Gary Hahn wins NC Sportscaster of the Year

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Pretty cool! Congratulations to Mr. Hahn!

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Gary Hahn would probably joke with you that he’ll roll the state sportscaster award now that Woody Durham is retired.

But Hahn would be ultimately modest in doing so. The 1974 graduate of Butler and voice of N.C. State sports for the last 21 years will accept his first N.C. Sportscaster of the Year award Monday night. He paid tribute to Durham, a common face at the NSSA most years, at a recent golf tournament.

“I asked Woody, ‘How many of these NSSA awards have you won,’ ” said Hahn Saturday from the NSSA welcome reception at the Holiday Inn. “He said it was in double figures. I said, ‘Well, there you go folks.’ He’s won all of these awards in 40 years, I’m just getting my first.”

This topic was discussed on our message forums earlier in the week and can be seen by clicking here. There are some interesting comments there.

Considering I’ve worked in the business, I know the respect he has … and … have a pretty dadgum good gage of talent on the air. Hahn is talent. As a matter of fact, The Pathers tried to lure him away when they launched as an expansion team.

Gary is a Christian. So is Johnnie Evans. I would have loved to hear his testimony in the guest sermon (@packpowerfan).

Who would be better than Hahn in the ACC? Woody (3rd and 8. ~ Check that, 4th and 20) Durham? Bob (And the Duke Bench has come unglued) Harris? The announcers on ESPNU? ESPN3.com? Give me a break.

I’d take Gary Hahn and Tony Hanes any day over some of the washed-up has beens out there.

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15 Responses to Gary Hahn wins NC Sportscaster of the Year

  1. Sweet jumper 05/18/2011 at 7:15 AM #

    Congrats! Well deserved.

  2. ADVENTUROO 05/18/2011 at 7:57 AM #

    Really great guy and dedicated to his job. He had prostate surgery during a few years ago and came back MUCH earlier that I expected. As one who walked that mile, my hat is off to him for his personal committment to the “Pack”. Truly a professional.

    As to the comparisons, I know that if I can not watch or listen to a State game and have to catch up on the radio, that I will know the score and the time remaining within 5 minutes of when I tune in.

    With certain other broadcaster, now retired, it might take 15 minutes….but I would hear a LOT of trashing of the other team and it’s players (Ex also) during that time.

    Gary does a great job and does not take cheap shots at the other team.

    A pleasure to listen to.

  3. Lock 05/18/2011 at 8:53 AM #

    Tony Hanes is great. I love the man. But Gary ‘Check It’ Hahn? I admire him for his dedication to our school, but really? He’s a good man and never trashes the other team, but if it weren’t for Evans keeping him on the same page dude starts calling nonexistent games.

    Also he committed the cardinal sin of defending certain past NCSU basketball coaches. (Wait, I guess he does have redeeming qualities.)

    (Also, don’t see what religion has to do with any of this either, I know plenty class-act non-Christians and Christians both, and God does not care who wins or calls a game of basketball.)

  4. buclark 05/18/2011 at 10:12 AM #

    What if he were a Hindu?

  5. PoppaJohn 05/18/2011 at 11:12 AM #

    Congratulations, long overdue!!!
    I too listen to the radio coverage while watching TV coverage.

    HOWEVER … he could stop announcing “it’s been 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 … minutes since the Pack got a bucket.” I hate that. And also, “XYZ is on a 10-15-20 point run on the Pack.” Hate that one too.

    It’s okay every now and then, but every stinking game??? I’m sure the computer is tracking this for them and rather than thinking of something on their own, they just read the computer screen. Lazy!

    (Maybe the problem is “the stinking game???”)
    Maybe it’s because we’ve been so bad for 20 years, and prone to this type of problem. especially during the ‘herb-lowe’ years.

  6. packpowerfan 05/18/2011 at 11:46 AM #

    PoppaJohn, I’d just rather us play well enough that both those scenarios don’t play out on the court. Stop doing it, and Hahn will stop calling it.

  7. wolfbuff 05/18/2011 at 12:38 PM #

    Imagine that. Woody Durham getting the award given by a bunch of journalism pukes every year. Big surprise. I’m happy Gary got recognized. He calls it like it is. The news may sound bad, but that’s because it usually is!

    Either way, he seems like a nice guy, but he’s no Wally Ausley. He’ll forever be the Voice of the Wolfpack to me. It was so much more of an art back before every game was on TV. I remember acting out the games on my nerf hoop listening to Wally. I could see the game through him.

  8. PackerInRussia 05/18/2011 at 12:50 PM #

    This guy should get some kind of award just for calling games throughout these years of terrible play. It’s probably a lot easier calling games when your team wins all of the team, but to stick with it with a team that doesn’t win so much deserves kudos. Can you imagine the profanity-laced commentary if the average fan were to be an announcer for a day? There’d be so many beeps it’d sound like a test from the Emergency Broadcast System. Maybe religion is relevant? 🙂

  9. ClassOf95 05/18/2011 at 1:18 PM #

    I would love to do the play by play for that ceremony. “Hahn… about to get up to receive his award… there he goes… headed from right to left… he’s at the 6th row, 5th… 4th row, 3rd…” Meanwhile you could hear the clapping in the background because he’s already on stage and has gotten his plaque.

  10. john of sparta 05/18/2011 at 4:58 PM #

    +1 to PIR and +1/2/3 to CO95

  11. radiodawgz 05/18/2011 at 5:19 PM #

    Long time/first time….and I’m happy that my first post can be to congratulate Gary Hahn on this long-overdue award. As a member of the media, I can vouch that Gary is one of the most respected sportscasters in the nation.
    Kudos, Gary, its about time!
    Now, let’s give him some good basketball to call!

  12. hball57 05/18/2011 at 7:53 PM #

    I appreciate Gary because he calls the game that is happening.

    I think the Duke broadcaster (Harris) has a great voice and style; I just wish I could figure out what game he calls, because it never matches the game on the floor.

  13. 61Packer 05/18/2011 at 8:34 PM #

    I liked Wally Ausley too, but the guy he was sidekick for to me was the best we’ll ever have behind the Wolfpack mike- Bill Jackson. BJ set the standard, and I can’t say we’ve had anyone I didn’t like.

  14. wolfonthehill 05/18/2011 at 10:07 PM #

    +1e6 to buclark

  15. 8pack 05/19/2011 at 2:12 AM #

    You have GOT to be kidding! Gary Hahn could be in the nicest guy in the world, but that does NOT make him a good play by play guy. Sidney Lowe is a nice guy. Les Robinson is a nice guy. I think you can see where I am going.

    Gary’s knowledge of football/basketball is lacking. He is often inaccurate and slow with his call, and his style seems to always have a negative feel with regards to the Wolfpack’s chances.

    Sorry, but this really bothers me. For those of us who grew up with Wally… who ‘saw’ the games that he called, though our vision was really just a radio dial, Hahn is not remotely close to the same level.

    What are these awards really worth when they are given out of pity for the guy who has so ineptly called State games for 20 miserable years?

    This is akin to the award for ‘excellence’ that was given to Fowler a while back.
    What a joke!

    I have actually been hoping for a new radio deal with someone like ISP, and with that, the hiring of some professional radio talent. Hahn is simply awful, and Haynes, while his x and o knowledge is pretty good, is just hard to listen to. Change is needed badly in this department.

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