Jim and Gene were the best to ever do it. As a young 8 year old not living in Houston and not having cable, but able to get a decent radio feed to listen to them was great. I never missed a game on the radio, my schedule was the newspaper. They painted the game beautifully and it was as if I was at the actual game. Great great memories of those guys. By far they were the best to ever do it.
When I was young and first became a Rockets fan our family did not have cable. We had an antenna which received ABC, CBS, & NBC. We did not get cable until 82 or 83. I lived way off the beaten path and it was not offered in our area until the time we got it. When we first got cable, there was only about 15 or 16 channels and it was a year or two before they offered HSE which televised the away games. The home games were televised on a UHF channel (39 I think but could be wrong)that could not be picked where I lived and was not offered on our cable. So I listened to a lot of Houston Rockets radio broadcast. I grew up loving to listen to Gene and Jim's broadcast. I felt the same way about Milo Hamilton and Larry "The Wrangler" Dierker as I listened to the Astros on KTRH also.
Same here. They were so good, I did not even really bother me that I could not watch the game because it felt like I was there.
Channel 20 used to show games for a while but I think they were the road games and HSE was the home games although they would only show a select few home games. That was the 80's. I don't remember the games being on tv in the 70's. I'm sure the exact history is out there on the internet somewhere. We are certainly spoiled now days with every game being televised in some kind of way (local, national, nbatv)
I did that also although it did not always sync up. If it was way off, I would just watch the TV feed. Great memories.
Oops, had it backwards. I could not pick up 20 (or 39 for that matter) in the Beaumont area. You are correct about being spoiled although we did have to endure the CSN fiasco. I had to stream all the games except the nationally televised games the last few years and was stuck with the other teams broadcast crews a lot to boot. That made me really miss old Bill Worrell and Bullard (and Calvin too). I can live without Drexler.
I'm in the same boat up here in Austin although I get to see them against the Spurs. If you think Drexler is bad try listening to Sean Elliott. Both go on mute for me. Elliott can't stand the Rockets and with good reason.
I swear to god, I think Elliot is the absolute worst homer in the business. He's unbearable. Seems like I'm stuck listening to him during a Spurs broadcast here in Austin probably twice a season, at least. To think that he was nearly a Rocket. It's enough to make you hurl! I wish Austin had its own NBA team just to get the city out of SA's ETJ.
Sucks you are stuck with him sometimes. I guess you get the Root Sports broadcast except when they play the Spurs at home? I guess I am lucky that the Rockets are the closest team to where I live. Thankfully we now have Root instead of the crappy streams.
The highlights guy who does the rhymes is AWFUL. Blank, I think? Actually, he's ok, but the rhymes make me want to drive my car off an overpass. And what's the "Right to left on your radio dial?" Is that supposed to be clever or funny?
Hearing the old Peterson/Foley clips reminds me of the great times growing up with my dad and it brings a tear to my eye. Those dudes could never be replaced.
it's a commonplace radio industry phrase used by many announcers before calling games. it was made famous by a University of Kentucky radio announcer. Jim and Gene are ranked as some of the best in the history of the game. Craig Ackerman knows that more than anyone. he doesn't expect to fill their shoes in three, four or five seasons.
Ah, didn't know that and had never heard it before Ackerman. Or maybe I had and just didn't notice it. I still find it annoying. Ackerman is pretty good, Blank is the one that makes me cringe more often than not. All told, the personality of the crew (and the enjoyable post game call in show) is probably better than most markets, I'd guess.
Brings to mind the old days when you had to fine tune the radio dial to bring in the station the clearest back before the digital readouts although I still have couple of radios that I still have to do that.
Cool story bro: One of my customers thats been coming in for the last 4-5 years just kind of saw me in my rockets gear during game 2 and we had a dialogue: Her: "Youre a Rockets fan?" Me: "Hell yeah...." Her:"You know my last name right?" Me: No.... Should I....? Her: Its Peterson.... Me: And....? Her: My dads Gene Peterson! Me: (Mouth drops) WOT.....? Your dads f**king Gene Peterson?(3X) She then proceeds to tell me about all the games she went to when we won it all and how she would hang out with all the players and how OT was her favorite cause he would stop interviews to give her a hug. I told her, her dad was an effing LEGEND and she told me to say it on a video cause apparently, Gene himself, doesnt think so. I was floored to hear that, so I did with passion and she showed it to him. Fast forward to today, she comes in and she has a frame in her hand and says, "here!" Its a picture of Jim Foley and her dad Gene Peterson. He signed it: To Will, How Sweet it is Gene Peterson It was awesome. Made my day. If yall ever see that beautiful man with the brilliant voice, be sure to tell him hes an effing legend. He needs to know that and needs to believe that.
I like Craig now and am glad he is the current voice of the team, but man Gene and Jim are part of the Rockets cloth. The voice of the Rockets forever in my mind and absolute Houston icons. Awesome story! @donkeypunch
GP: YES! OH YEEESSSS SAMPSON MADE THE SHOT WE’RE GOING TO BOSTON HOLY COW!!! JF: WE ARE ON OUR WAY. WE ARE ON OUR WAY. WE ARE ON OUR WAY BABY. WE. ARE. ON. OUR. WAY Not sure how accurate that is. But that is my memory of those two from the 86 WCF game 5.
