More than a voice....

 

The 2026 Georgia bulldogs football season is supposed to kick-off September 5th vs Tennessee state. This football season will start with new voices on the airwaves of the Georgia bulldogs sports network. On April 24th it was announced that the long time "Voice of the Dawgs" Scott Howard would not be returning to the broadcast booth. Scott who was supposed to enter his 34th season as the radio play by play man was unexpectedly and shockingly forced out of doing football at Georgia so that sets the scene for this story. 

:Disclaimer: I am super happy for Jeff Dantzler he is a true DGD and he is one I look up too so much and he is going to do great. This article has NO and I mean NO rudeness towards JD at all because he is a top tier person and broadcaster. 

The day was January 2nd 2021 it was the day after Georgia's thrilling victory over Cincinnati. I had turned my smart speaker on to listen to a old Georgia game because at this time I was middle school at the time and I was super tired all the time from the work I had to do. I listened to the November 6th 2014 Georgia vs Georgia Southwestern(Yes at this time you could listen to any old game you wanted...). I was about 45 minutes into the game and about to fall asleep when my dad's mom(My nana) knocked on the door and I had to go answer it, she stayed for about a half of hour and when she left and I was about to go back to sleep to all of sudden I hear my dad screaming telling me to stop her and call 911. My mom who was suffering the serve conditions of Covid-19 had passed out and almost stopped breathing. My heart sank to the bottom of my stomach, I felt sick super sick to the point I almost started to pass out too. Later on doctor's and others came and took her to the hospital mind you at this time again I was in middle school so pretty much a child- a child who was in fear that they'd never see their mother again. I went back to my room and no I could not sleep at all I sat there in the dark and listened, I listened to the game I had on at this point in the game it's early in the 2nd half and Kenny Gaines had just hit a basket for Georgia. Hearing Scott Howard and Chuck dowdle on my smart speaker at this time my heart kind of started to slow down a bit and a little bit of stress started to leave my body all of sudden I had thoughts of the day before for a moment. The day before I was SO EXCITED for Georgia's game vs the bear-cats in the peach bowl. I was so excited I didn't sleep the night of the game, I woke up at 6am just waiting to wake my brother up to listen to the pre-game show on the radio. Later on he woke up and he listened to the tailgate show and had one of the best times ever it is still one of my favorite moments ever. To make the story short, I had a another great memory with Scott and the gang listening to that peach bowl was super super fun. I sat on my bed with millions thoughts in my head but again I started too feel at ease a little bit. Later on she was alright and she came home a few days later and all was well, I credit Scott and the gang for being there for me when I thought nothing else was or gonna be and I thank GOD so much that I listened to that game that day or I don't know what I would have done.

In 2020 I started to listen to ALL the Georgia bulldogs radio broadcast the tailgate show to the final seconds of the broadcast I ALWAYS and I do mean always listened to the first seconds and the final seconds of the radio broadcast. Fast forward to February 12th 2023 another HEARTBREAKING day. Georgia had won the day before vs Kentucky in Mike White's first season so I was super super hyped so I thought, instead of watching the super bowl i'd listen to a old Georgia game. I went to go listen to the 2010-2011 Georgia vs St Louis basketball game when I went to click it, it did not work I thought nothing of it to be honest well a few more days go by and nothing still doesn't work on it. Georgia had made a brutal mistake, Georgia had decided to delete EVERY SINGLE football and basketball game from 2010-2018 on their website. I was heartbroken and to THIS DAY I have still not gotten over it all the games Scott had called we're all gone. I cried I cried for days I was super angry at myself for not saving them and angry at Georgia for deleting them. That then started my new hobby, I collect Georgia bulldogs radio broadcast for all Football, basketball and baseball and I LOVE what I do I love it so so so so much it's one of the only things I truly love to do. I want to Thank Ms Ruta Abolins and her staff at the UGA Walter J brown archives for helping me to find a  way to fill the void of Georgia deleting the games off their website. Ms Abolins and her staff have help me find all kind of Scott calls i'd never imagine I'd get to hear. I have gotten to hear Scott's call of 1997 Georgia vs North Carolina, 2007 Georgia vs Alabama(The entire game of Scott's first game doing play by play) the 2008 Georgia vs Alabama game, 2008 Georgia vs Kentucky and Georgia vs Ole Miss Kentucky and Arkansas in the 2008 SECT AND SO SO SO MUCH MORE so that has helped greatly so thank you to her and her staff.

