Jack Cristil
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Jacob Sanford "Jack" Cristil (December 10, 1925 – September 7, 2014) was the long-time radio voice of
Mississippi State University Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a Public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Mississippi State, Mississippi, Un ...
Bulldog
men's basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
and
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
. Over his 58-year tenure (1953–2011), Cristil called 636 football games (or roughly 63% of all football games played by Mississippi State) and 1,538 basketball games (or roughly 55% of all basketball games played by Mississippi State).


Early life and career

Born in Memphis, Tennessee to Latvian and
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Jewish immigrants, Cristil listened to radio stations from Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and Chicago at a young age and knew then he wanted to be a radio broadcaster. In 1947, Cristil studied
Broadcast Journalism Broadcast journalism is the field of news and journals which are broadcast by electronic methods instead of the older methods, such as printed newspapers and posters. It works on radio (via air, cable, and Internet), television (via air, cable, ...
at the
University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...
before moving back home to Memphis. Shortly thereafter, Cristil began his radio play-by-play career calling
Minor League Baseball Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National Le ...
in various places such as
Jackson, Tennessee Jackson is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Tennessee, United States. Located east of Memphis, Tennessee, Memphis and 130 Miles Southwest of Nashville, it is a regional center of trade for West Tennessee. Its total population wa ...
;
Anniston, Alabama Anniston is a city and the county seat of Calhoun County, Alabama, Calhoun County in Alabama, United States, and is one of two urban centers/principal cities of and included in the Anniston–Oxford metropolitan area, Anniston–Oxford Metropo ...
; and
Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tenne ...
. He then moved to
Clarksdale, Mississippi Clarksdale is a city in and the county seat of Coahoma County, Mississippi, Coahoma County, Mississippi, United States. It is located along the Sunflower River. Clarksdale is named after John Clark, a settler who founded the city in the mid-19t ...
, to call Clarksdale High School football games. Cristil submitted an audition tape to then MSU Athletic Director C.R. "Dudy" Noble in August 1953. In September 1953, Cristil began calling Mississippi State football games. His first play-by-play was a 34–6 Mississippi State win over the
University of Memphis The University of Memphis (Memphis) is a public university, public research university in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1912, the university has an enrollment of more than 20,000 students. The university maintains the Herff Col ...
. In that game, future SEC Player of the Year and All American,
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would score the first touchdown Cristil ever called in his Mississippi State broadcasting career. On September 26, 1956 as
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...
returned to Tupelo to perform two shows at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show, he was interviewed, in between shows by Cristil. In 1957, Cristil began calling play-by-play for men's basketball. His first was a win over
Union University Union University is a private Baptist university in Jackson, Tennessee, with additional campuses in Germantown and Hendersonville. The university is affiliated with the Tennessee Baptist Convention (Southern Baptist Convention). It was estab ...
in
Jackson, Tennessee Jackson is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Tennessee, United States. Located east of Memphis, Tennessee, Memphis and 130 Miles Southwest of Nashville, it is a regional center of trade for West Tennessee. Its total population wa ...
, the city where he began his broadcasting career. Cristil was best known for ending a Bulldog victory by saying, "Wrap it in maroon and white!"


Retirement

Cristil announced his retirement after the men's basketball game against
University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (or The University of Tennessee; UT; UT Knoxville; or colloquially UTK or Tennessee) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee, United St ...
on February 23, 2011. He cited health issues as his reason for stepping down after 58 years. He addressed the fans after the broadcast for almost two minutes, expressing thanks and appreciation to the
Mississippi State Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university in Mississippi State, Mississippi, United States. It is classified among "R ...
fan base. Jim Ellis, who had called Bulldog
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
since 1979, succeeded him. In 2011, Cristil was the
lay leader A lay leader is a member of the laity in any congregation who has been chosen as a leader either by their peers or the leadership of the congregation. In most denominations, lay leadership is not an ordained clerical office, and the lay leader's res ...
of the Temple B'nai Israel in Tupelo, Mississippi.Sid Salter (2015)
''Jack Cristil; Voice of the MSU Bulldogs''
University Press of Mississippi, Revised Edition.
Cristil died September 7, 2014, at the age of 88 at Sanctuary Hospice House in Tupelo of complications from kidney disease and cancer.


Awards and achievements

*
Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central United States, South Central and Southeastern United States. Its 16 members in ...
Broadcaster of the Year – 1988 * 21 times named Mississippi Broadcaster of the Year * 1991 Inductee of
Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum is located in Jackson, Mississippi. The hall of fame was established in 1961 and is currently located in a museum that displays the achievements of Mississippi athletes. The museum opened on July 4, ...
* Ronald Reagan Lifetime Achievement Award * 1997 Chris Schenkel Award given by the
College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive Tourist attraction, attraction devoted to college football, college American football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cristil, Jack 1925 births 2014 deaths American radio sports announcers College basketball announcers in the United States College football announcers Jewish American sports announcers Radio personalities from Memphis, Tennessee Jews from Mississippi University of Minnesota School of Journalism and Mass Communication alumni 21st-century American Jews Jews from Tennessee