Al McCoy retiring at the end of the season

[Dback Jon]

He announced it on the radio today.

Let’s win a championship for him

 

[Germz249]

Lets hope so..

This news hurts.. I can say he is the reason why I started watching the Suns more and started loving this team. I grew up in the bay area and always watched the Warriors it was just a normal typical game call. When I moved here I remember just watching Suns games on the UPN 45 channel. Hearing Al McCoy call the game and saying shazam made the watching the game more exciting.

 

[BirdGangThing]

Wow, local legend, one I grew up on, adored by everyone, Phx Sun through and through

 

[AzStevenCal]

Wow, local legend, one I grew up on, adored by everyone, Phx Sun through and through

And before his stint with the Suns he was a DJ on my favorite radio station in the 60's along with Lucky Lawrence, Bob Shannon and somebody Wilkerson (and others whose names escape me).

 

[ProdigalSun]

It will never be the same without Al. I still remember my mom always yelling at me to turn off the radio and go to sleep… but I had to wait until Al would say “ You can put this one in the ol’ deep freeze” before I could shut it off

 

[Hoop Head]

I want a title more for Al than anyone, myself included.
He's an absolute legend and fantastic play by play announcer who helped build my love for the game.

During the dark days when we were playing for ping pong balls in January and the lesser Albert brother was the play by play commentator on TV broadcasts I'd click on the radio to hear Al and shut the tv broadcast off. It didn't seem to matter if we were competitive or not, he was always passionate about good basketball and made things seem more exciting. Will definitely miss the opportunity to hear him but I'm glad he's said something now we can still tune in and catch some of his final broadcasts.

 

[elindholm]

Dang, I wish he could hang on one more year. We know he won't get the sendoff he deserves this season, but next season, there would be a chance.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Was at a big meet and greet a couple days ago and a woman from Texas mentioned Whataburger and one of my friends from high school was there and just reflexively said “What a shot…” to which I immediately replied “What a burger!” People looked at us like we were aliens.

He’ll be missed. A legend of broadcasting.

 

[Superbone]

Was at a big meet and greet a couple days ago and a woman from Texas mentioned Whataburger and one of my friends from high school was there and just reflexively said “What a shot…” to which I immediately replied “What a burger!” People looked at us like we were aliens.

He’ll be missed. A legend of broadcasting.

...And $50 goes to the Spina Bifida Association.

 

[leclerc]

This news hurts.. I can say he is the reason why I started watching the Suns more and started loving this team. I grew up in the bay area and always watched the Warriors it was just a normal typical game call. When I moved here I remember just watching Suns games on the UPN 45 channel. Hearing Al McCoy call the game and saying shazam made the watching the game more exciting.

When I started watching NBA games I subscribed to VHS cassettes with 1 1/2 Suns games on them. Usually Al McCoy was saying Shazam and Whataburger on them. His voice was a big part of my childhood.

Love you Al!

 

[Hoop Head]

Him and Cotton calling games on Channel 45 way before it was UPN was my childhood. Man, this makes me feel old.

 

[Chaplin]

Welp he got to see the best Suns of all time up close and personal and got to see the team get out of Sarver’s toxic grasp. Only one more thing needed to cement his legacy. It’s a shame it probably won’t happen this year.

 

[TRW]

The early days, before Al, the announcer (who's name escapes me) had the signature phrase "Good like A1 Beer".

Al is a legend and will be missed. He certainly saw some memorable moments with the Suns. Best wishes to him.

 

[Shane]

89 YOA I’d say he’s earned it

 

[AzStevenCal]

89 YOA I’d say he’s earned it

Really? I was thinking slacker.

 

[Mainstreet]

For me, Al McCoy and the Suns are almost synonymous. I'm going to miss him.

Thanks, Al, for all the memories.

 

[Carolinacacti]

89 YOA I’d say he’s earned it

He was old when I was young an I'm older then dirt. Love the guy

 

[Raindog]

Al is one of the all time greats in his profession. He made listening to the Suns broadcasts such a pleasure, even through the bad years. Like many of you, I have been listening to him doing the games since my pre-teen years, quite a while ago. He will really be missed and Suns broadcasts just won't be the same without him.

 

[Dr. Jones]

Every game of my childhood. A living legend. They need to make an inner ring for the ring of honor.

 

[somethingshesaid]

Al McCoy is the most universally beloved figure in Suns history, with the possible exception of the late Cotton Fitzsimmons. Some may have no opinion on Al, but to say "Al McCoy sucks" would be so obnoxious and absurd that one could only say it because it amuses them to annoy people. Charles Barkley, Dan Majerle, Kevin Johnson, Steve Nash, Shawn Marion, Amare Stoudemire, and owner Jerry Colangelo all have at least some people out there who got mad at them for something they did or didn't do in their career--a basketball letdown, a bad trade, an offensive moral compromise. (Even with the player I admire as a paragon of virtue, there was still someone yapping about how one-dimensional he was.) Therefore, actually Al is the only universally beloved Suns figure.

 

[wagonmound464]

Al,,,being 90 and has a great run an one of the best, is due retirement in peace.

ENJOY retirement Al

 

[Wehrlibird]

The early days, before Al, the announcer (who's name escapes me) had the signature phrase "Good like A1 Beer".

Al is a legend and will be missed. He certainly saw some memorable moments with the Suns. Best wishes to him.

"Good like A1 beer!" was when Al and Hot Rod Hundley both called Suns games. I was sad when Hot Rod left for the Lakers, but I lived in Utah from 79 to 85, so I still heard him a lot as he had joined the Jazz when they were in NO and was with them in Utah afterward. Both Al and Hot Rod are all time great basketball announcers.

 

[Superbone]

"Good like A1 beer!" was when Al and Hot Rod Hundley both called Suns games. I was sad when Hot Rod left for the Lakers, but I lived in Utah from 79 to 85, so I still heard him a lot as he had joined the Jazz when they were in NO and was with them in Utah afterward. Both Al and Hot Rod are all time great basketball announcers.

How DARE you put Hot Rod in the same sentence as Al.

 

[Goldfield]

it won’t be the same without him. He made every game a joy win or lose.

 

[Hoop Head]

Yeah, because it's too obvious that Al McCoy will go into the Ring of Honor as soon as possible.

He validates the use of a Ring of Honor instead of hanging jerseys in the rafters. Many of us used to be annoyed that the Suns stopped hanging jerseys per tradition, but Al doesn't have a uniform to hang. Yeah, I never realized how obvious this was: hanging uniforms doesn't allow the team to honor non-players.

He's already in the Ring of Honor, having been inducted back in 2017 during the 2016-17 season. He's the longest tenured team announcer in the league.

You can view info on inductees on Wikipedia...

Phoenix Suns Ring of Honor - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org