The game winning shot, the major play that turns the game around and the underdog rising to the top are moments that wouldn\u2019t be the same without a sports announcer bringing that<\/p>\n\n\n\n
story to life. Billie Morgan, the two-time Sullivan award winner, has been Harding University\u2019s sports announcer for 13 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\tMorgan has always been a fan of sports. Growing up listening to announcers describe baseball games every night and bring the game right into his living room is what inspired him to become a sports commentator himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\t\u201cJust like every kid, I enjoyed playing sports, but there came a time that competing as an<\/p>\n\n\n\n
athlete came to an end, and the next best way to be a part of the action was broadcasting the games if I couldn’t still play,\u201d Morgan said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When envisioning a sports announcer, a picture of an upbeat man who just shows up and reads from a script is what may come to mind. Morgan is a sports announcer for Harding\u2019s football team, basketball teams, volleyball team, soccer teams, baseball team and softball team, while also hosting \u201cHarding Football with Paul Simmons.\u201d Morgan said there are hours of preparation that go into the finished product that many people see don\u2019t see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\t\u201cI know one thing, you can never prepare too much, and there are always situations that<\/p>\n\n\n\n
come up, that you must be able to adjust,\u201d Morgan said. \u201cI am very fortunate with the Harding sports information department \u2014 Scott Goode and Nathan Looney are second to none. I have complete access to every statistic possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although having all the information is a huge help in being an effective sports announcer, Jeff Morgan, Harding University athletic director and men\u2019s basketball coach, said one<\/p>\n\n\n\n
must have a wow factor \u2014 something that makes people want to tune in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere has to be something that people are drawn to that they’re like, \u2018Hey, I like listening to this person talk.\u2019\u201d Morgan said. \u201cPart of that is, how they described the action, and what’s going on,\u201d said Jeff Morgan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Junior Jackson Duncan agrees with Jeff Morgan and said one has to be charismatic, lively, energetic, enthusiastic and be able to bring the story to life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think Billy does a great job of painting that picture, and I can really tell because I get really excited about the game even though I can’t see what’s going on,\u201d Duncan said. \u201cI have a visual in my head because he paints a great picture of it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Scott Goode, assistant athletic director for sports information, said other fans from different schools email him raving about Morgan and are thankful for how he brings the games to life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe just has these touches.\u201d Goode said. \u201cHe is like an artist, and we’re super spoiled to have him,\u201d said Goode.
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