19 years ago today we lost the great Pete Taylor. There is now a whole generation of people who weren't around to hear him call games. At least we have moments recorded for everyone to know how special Pete was.
Pete Taylor
- Thread starter imaclone2
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Remember walking into my boss’s office that afternoon to tell him. We were both in tears.
Yep. The list of greatest Cyclones begins with him.
"Good night" was another one, always in exasperation. Plenty to be exasperated about back then.
Many times when Seneca Wallace's name is mentioned, I can hear Pete say, "What a run by Wallace"!!!! (The Run)
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A gracious man as well. Always had time to talk to the fans after each Cyclone outing.
I will be honest, I wasn't so sure about John W. when he took over for Pete, but he has proven me wrong. Over the years John W. has really done an outstanding job. Those who have grown up listening to just John will say the same thing we say about Pete now (Hopefully that is a long ways off).
While there can only be one Pete, I feel fortunate to have had the pleasure of listening to both he and John W for these many years.
John is an all time Cyclone. Maybe less quirky than Pete, but he's a great play by play guy and has had the advantage of calling the best era in ISU history.
And John will be the first to give Pete credit for helping to shape him in his professional life. He had trepidation about follow someone as iconic as Pete.
Tomorrow will mark 20 years since we lost Pete Taylor. Apparently the mbb radio broadcast today started with a Pete Tribute that will be on social media tomorrow. Seems hard to believe he's been gone 20 years. In many ways that day still seems like yesterday. I can almost remember everything about that day. 
I cried.Tomorrow will mark 20 years since we lost Pete Taylor. Apparently the mbb radio broadcast today started with a Pete Tribute that will be on social media tomorrow. Seems hard to believe he's been gone 20 years. In many ways that day still seems like yesterday. I can almost remember everything about that day.
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME???"
Heard from John during all of the most exciting moments in recent Cyclone history.
Tomorrow will mark 20 years since we lost Pete Taylor. Apparently the mbb radio broadcast today started with a Pete Tribute that will be on social media tomorrow. Seems hard to believe he's been gone 20 years. In many ways that day still seems like yesterday. I can almost remember everything about that day.
Can't think of anyone I've never met who I was more sad to lose. Perhaps I'm wrong, but I would guess the radio voice was a lot more important to most fans back then because so many games weren't televised.
I always say when he passed a part of ISU passed with him. You are right in that the majority of his broadcast career not many games were televised but as someone who grew up listening to him call games I would almost take listening to him over watching the game anyway. The way he called games made the game come alive over the radio.
If I had $1 for every Orr-era Big 8 game in which we came up just short on the road...so many nights spent by the stereo listening to his call.
Early on in his career Pete also worked for the local TV station WOI which was owned by the university. When he was picked for radio position, it was long before social media. The guys on my dorm floor had a long vigorous discussion as to whether he ever could be satisfactory for the position. You see it was Cyclone heresy to give the position to an eiu grad.
Correction: Pete was the Sports Director for KRNT-TV / KCCI.
Could be I never had time to watch TV back then. Just remember it was the local TV station.
I love that some of my best memories of the time I attended ISU from 98-02 have Pete's voice as the backdrop for the highlight reels. Especially FB and BB just had so many great moments that he had some great calls to go with them.
10 years ago CyTV did a special Pete Taylor Tribute Series
