Michael Arace commentary: Whatever it was, it worked for Larson
Saturday, July 30, 2011 03:04 AM
The Columbus Dispatch
Larry Larson is retiring to California to be near his stepdaughter and her family.
Columnists
Michael Arace
Bob Hunter
Rob Oller
The WTVN radio website has a video tribute to Larry Larson, who is retiring to California to open a new chapter in his life. Midway through the video, one of Larry's colleagues, John Corby, says: "You started, you didn't know anything about radio. You ended, you don't know anything about radio."
There is a glowing ember of truth in this good-natured barb.
Larry has spent the past 20 years reading the morning scores over our car radios and reporting from the Horseshoe, Nationwide Arena, Value City Arena, Muirfield Village, wherever there was a game. Most notably, he has been the voice of fall Friday nights, running down high-school football scores far and near.
He is known as Mr. High School Sports. He is more like Uncle High School Spirit. Either way, he is a stylistic nightmare. He barks through the speakers like a hoarse camp counselor. He sounds like Don Pardo in intensive care, or like a high-school football coach.
Of course, he was a high-school football coach, as well as a teacher and athletic director, before he went into radio. And he did not truly go into radio. He assumed it. Somebody pointed him at a microphone, and he did Larry. He picked up his yellow legal pad, put a smile on his face, opened his mouth and assaulted us with enthusiasm. Who needed to know this business? If the job was to sound as un-phony as humanly possible, well, Larry has filled that bill since he came into this world, on July 27, 1943.
He was raised in the shadow of the 'Shoe and, save for the few summers he spent in New York City when his mother was trying to make it on Broadway, he has lived his entire life in Columbus. It has been quite a relationship.
Larry touched thousands of young lives during his 32 years as a teacher/coach, mostly in the Grandview Heights system. He moved easily to radio, if not journalism. If you have ever heard one of his motivational speeches, you understand his power (and you have an inkling how little Grandview went 9-0-1 in 1979).
Larry has for the past 20 years mentored select high-school student-athletes and sent them forth to spread positive messages to younger children. It also has been his habit to tutor high-school and college students who were interested in broadcasting. More often than not, he had a student in tow at whatever big event he was covering.
Lori Schmidt of WBNS (97.1 FM) got her start tagging along with Larry. So did Kelsey Webb of the Morning Zoo crew on WNCI (97.9 FM).
"He has just blessed so many people," Webb said. "I don't know anyone more deserving of some good fortune than Larry Larson."
Larry's wife of 25 years, Jeannie, lost a wicked fight with cancer in August 2008, and Larry's world has been atilt ever since. Ultimately, he felt compelled to leave his hometown and settle in southern California, to be near his stepdaughter, Liza; her husband, Glenn; and their 6-year-old son, Jack.
"Liza is the closest thing to Jeannie that I have left," Larry said. "For nine months, I have known it was the right time to go. There is also something to be said about going out on top."
Larry will sign off from WTVN (610 AM) at the end of his Sunday morning sports show, of which he is co-host with Dave Maetzold. Larry's last three scheduled guests, in order:
• Dario Franchitti, whom Larry counts among his favorite interviewees. The international jet-setter/Indianapolis 500 champion shares a wonderful rapport with the Chuck Taylor-wearing/bowtie-clad Mr. High School Sports. Seriously.
• Dave King, the former Blue Jackets coach and Larry's erstwhile jogging mate. The two forged a friendship during those early years of NHL hockey in Columbus.
• Faith Washington, Reynoldsburg High School All-America hurdler, who once said to Larry, "Track is just like life. There is a starting line - and there is a finish line."
Larry said, "I have had a wonderful, wonderful tenure here. And now, in the parlance of Faith, I am on to the next event."
Michael Arace is a sports reporter for The Dispatch.
marace@dispatch.com
SamKat postscript: My family and I enjoy the great honor of being friends of Larry Larson. Our son Jeff first knew him through Jeff's and Larry's experiences at Grandview Heitghts where Jeff has taught for the last twenty-some years. We each met him at various sporting events, mainly at Grandview. I enjoyed further privilege in interviewing Larry for my second book: "Acquaintances With Integrity". I was so impressed with Larry's coverage of high school sports when we arrived here from Portsmouth Ohio, I wished for him the job of Sports Information Director for my alma mater, the University of Kentucky. It would not have been right for this true Columbus Ohio boy who walked the oval and campus of Ohio State with his grandfather as a young child and a young man.
There becomes a few man-love situations for the straights of our lives and Larry becomes one for me. I so appreciate what he has done for all athletes in this area.
Go west, young man, and enjoy the rest of your life!
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