man, a great friend, and he will certainly be missed by our 
State and particularly by our university.
  With that, I yield to Senator Isakson.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Georgia, Mr. 
Isakson, is recognized.
  Mr. ISAKSON. I appreciate the opportunity to share a few moments with 
Senator Chambliss on the floor of the Senate to pay tribute to a great 
Georgian, Larry Munson.
  Larry Munson was born in Minneapolis, and after the service he got a 
scholarship at a broadcasting school, and he got a job at the 
University of Wyoming. He worked his way to Tennessee, where he 
announced for the Vanderbilt basketball and football programs. Then, 
when the Braves moved from Milwaukee to Atlanta, he was brought in to 
be one of the announcers for Atlanta Braves baseball. Shortly after 
that, the voice of the Georgia Bulldogs retired and went to another 
job, and Larry Munson was asked to take over broadcasting at the 
University of Georgia. He was a Yankee, an outsider, not one whom many 
people thought much of when he started. Well, he became a legend in his 
time. He is a revered person in our State.
  It is said that Southeastern Conference football is not a game, it is 
a religion. In that analogy, if it is a religion in the Southeastern 
Conference, Larry was the high priest. He was the man whom everybody 
looked to to make the call nobody else could. The greatest tribute I 
ever saw to Larry Munson was on SEC football on an afternoon, at 3:30, 
when, a couple of years ago, before he retired, the announcer for CBS 
television brought in Larry Munson's radio play by play and set 
themselves aside because he was that good. He brought the game to life. 
He brought a spirit to the game you just could not find.
  He was a hometown boy. There was no question whom he worked for, no 
question who signed his ticket. He was always fair but always friendly 
to the Dogs. It was his spirit that brought the University of Georgia 
from the doldrums of the 1960s to the height of college football--the 
national championship in 1980, four SEC championships in the last 12 
years, and, hopefully, an SEC championship this Saturday night.
  Larry Munson passed away a few days before Thanksgiving in his 
beloved town and hometown of Athens, GA. Although he started in 
Minneapolis, MN, and went to Wyoming and later to Tennessee, he finally 
resided in Georgia, and he died in Georgia. He is esteemed in our 
State.
  On this day, let me, on behalf of the people I represent in my State 
of all persuasions when it comes to college

[[Page 18591]]

football, pay tribute to a man who gave every single measure of himself 
to make sure every person who listened to his voice saw a game, whether 
they were blind or could see, because he brought life to a game like 
nobody else could. He was a great Georgian and a great American. He 
will be missed.
  I can promise you this: His view at Stanford Stadium today is far 
better than the view he used to have in the broadcast booth because he 
is high over the stadium, where he made his living and where he will 
always be remembered.
  I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Brown of Ohio). Without objection, it is 
so ordered.
  Mr. GRAHAM. I believe we are still in morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator is correct.
  Mr. GRAHAM. I ask unanimous consent to enter into a colloquy, and if 
the Chair could let me know when 10 minutes has expired.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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