Johnny Most

I do not know how many of you can go back to when Johnny was broadcasting for the Celtics. It seems like so long ago. It is a shame that he has not been put in the Hall of Fame. Chick Hearn who broadcast for the Lakers is already in there. Tommy Heinsohn was on the Celtics,broadcast the other night has asked all true Celtic fans to write the Hall telling them that this is a true injustice, not having him there. The Celtics should also bring that microphone down from the second balcony and have it stitched onto the banners somewhere.

I am a long, long, long time Celtic fan. I went to bed at night with a transistor radio listening to Johnny describe, play by play, what was going on. I am blessed to have grown up during a time when you really had to use your mind to envision what was going on. He made me the fan I am today.

I am asking fans to get behind Tommy and see if we can make a difference.

Rosalie

I agree, Rosalie. Growing up in the Springfield area, not far from where the HOF is situated, I listened to Johnny nightly and it was as good as TV. Sure he was biased, but he was a great fan with a microphone and he brought the game to life I'll get my letter off tomorrow. Hawk

Johnny's raspy voice was one for the ages.

No one, not even Tommy, could have been as rabid a fan as Johnny. In a bridge game prior to the game in which the Celtics broke the Lakers' balloons, Johnny was a basket case. At one point.he had three cigarettes working. I was surprised the Bailey Howell and Sam Jones, who were also in the game, could still breathe by game time.

Sam

Johnny Most made Tommy Heinshon sound like the PBS Jim Lehre News Hour.

If you're a fan over about 50 you probably turned down the sound of Celtic TV games and tuned into brother Most. I know I did and I'd often laugh myself silly.

But besides being a relentlessly creative homer, Most often conveyed the tempo of the game beautifully.

"JoJo tricky dribbles left. JoJo tricky dribbles right. Stops and pops. BANG!!!"

If Chick Hearn's in the HOF, Johnny most certainly belongs there as well.

Rosalie

Even with the static of AM radio I could make out the gravelly sound of Johnny. Some times the reception wasn't the greatest even on the large 1030 WBZ clear channel broadcast so when I got my license I used to drive around to find a spot so I could hear the games. One spot was behind our church that seemed to amplify his voice.

Later in college at Geneseo 75-76 I used to attend the NBA games in Buffalo on the college radio station press passes. I had the pleasure of speaking with Johnny face to face in the press room prior to a couple games. What a humble man.

He should be in the HOF no doubt. And a Square with a GREEN MIKE on it, hanging with those retired numbers should be done also.

I have one lasting image after a game in Buffalo of Johnny walking out of the arena between Heinsohn and Auerbach.

No he never scored a single point, or coached a team to even 1 win. But to any Celtic fan over a 1/2 century old he was as important to the Celtics as anyone.

beat

beat

Johnny always made it perfectly clear that the Refs were out to get the Celts. Syracuse star Dolph Schayes was a frequent visitor to the foul line and of course Johnny would always rant about this super stars preferential treatment by the officials. In this one particular game, after Schayes had made several early trips to the line, Most declared that the Refs were now calling fouls on the Celts for breathing on Schayes. Its a line I always will remember and that was probably some 55-60 years ago.

swish

Johnny's descriptive announcing helped those of us who did not play the game at all. (at 4'11" tall, that would have been a sight)

Tommy was so vehement about this the other night. I was
moved by his passion for getting Most into the HOF. I sat down and wrote a letter to the HOF right away. I wonder if they even listen, but that is what he was requesting of all of us who remember Johnny so well.

Thanks for not thinking this is just a crazy lady with a thought of "I knew it when"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rosalie

Actually, the chances are good that it happens; that is, now that we finally have a decent human being as NBA Commissioner. I say that because the former commissioner, who was a Knicks fan and Celtics hater, and not a decent human being in any way, shape or form, blocked Johnny from being admitted to the HoF because, as he claimed, Johnny Most wasn't "popular enough." That claim was so dishonest and so self-serving, that one has to wonder what was behind it.

