Al Ciraldo
Encyclopedia
Alfred Joseph Ciraldo was an American sportscaster best known for his work as the play-by-play announcer for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
basketball
and football
teams.
with a degree in Broadcast Journalism.
basketball team
. He joined the staff at WGST radio in Atlanta and broadcast his first Georgia Tech football game in 1954, against Tulane. His first Tech basketball game was against Sewanee
that same year. Over the next 38 seasons, he called 416 football and 1,030 basketball games for the Rambling Wreck. In April 1985, when Georgia Tech switched coverage of its football games from WGST to WCNN, Ciraldo was removed as football announcer, allegedly at the behest of the Institute, but he was quickly hired by WCNN and reinstated as broadcaster amid a demonstration of public support.
Ciraldo served as a color analyst in football to Jack Hurst in the late 50’s and 60’s and then took over as lead broadcaster when Hurst left that post. Ciraldo is often remembered for the phrase "Toe meets leather", with which he led off every football game. Assisting Ciraldo on football broadcasts from 1974 to 2003 was former Tech quarterback Kim King, whom Ciraldo introduced every week as "the young left-hander from Atlanta’s own Brown High School". King’s book, "Tales from the Georgia Tech Sideline", has a collection of anecdotes and stories about Ciraldo.
It was in basketball, however, that Ciraldo most notably left his mark. As Tech basketball reached national prominence in the mid-80’s under Bobby Cremins
, Ciraldo – splitting play-by-play and analyst duties with Brad Nessler
– came to the attention of a new generation of sports fans in the southeast. Ciraldo popularized a term that Nessler coined – "Thriller Dome" - to describe the Tech’s home court, Alexander Memorial Coliseum
, which was the site of many close games in Tech’s early ACC years.
Those who heard Ciraldo only in his final few years of announcing basketball – when age had slowed him a bit even as the game itself sped up – may not have fully appreciated what he brought to a pre-video era. Georgia Tech memorialized his contributions both by 'retiring' his microphone and by inducting him into the Institute's Hall of Fame in 1986. A banner with Ciraldo's picture hangs high over the Coliseum court alongside a number of the players he so memorably reported on. In 2010, Ciraldo was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
The Yellow Jackets is the name used for all of the intercollegiate athletic teams that play for the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia. The teams have also been nicknamed the Ramblin' Wreck, Engineers, Blacksmiths, and Golden Tornado. There are 8 men's and 7 women's teams that...
basketball
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets men's basketball
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets men's basketball team represents the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in NCAA Division I basketball. The team plays its home games in Alexander Memorial Coliseum. Under the tenure of Bobby Cremins, Georgia Tech established itself as a national force in basketball...
and football
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represents the Georgia Institute of Technology in collegiate level football. While the team is officially designated as the Yellow Jackets, it is also referred to as the Ramblin' Wreck. The Yellow Jackets are a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
teams.
Education
He was a 1948 graduate of the University of FloridaUniversity of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
with a degree in Broadcast Journalism.
Career
Following his graduation Ciraldo moved to Atlanta and did play-by-play work for the University of GeorgiaUniversity of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
basketball team
Georgia Bulldogs men's basketball
The Georgia Bulldogs basketball program is the men's college basketball team representing the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia. Established in 1891, the team has competed in the Southeastern Conference since its inception in 1932...
. He joined the staff at WGST radio in Atlanta and broadcast his first Georgia Tech football game in 1954, against Tulane. His first Tech basketball game was against Sewanee
Sewanee
Sewanee may refer to:* Sewanee, Tennessee* Sewanee: The University of the South* Sewanee Review* Sewanee Natural Bridge* Saint Andrews-Sewanee School-See also:* Suwanee * Suwannee * Swanee...
that same year. Over the next 38 seasons, he called 416 football and 1,030 basketball games for the Rambling Wreck. In April 1985, when Georgia Tech switched coverage of its football games from WGST to WCNN, Ciraldo was removed as football announcer, allegedly at the behest of the Institute, but he was quickly hired by WCNN and reinstated as broadcaster amid a demonstration of public support.
Ciraldo served as a color analyst in football to Jack Hurst in the late 50’s and 60’s and then took over as lead broadcaster when Hurst left that post. Ciraldo is often remembered for the phrase "Toe meets leather", with which he led off every football game. Assisting Ciraldo on football broadcasts from 1974 to 2003 was former Tech quarterback Kim King, whom Ciraldo introduced every week as "the young left-hander from Atlanta’s own Brown High School". King’s book, "Tales from the Georgia Tech Sideline", has a collection of anecdotes and stories about Ciraldo.
It was in basketball, however, that Ciraldo most notably left his mark. As Tech basketball reached national prominence in the mid-80’s under Bobby Cremins
Bobby Cremins
Bobby Cremins is an American college basketball coach and the current head coach of the College of Charleston's men's basketball team, and former head coach at Appalachian State and Georgia Tech.-Early years:...
, Ciraldo – splitting play-by-play and analyst duties with Brad Nessler
Brad Nessler
Bradley "Brad" Nessler is an American sportscaster, who currently calls college basketball and college football games for ESPN with occasional appearances on ESPN on ABC. He will also call Thursday Night Football on NFL Network beginning in 2011, and appears annually as a commentator in EA Sports'...
– came to the attention of a new generation of sports fans in the southeast. Ciraldo popularized a term that Nessler coined – "Thriller Dome" - to describe the Tech’s home court, Alexander Memorial Coliseum
Alexander Memorial Coliseum
The Alexander Memorial Coliseum is an indoor arena located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It is the home of the basketball teams of Georgia Tech and hosted the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA from 1968–1972 and again from 1997–1999...
, which was the site of many close games in Tech’s early ACC years.
Style
Ciraldo was an early practitioner of a style of basketball broadcasting that described the constant movement of the ball on the floor, an approach that enabled his listeners to virtually see the game in progress. In the prime of his career, his rapid speech pattern made Tech fans feel they were actually at the game, and after the advent of portable radios it was not unusual to see many spectators at the Coliseum listening to Ciraldo explain what they were looking at on the floor in front of them. Instant recognition of opposing players and a nonstop flow of information offered Tech fans unusual detail and a constant updating of the time and score. Ciraldo also understood many subtleties of the sport. He consistently reported which defenses the two teams were using and was quick to note any changes in them. He also did a nice job of identifying individual defensive battles and was quick to praise exemplary effort in that regard. (“Bruce Dalrymple, one of the best defenders ever to wear the white and gold. When he guards players, they disappear.”)Legacy
Ciraldo's baritone voice and many signature phrases were quite memorable. He often described free throws that hung on the rim before falling in as having “a lot of iron, but good” or by saying “rolls around” - dramatic pause – “and in.” Close games were "barnburners", as in "We got a real barnburner here tonight." He popularized the use of the terms “snowbird” and “bunny” for lay-ups in the 1950’s and 60's, though many of those fans at the games with radios were surprised to see that some shots so described were heavily contested by defenders and anything but easy. A ballcarrier that straddled the sideline during a run would "walked the chalk stripes". A sellout crowd before game time was described as an "over taxed capacity crowd filing through the turnstiles".Those who heard Ciraldo only in his final few years of announcing basketball – when age had slowed him a bit even as the game itself sped up – may not have fully appreciated what he brought to a pre-video era. Georgia Tech memorialized his contributions both by 'retiring' his microphone and by inducting him into the Institute's Hall of Fame in 1986. A banner with Ciraldo's picture hangs high over the Coliseum court alongside a number of the players he so memorably reported on. In 2010, Ciraldo was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.