Audio: Wide Right - Wolfleyisms
Paul Calvisi
Cardinals Reporter
It’s not taught in any classroom, not even offered in a single course catalog. During United Nations meetings, no translation exists. In fact, there is only one headset in the world where this language is spoken. And it resides in the Cardinals broadcast booth.
“Some of those sayings I have never heard of,” says Cardinals DE Bertrand Berry. “He has brought something out from a deep dark place in his mind, and you gotta love him for that.”
That mind belongs to former Cardinals Pro Bowler Ron Wolfley. And those moments when the Cards radio analyst singularly speaks his language has become known as Wolfleyisms.
“Psychotic,” laughs Cards receiver Anquan Boldin when asked what comes to mind when he hears Wolfleyisms. “No, he just comes off the top of his head with crazy stuff. I mean, sayings I’ve never heard. Honestly, I look forward to them because I know I am always going to get a good laugh.”
Sure, when taken over the course of an entire game broadcast, Wolfley’s sayings only add up to a total of 2-3 minutes of his entire game analysis. But, when you account for TV timeouts and referee replay reviews, the Wolfleyisms spell r-e-l-i-e-f (minus the antacids.) A welcome reminder that, after all, sports is entertainment. Or, as the legendary voice of NFL Films, John Facenda, used to declare: “Football is a two and a half hour carnival of color, sound, and action.”
Of course, these days, you can make that a three hour fiesta, at least. So, last season, listeners to the Big Red Rage radio show with Bertrand Berry would hear a weekly recap of the Wolfleyisms, an audio highlight reel which showcased both the Cards and their radio analyst, all carefully compiled and masterfully edited by producer Jim Omohundro.
“God Bless him those are original and he should patent them because I don’t think anybody else could think of the things he has put together,” sums up Berry. “When you think about him being in that booth on the sidelines and coming up with these things off the top of his head, you just have to laugh. He is one of a kind and we love him.”
Wide Right would ask Mr. Wolfley-ism himself for an explanation, but that would require a translation. And, to date, