As for the best call- to ask that question is somewhat insulting. It's Jack Fleming, whose call of The Immaulate Reception is to football what Russ Hodges screaming "The Giants win the pennant!" following Bobby Thomson's famous home run to win the '51 pennant is to baseball. Look, there's a reason why Fleming's call of this play was used for so many years to lead in to NFL Films segments on ESPN. Meanwhile, while King misidentifies the receiver at first and Reynolds can't even keep up with the play, Fleming's call is fundamentally sound- setting the time on the clock before the snap, staying with the play. His call is the perfect blend of accuracy, surprise, joy- and also professionalism. He is clearly taken with the moment, but Fleming is able to project that without losing his composure while still projecting the obvious surprise and joy that the play is delivering. Even when he is for a moment at a loss for words it is perfection- we are feeling the surprise and shock of the event through his call as he lets it happen instead of overcompensating with "He's at the 20! The 10! The 5! Touchdown," which would made the call generic; or screaming, which would have made the call unprofessional. We are hearing Fleming accurately call the play but also project that the Same Old Steelers are now forgotten and transformed in to the Super Steelers at this very moment. I'm disapointed you didn't include the famous "Hold on to your hats, the Steelers break the huddle!" before the play (How did he know?) or the "Franco Harris, riding out of the sunset on a white stallion!" line which writers spend hours thinking up but Fleming makes it up on the spot. Jack Fleming's call of The Immaculate Reception is pro football's greatest play-by-play call in history, and that's all there is to it!
A little too short.... the Fleming call needs to start with "Hang onto your hats, here come the Steelers out of the huddle." One of the greatest sports calls of all time.
Bill King was a great announcer, maybe one of the few in Fleming's league during this golden era of the NFL...but no one can touch Fleming on this particular call. He was just tremendous from start to finish here.
Myron Cope told me he could be seen in the video of The Immaculate Reception. I believe you can see him as the man wearing a light colored coat behind another man wearing an old gold uniform emblazened with the number "3" in the background at :25 and again at 2:34 behind the same individual as Franco crosses the goal line. He had gone down to the field, as is customary for members of the media late in the game, to prepare for his post-game radio interview and likely attempt to snag a player or coach for it coming off the field.
As for the best call- to ask that question is somewhat insulting. It's Jack Fleming, whose call of The Immaulate Reception is to football what Russ Hodges screaming "The Giants win the pennant!" following Bobby Thomson's famous home run to win the '51 pennant is to baseball. Look, there's a reason why Fleming's call of this play was used for so many years to lead in to NFL Films segments on ESPN. Meanwhile, while King misidentifies the receiver at first and Reynolds can't even keep up with the play, Fleming's call is fundamentally sound- setting the time on the clock before the snap, staying with the play. His call is the perfect blend of accuracy, surprise, joy- and also professionalism. He is clearly taken with the moment, but Fleming is able to project that without losing his composure while still projecting the obvious surprise and joy that the play is delivering. Even when he is for a moment at a loss for words it is perfection- we are feeling the surprise and shock of the event through his call as he lets it happen instead of overcompensating with "He's at the 20! The 10! The 5! Touchdown," which would made the call generic; or screaming, which would have made the call unprofessional. We are hearing Fleming accurately call the play but also project that the Same Old Steelers are now forgotten and transformed in to the Super Steelers at this very moment. I'm disapointed you didn't include the famous "Hold on to your hats, the Steelers break the huddle!" before the play (How did he know?) or the "Franco Harris, riding out of the sunset on a white stallion!" line which writers spend hours thinking up but Fleming makes it up on the spot. Jack Fleming's call of The Immaculate Reception is pro football's greatest play-by-play call in history, and that's all there is to it!
That the announcers said it hit Tatum was my takeaway, too. Very cool.
Not only that, but Bill King said it in so many words!
A little too short.... the Fleming call needs to start with "Hang onto your hats, here come the Steelers out of the huddle." One of the greatest sports calls of all time.
And It happened on my Birthday !!! Go Steelers !!
A great day in Pittsburgh!
Bill King was a great announcer, maybe one of the few in Fleming's league during this golden era of the NFL...but no one can touch Fleming on this particular call. He was just tremendous from start to finish here.
Myron Cope told me he could be seen in the video of The Immaculate Reception. I believe you can see him as the man wearing a light colored coat behind another man wearing an old gold uniform emblazened with the number "3" in the background at :25 and again at 2:34 behind the same individual as Franco crosses the goal line. He had gone down to the field, as is customary for members of the media late in the game, to prepare for his post-game radio interview and likely attempt to snag a player or coach for it coming off the field.