Suns celebrate Al McCoy on National Radio Day

Today is #NationalRadioDay, and in honor of such a momentous and great American holiday, the Phoenix Suns have celebrated it with the re-release of a montage of some of Al McCoy’s best calls in Suns history.

Among these clips are a few of his traditional calls that he makes before or during every game, “Shazam” being his most famous. But other include great moments in Suns history that he was able to call live, forever putting his brilliantly called stamp on.

These calls most famously include the most fantastic moments in history, including Gar Heard’s shot to tie game 5 against the Boston Celtics in the 1976 NBA Finals, Rex Chapman’s three to tie game 4 against the Seattle SuperSonics in 1997, and others. Moments where Al’s call is just as as sweet and iconic as the play itself.

Although some fans might disagree, it has long been my opinion that the golden age of Phoenix Suns broadcasting came in the days of the simulcast when Al McCoy and Cotton Fitzimmons shared the mic in the early 90s. To re-live this era, watch the fourth quarter of Game 6 of the 1993 Western Conference Semifinals against the San Antonio Spurs, which was the series clincher for the Suns as they made their way to the NBA Finals.

Few professional franchise’s are as blessed to have a voice as iconic and perfectly suited for their team than the Phoenix Suns have with Al McCoy. Play callers like Chick Hearn, Al Michaels, Keith Jackson, Vin Scully, Marv Albert, Jack Buck, and Harry Carey all immediately come to mind as some of the greats with national prestige and a list of calls that will forever be as close to a part of the moment happening on the playing field as the players and the ball (or puck) themselves.

There is no doubt that had the young man from Iowa gone to Los Angeles or New York instead of Phoenix, he too would be just as nationally recognizable on that list as all the others.

But while Al is not only equally as talented as those more popular figures, after 47 years of calling Suns games (and several as an occasional sub for the Arizona Diamondbacks), he too is equal in the number of great calls which will forever replay throughout the team’s existence and beyond.

For Al, though, being nationally recognized doesn’t seem to matter. This is his home, and the Phoenix Suns are his team. In fact, not one other person has been directly involved with the franchise on a regular basis than Al himself. While Jerry Colangelo helped to build the franchise, designing it’s rise in prestige and prominence, Al McCoy has been it’s game-to-game caretaker since his first call way back in the fall of1972.

For more on his career with the Suns, last July Al sat down with Glendale Vice Mayor Ian Hugh to discuss the Hall of Fame broadcaster’s career. Al is a long-time Glendale resident and further explains his connection to the town that he lovingly calls home.

While the rest of the nation may not be so fortunate to hear Al McCoy call games on a regular basis as we do, the Valley of the Suns can call him our own. As the franchise enters it’s 50th season in existence, let’s take advantage of National Radio Day to celebrate the man who is the Suns  more than any other, Al McCoy.