Unfortunately Georgia does not have a public archive of Scott's calls and if you are reading this you know I am trying to find SO MANY of his calls. Thankfully I have FOIA request at UGA going on right now and I hope that can help me find some. For football I am trying to find all the radio broadcast from 2009-2017 from the website, and for basketball i'm trying to find a few classic gems of games like 12/11/1999 Georgia vs Wake Forest an 12/20/2008 Georgia vs Wofford- Games Georgia both won on buzzer beaters and I would do SO MANY things to have all of these games because this is one of the only things in my life I love so so so much. 

The decision to remove Scott Howard from the football radio broadcast hurt so so so much. I was speechless and it broke my heart. I had to remove everything Georgia for a few days I could not believe how Georgia could do that especially it was behind his back and that hurt my heart so much. Another thing that hurt my feelings very badly was no one had Scott's back, and maybe I missed it I saw one person who had Scott's back publicly and it was a person on X by the name @Skinnydawg10 and God bless that person he deserves so so many good things. I stood up for Scott I made multiple videos about it. It seems not many people really cared, and that makes me feel very hurt. I'll say this and I don't care who likes it. Could you imagine if Georgia in the 1990s when we we're not all that good removed  Larry munson off the radio and gave no reason? Could you imagine if Tennessee removed John Ward off the air with no reason or if Mississippi state removed Jack Christil and so on? Nobody had his back and that hurt more than anything in my opinion. He did not deserve that at all and the fact his time has Georgia's football announcer ended in that fashion should be unforgivable. Scott Howard is one of the best announcers ever and Georgia should be ashamed of how that was handled.  

Thankfully Scott will still be the play by play voice of Georgia bulldogs basketball and I am ready to hear him call the games again. But him getting removed from football was completely unnecessary and completely disrespectful to a person who was WORKED for that job and DID THE BEST in that job. Scott Howard is and still was one of the greatest and best play by play guys in the entire world. 

A day after the news dropped I thought about the old country music song called "Who's gonna fill their shoes?" by George Jones and that song in every way sums this situation up- There will never ever be another Scott Howard there will never ever be anymore times that I am looking for to a broadcast and in real life and online I say "I can't wait to listen to Scott and the gang!". Georgia bulldogs football radio broadcast will never be the same in my heart and that's okay because JD is going to do wonderful as Georgia's new football voice and again, I will be listening but it just won't be the same. So to quote George Jones- Who's gonna fill their Shoes?

Scott Howard did a damn good job at filling the shoes of a Georgia radio legend.

And not only became a radio hero to me and many others, but became as one of my viewers on YouTube Taternater74 said he will ALWAYS be "The modern day voice of the Georgia bulldogs."

Thank you Scott howard for all the great memories and calls for Football. You did not deserve what has happened to you and it makes me heartbroken it has ended like that and if I find the old radio broadcast I want to find of your calls I want to continue your legacy as the Georgia radio announcer. Thank you Scott for everything you have meant to me and for helping me through dark times in my life my middle school and high school years we're hard I sit here now as a 20 year old 21 on July 1st and there is NO way I am what I am today with out you Eric,Hondo and the gang. So Thank you Scott Howard so so much. I promise you this I will still listen to basketball and ALL of the old games I have and will get because you calling Georgia games to me it is more than that- Is it a voice of comfort and good times and memories I will never forget, So thank you Scott for being more than a voice, thank you for being the soundtrack of my life. 

Mo/@UGAhoopsShinobu

 

This video includes some of my favorite Scott football calls. I own nothing all rights go to UGA Learfield and JMI sports. This is just so show off some of my favorite calls.