![]() ![]() What are the biggest challenges associated with taking over a job from a legendary broadcaster ? You’ve had the formidable task of succeeding Stan Barron on WBEN in 1984, Rick Azar on Channel 7 in 1989, and Van Miller as the play-by-play voice of the Bills in 2004. I love that challenge-being prepared enough to talk intelligently about the game after a week of preparation and being flexible enough to react to the twists and turns of a game in a coherent and hopefully entertaining manner. Having worked alongside Van Miller for 16 years, I had a deep appreciation for what good NFL play-by-play sounded like and I still strive to reach that level of excellence every game. ![]() When Van stepped down and I started doing play-by-play in 2004, I remember being very intimidated by the job, but also feeling somewhat comfortable. I can’t think of any “Ah-ha” moment along the way. ![]() That carried over into my love of sports as a Bills and Sabres fan growing up, and especially my interest in the Niagara University basketball teams of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s ( Calvin Murphy era).Īs a kid, I used to listen to Van Miller call the Niagara games on WBEN radio and sit at our kitchen table and keep score as the game went along.Ĭan you point to the first time in your career where your ability intersected with your ambition- where you recognized you were working a dream job and also had the belief that you could be really good at the job? I loved the “behind the scenes” aspect of radio and TV when I was a kid and have always been attracted to inside stories about the way things work. I think I was always interested in broadcasting at an early age. What inspired you to become a broadcaster? Were you one of those little kids who dreamed of calling games the first time he turned on a radio or were you drawn to the profession later in life? Still basking in the glow of calling his first Bills playoff game in 17 years, Murphy kindly took some time to reflect on the preparation that goes into a game broadcast, dealing with the “homer” label, and his current favorite guest on the newly revamped “One Bills Live” broadcast. Listening to his call of a game is like sitting next to a longtime friend who happens to possess contagious enthusiasm and an encyclopedic knowledge of the Buffalo Bills. Murphy has ascended to a coveted job shared by only 31 other broadcasters in the nation, and he has arrived there via consistency, hard work, and a genuine love of football that bleeds through in every broadcast. On three separate occasions in a career spanning nearly four decades, Murphy has taken over the reins from a beloved Buffalo broadcaster and thrived in his role as “the new guy.” He’s the Buffalo broadcasting version of Steve Young or Aaron Rodgers multiplied by three.Ī lengthy career in a competitive profession is no happy accident. John Murphy defies the conventional wisdom that you never want to be the guy who replaces a legend. ![]()
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