John Ward's legend was amplified by the power of radio

Dan Fleser | Knoxville

The legend of John Ward is rooted deeply in the medium of radio.

The voice of Tennessee football and men's basketball for more the 30 years began his broadcasting career in this forum, which enhanced his descriptive abilities and his distinctive voice.

Ward, who retired after the 1998-99 men's basketball season, died Wednesday night at age 88.

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"I think that (radio) era produced so many talented broadcasters," said Steve Early, general manager of the Vol Network. "John was one of them, but there were a number of them and they all had their different styles.

"There was no TV. There was no cable TV. There was no internet or digital. Radio was it. You had to paint a picture."

Vol Network GM Steve Early offers perspective on career of John Ward Vol Network general manager Steve Early takes stock in the broadcasting career of John Ward

Bud Ford, Tennessee's former sports information director, said radio played a big part in building UT's fan base. Mickey Dearstone, the voice of Lady Vols basketball since 1999-2000, believes Ward enhanced the part he played with his deft usage of language.

"I always thought John was a master of using adjectives," Dearstone said. "He used words that maybe weren't football lingo or basketball lingo. He was a master of the English language."

The skill literally was amplified by the sound of his voice.

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"It was authoritative and fair," said Brian Rice, the voice of Lady Vols softball. "If he says it, he means it. And it was distinctly just Southern enough.

"He wasn't a homer, but you knew who he was cheering for. There was some inflection, but there wasn't the 'we' and 'us' that were used in some broadcasts."