Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) - One definition of the word "legend", according to the Britannica dictionary, is "a famous or important person who is known for doing something well."
John Murphy is a Buffalo broadcasting legend.
"Murph", as many of us in the business refer to him, has announced he is stepping away from his role as Buffalo Bills' play-by-play man after parts of 19 seasons in the booth.
That brings an end to 35 years on the radio where Murph was part of the broadcast team. He served as an analyst alongside fellow legendary broadcaster Van Miller for 16 seasons before taking over in 2004, and did it perfectly in his place.
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I've always felt doing play-by-play was absolutely the best part of sports broadcasting. You can prepare as much as possible, but you never know what will happen in each game.
You are also the connection between the fans and their beloved team, in this case the Bills. When you think about some of your favorite moments and best memories from games over the years, that play-by-play voice is the link. It's as if that person becomes a member of your family.
I give Murph a ton of credit, because he had to replace a broadcasting giant when Van called it a career.
You've probably heard people say you don't want to be the next person after a legend. You want to be the person after the person who replaced the legend. Murph had humongous shoes to fill when he took over for Van, who was the voice of the Bills since the beginning in 1960.
It was a seamless transition for Murph, and he didn't miss a beat.
Think about how many different eras of Bills football Murph is connected to.
His career behind a Bills microphone goes back to the dark days of the mid-1980s and back-to-back 2-14 seasons. He was side-by-side with Van for the beginning of the golden years in 1988 and 1989.
The contract then went over to WGR for the 1990 season, and since Murph was working for WBEN, he was not on the broadcast team for the four Super Bowl seasons. However, he still covered the team for his WBEN job.
Murph, like the rest of us, suffered through the 17-season playoff drought. Thankfully, he was on the job for the re-birth of the Bills and the successful Josh Allen era.
Unfortunately, there was no Super Bowl victory to call, but there have been thrilling moments and memorable games, too numerous to mention.
I had the opportunity to be on the broadcast team for the 1994 and '95 seasons when the games were on WBEN, and I served as pregame and halftime host, while also doing postgame interviews in the locker room.
Murph is a pro's pro. He did his homework, did extensive study of the Bills' opponent each week, and always knew the right words for every call over the course of the game. As the moments and games became bigger, Murph always rose to the occasion.
But Murph's career isn't just about working on Bills broadcasts.
When I was hired by WJJL radio back in 1989, WBEN, John Murphy and his One on One Sports show were the gold standard. As a young sportscaster, Murph was my broadcast role model. I listened to his radio show every night, and that is how I learned about Buffalo sports, the history and the day-to-day goings. I also learned how to be a sports talk show host.
When I succeeded Murph in January of 1993, it was a dream come true, even though I knew I had huge shoes to fill.
I had a lot to learn, and Murph was always there if I needed to pick his brains. He was/is one of the nicest people I've ever met in my broadcasting career. Mentor, friend, resource for information about Buffalo sports, Murph was all of that for me.
Thanks for everything, Murph!
