Sometimes, Being a ‘Homer’ Means Giving Up Your Seat

Larry Munson, who calls the radio play-by-play for University of Georgia football games, told Raad Cawthon of the Atlanta Journal he thinks of himself as “a bit of a homer.”

One of Munson’s memorable calls came during the Bulldogs’ game with Florida in 1980. Georgia trailed, 21-20, with 1:30 remaining, facing third-and-11 from its seven-yard line.

Said Munson: “(Quarterback) Buck (Belue) back, third down on the 8 (sic). In trouble. Got a block behind him. Gonna throw on the run.

“Complete to the 25! To the 30! Lindsay Scott, 35, 40! Lindsay Scott, 45, 50, 45, 40! Run, Lindsay! 25! 20! 15! 10! Five! Lindsay Scott! Lindsay Scott! Lindsay Scott! (Crowd noise for 41 seconds). . . .

“I can’t believe it. I broke my chair. A metal, steel chair with about a five-inch cushion. Well, the stadium fell down. . . . I didn’t mean to beg Lindsay to run, but I had to.”

Trivia time: In 1977, the Rams drafted a running back out of Carthage College, the first player from the school ever chosen by a pro football team. Who was he?

Golden goofer: From Patrick Reusse of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, in a column on embattled University of Minnesota Coach John Gutekunst:

“Gutekunst has pointed out he is the second coach in Gophers history to have a winning record in three of his first four seasons. The other guy was Bernie Bierman. The Grey Eagle’s record from 1932 through 1935 was 25-3-4. Gutekunst’s four-year record is 21-23-2

“I don’t think Gutey seriously wants us to declare him the second coming of Bierman.”

The right call: After Virginia beat Kansas Sept. 1, Cavalier center Billy Curry got on the team bus and put on his radio headphones.

He heard the announcer say that Kentucky, in its first game under Curry’s father, Bill, had lost to Central Michigan, 20-17.

The score was reversed, but Billy didn’t get the news until he talked with his father by phone six hours later.

The Kentucky coach told Pat Forde of the Louisville Courier-Journal: “I said, ‘We had to come from behind. We didn’t look very good at all, but we won.’

“He said, ‘What, you won?’

“He started screaming, threw the phone down and was yelling at his roommates and everything.”

Add Curry: He described his wife, daughter and son as being “hyper” about the family’s football involvement, adding: “One of my ambitions is to get so my family doesn’t act so wild.”

A perfect game: From Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan, writing about a recent matchup between the Red Sox and the Oakland Athletics: “Last night’s (Roger) Clemens--(Dave) Stewart matchup was big, but from reading the papers, I’m telling you that Walter Johnson vs. Smokey Joe Wood 78 years ago was even bigger. And there were no beach balls.”

Eight men out: In a recent story on fantasy football leagues, Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News recalled that last season, eight fantasy players were arrested for “engaging in organized crime” at Scholz’s Beer Garten in Austin, Tex.

The “Fantasy Eight” spent a night in jail, then waited for several months for the wheels of justice to turn.

Said Chris Hosek, manager of Scholz’s: “We heard it was going to the grand jury in March, but it never did.”

No wonder. Byron (Bubba) Cates, head of the Austin vice squad at the time of the bust, was fired in May for “using excessive force” and has since been indicted on two federal racketeering charges.

Trivia answer: Jim Jodat.

Quotebook: Rookie free agent Amod Field, leaving the Phoenix Cardinals’ training camp with a garbage bag full of his belongings slung over his shoulder: “How do they expect me to go to the Pro Bowl if they cut me today?”