Courtesy the Oklahoma Daily

(October 14, 2010) By now most, if not all, of the Sooner Nation is aware Bob Barry Sr. will put up the microphone at year’s end. But that will not take away from Barry’s legendary status and lasting impression on the Sooner football landscape.

“No one represents the values and spirit of our university better than Bob Barry,” OU President David Boren said. “His energy, enthusiasm and tenacity, along with his love of the university, can be felt through his spoken words. No one gets more excited than he does. He’s the ultimate Sooner fan.”

Barry is putting the finishing touches on his 50th season of broadcasting play-by-play football, but he began all the way back in 1961, when OU coach Bud Wilkinson picked him out of 13 other contenders to be the play-by-play man for Sooner football and basketball.

Barry tabbed that as the biggest professional thrill he has ever received.

“I never dreamed I’d be doing OU when I was doing Norman High, but it all came about,” Barry said.

He then left the friendly confines of the Sooner broadcasting booth to call games for the University of Tulsa for a season (1972-1973) and broadcasted for the Oklahoma State Cowboys from 1974-1990.

He called several great OSU games, too, back when Barry Sanders was the running back or current OSU coach Mike Gundy was the quarterback.

“I had a great time up there those 18 years,” Barry said.

Barry then rejoined the Sooner family for the 1991 season and has been a Sooner treasure ever since.

Beginning in 1966, when he was not behind a microphone at a football game, Barry was anchoring for KFOR News Channel 4. In 1970, he was named the station’s sports director, a position he held until 1997. He continued to with KFOR as a sports anchor until Dec. 2008, marking the end of his television broadcasting career.

His career spans 55 years of radio play-by-play Oklahoma history, including 31 extraordinary years with the Sooners. He has narrated many of the great OU plays of the last several decades with his unique play-by-play style, adding in a dash of Oklahoma charm.

“How you broadcast is important. You have to make the person’s mind see what you’re saying; paint a picture instead of giving an opinion or something,” Barry said. “To me, that lives. That’s what you want to do, try to make it live.”

Barry, like all great broadcasters, can take an ordinary play and make it extraordinary. The emotion in his voice coincides with the rising cheers of the Sooner faithful, all culminating with the phrase, “TOUCHDOWN, OKLAHOMA!”

The conclusion is usually the same, but Barry tries to makes each call unique.

“It’s important to use your medium. In television, people see so you have a whole different way of talking. In radio, they can’t see so you have to tell them the story and try to set the picture as best you can,” he said.

Barry said several other broadcasters have had an impact on the way he calls games, including Los Angeles Dodgers legend Vin Scully.

“Vin Scully, of course, is out of this world,” Barry said. “Boy, he is a great play-by-play guy. Never be another one like him.”

Throughout his career, Barry has no doubt influenced other broadcast hopefuls, and his legacy will live on at OU with the Bob Barry Endowment Fund for Student Sports Programs. The enrichment fund will benefit the OU Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication’s programs for students interested in sports journalism.

 

A true fan of baseball

Outside of football and basketball, Barry enjoys following other sports, especially baseball.

“Baseball is my favorite sport to watch. I just love it,” Barry said.

He attended OKC Indians games every night, which piqued his interest for the sport.

He was a pitcher throughout high school and was on the OU baseball team his freshman year. His love of baseball continues today. His 65-inch, high-definition TV is enhanced with the MLB all-access pass.

“Baseball is just dear to my heart. To this day, I watch maybe 15 games a week,” he said.

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