University of Georgia Athletics
Larry Munson Named Recipient Of Furman Bisher Award
December 17, 2007 | General
ATLANTA, Ga. --- Larry Munson, the longtime play-by-play broadcaster for University of Georgia football, was named winner of the 2008 Furman Bisher Award for Sports Media Excellence, the Atlanta Sports Council announced Monday.
Munson, known for his dramatic delivery along with an unabashed partisanship for the Bulldogs, will be recognized at the 2008 Atlanta Sports Awards on Monday, Feb. 11, 2008 at the Historic Fox Theatre’s Egyptian Ballroom.
The Atlanta Sports Council created the Furman Bisher Award for Sports Media Excellence to recognize members of the Atlanta sports media for outstanding coverage of local sports. The first award, which was given out in 2000, went to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s legendary sports columnist, Furman Bisher. From that point on, the award has carried his name out of respect for Bisher’s incredible career. Ernie Johnson Jr., of TNT, was the 2007 recipient of the award.
Munson recently concluded his 42nd year as the radio voice of Georgia football in 2007, broadcasting every home game and the Nov. 24 Georgia-Georgia Tech game in Atlanta to finish the regular season.
“I’ve known Furman going back to our days at the Southern League where we had a great time together and now we are probably the two oldest and most active guys in the Atlanta sports scene,” said Munson. “It’s a great honor to accept this award and I will do my best to carry out the tradition.”
“When thinking of all the proud moments associated with Georgia football, there’s not a single event where Larry Munson hasn’t been involved,” said Gary Stokan, Atlanta Sports Council president. “He’s legendary in his association with the Bulldogs, and a staple in the broadcasting community.”
Born Sept. 27, 1921, in Minneapolis, Munson is an alumnus of Moorehead State Teachers College in Moorehead, Minn. He got his big break into major-league baseball when, in 1966, he landed a job calling Atlanta Braves baseball during their inaugural season. Upon hearing about the departure of Georgia football announcer Ed Thilenius, he made an inquiry to Georgia athletics director Joel Eaves, whom he had known during his days at Vanderbilt. Eaves offered him the Georgia football job during that first phone call.
Throughout his career as the Bulldogs play-by-play man, Munson has held a variety of auxiliary jobs. He called games for the Georgia basketball program from 1987-96 and for the Atlanta Falcons from 1989-92. He has also hosted various sports talk shows on radio and TV.
He has been duly honored by several organizations for his outstanding contributions to broadcasting. In 1983, Munson was recognized by the Georgia General Assembly for his role in the Georgia championship football program. Fourteen years later the same legislative body, led by Governor Zell Miller, honored him with a proclamation celebrating his 50 years in broadcasting. In 1994, Munson was inducted into the Georgia Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame, and in 2005, he was inducted into the State of Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.
Munson is also the 2003 recipient of the Chris Schenkel Award, given annually by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame. The award recognizes broadcasters with long and distinguished careers in broadcasting college football, as well as their contributions to community service.
On Nov. 17, 2007, Munson was named a UGA “Honorary Football Letterman” and presented with a letterman’s plaque and jacket at the Georgia-Kentucky game.
ABOUT THE ATLANTA SPORTS AWARDS
Created by the Atlanta Sports Council and presented by Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill and Bar, the Atlanta Sports Awards honors the most accomplished athletes and teams at all levels throughout the metro Atlanta community.
The Atlanta Sports Awards will honor 11 award recipients who distinguish themselves from the five million people living in the 29 metro Atlanta counties and surrounding areas. That includes all six Atlanta professional sports teams, 14 universities, 12 junior colleges and more than 250 public and private high schools.
Categories include:
- Lifetime Achievement Award presented by Coca-Cola
- Professional Athlete of the Year presented by SunTrust Banks
- Amateur Athlete of the Year Award
- Collegiate Athlete of the Year Award presented by Alfa Insurance
- High School Athlete of the Year Award presented by CSS
- Male High School Scholar Athlete of the Year Award presented by Georgia Power
- Female High School Scholar Athlete of the Year Award presented by Georgia Power
- Sports Person of the Year Award presented by Georgia Pacific
- Coach of the Year Award presented by Delta Air Lines
- Team of the Year Award presented by The Home Depot
- Furman Bisher Award presented by the Atlanta Sports Council
For information on how you can attend the Atlanta Sports Awards, or for sponsorship information, call the Atlanta Sports Council at 404-586-8510 or visit www.atlantasportsawards.com.
ABOUT THE ATLANTA SPORTS COUNCIL
The Atlanta Sports Council promotes the value of sports growth in Atlanta and Georgia by acting as an authority on the economic impact, visibility and quality of life issues associated with sports. Its mission is to lead, organize and support sports development with the goal of building Atlanta’s reputation as the sports capital of the world. Visit www.AtlantaSportsCouncil.com for more information.
