RIP Jack Dale

I spent many winter evenings as a child in my bedroom in Lubbock, TX listening to the radio broadcasts of Texas Tech basketball games called by Jack Dale. I think the mark of a great radio sports announcer is that when listening to the game, it doesn't matter that you are not seeing the action, because the description lets you see the game in your own imagination. Back in the 1970s and '80s, in the days before ESPN and 300 channels of cable TV, most of the games were not available on television, but with Jack Dale at courtside, it didn't matter one bit. When the game was over, I felt every bit like I had been there watching in person. To this day, I don't think I've heard a sports play-by-play announcer who added to my appreciation of a game the way he did.

Jack Dale passed away last week at the age of 79. I have no doubt that for the rest of my life, when I think about Texas Tech basketball, I will hear his voice in my head shouting "he jumps, shoots, and scores!"