This is going to be interesting. It'll show if the former commissioner has any clout left. There's bad blood there that goes way back, probably to when the former commissioner changed the name on the championship trophy, which had been named after beloved Celtics owner Walter Brown.

It would be a shock if Johnny didn't say something at the time about taking that honor away from one of the founders of the NBA and giving it to a sleazy lawyer. Did Johnny perhaps suggest that it was some kind of payoff so that the sleazy lawyer would make sure that the former commissioner was voted in as his successor? What other reason would the former commissioner have to be so vehement about keeping Johnny out of the hall?

In the 1980's I worked for a company that did radio engineering for the visiting team broadcast. We sat 2 seats down from Johnny and Glenn, "high above court side" I had a press pass, and used to eat in the Garden cafeteria, lousy food, but I had a chance to listen to other press people and former players talk about the game. Johnny and Tommy Heinsohn seemed to be really good friends. Johnny often would eat 2 hot dogs with sauerkraut and a cup of coffee before the game (probably one of the reasons for his disposition) The last conversation I remember between them was Tommy giving him advice on health insurance.

I never spoke to either of them, as I was happy just to listen. My wife worked with his daughter Marjorie, who quite often would talk about what a chore he was from a health standpoint.

Anyway, he should be inducted, was a really unique personality.

Pete

We need to start a board campaign to get Johnny into the Hall of Fame.  I'm limiting my Celtics schedule pretty much to late nights (this is an exception) during this Nassau week's vacation.  But I'll so some research in an attempt to uncover some factoids from which people could pick and choose to supplement their own personal memories of Johnny.  And I'll post the addresses for both the Hall of Fame (unless someone else, like Rosalie, has one) and the Commissioner.

Bob Cousy was the instant catalyst for my loving pro basketball, but Johny Most was the one who made it come to life.

Sam

Sam, all I did was access the HOF website where it says "contact us" and write something about this and what an injustice it is. I sent it along. Tommy had requested on television on a broadcast late last week that he is quite upset that Johnny is not in the HOF. He asked anyone watching the game to sent an email or letter to the Hall with our thoughts and feelings. If we could get the whole forum involved it would be wonderful. I think Tommy would be thrilled. Let me know
what I can do to help. He was so passionate the other night that it really hit me and that is why I posted this topic.

Rosalie

Rosalie

Just went to their HOF website and sent an EMAIL explaining why he should be enshrined.

Hopefully he will at least be considered.

beat

Rosalie,

Thanks so much for starting this thread. I'm sure Tommy would be grateful too.

It strikes me that contacting the Hall of Fame and/or the Commissioner's office could be helpful in gaining support, but I imaging the most influential people are the voters for the Hall of Fame. Maybe someone would like to look into that. I can do so but will have to wait until I'm back home from this trip this coming Monday. My best friend, Dick Flavin, who professionally knows every player and media type in the Boston market, went through a long process of trying to get Dominic DiMaggio enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame, and I'm writing him an email to learn what process he used.

Any ideas anyone wants to contribute are, of course, gratefully received.

Sam

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/halloffame09/columns/story?columnist=bucher_ric&page=090910HOFvoters

Sam, I found this article last night, very interesting and enlightening. I am not too computer literate, hope it opens up for you

Rosalie

It is very obvious that Tommy is extremely passionate about this subject. Last night while watching the game, Sean Grande, who was taking Mike Gorman's place for the evening, brought the subject up and reminded all listeners how important this was to Tommy. In turn, Tommy said he wanted everyone to get in touch with the Hall of Fame, bombard them with emails about this. So, I guess he has used his contacts up and feels this is the only way that we can make a difference and possibly force the hands of the Hall. If I could get in touch with Tommy, I would tell him how all of us feel and that many are doing exactly as he asks.

Rosalie

Rosalie, you did a great job, and the article opened easily. I just skimmed the article because we're on our way to the beach, but I'll digest it more thoroughly tonight. At first glance, it doesn't make the job of influencing voters any easier, that's for sure.

Many thanks,

Sam