For football, he’s not on that same level.

I started following the Tiger football team in 1989, as a 7 year old. The only way to catch the games was by listening on the radio. It was my ritual to do so every Saturday. Mike Kelly was the announcer, and when we were bad it was good to have him because his delivery and style never wavered no matter how ugly it got. I probably would not have been able to put up with listening and never become a die hard fan without him. However, unlike with basketball, I never learned a thing about football through listening to Mike Kelly’s broadcasts. He does such a good job narrating basketball that you can picture the game in your mind. With football, you just can’t do that with him. Once upon a time, it was a good thing that you couldn’t envision what was happening on the field. But now it’s not.

These days, whether due to work or geography, I can’t catch many games but by radio through Mizzou’s website. Mike Kelly has improved, no doubt, but even as of this season there are times you will listen and he will not even so much as tell you what quarter it is or how much time is on the clock for stretches as long as 20 minutes. It’s puzzling because he’s never like that when he does basketball. It’s so hard for me to get an accurate feel for what is happening.

He continues to reference “soccer-style” kicking; when was the last time anyone at a significant level of football kicked any other way? It’s just a pet peeve of mine.

Love Mizzou’s broadcast teams.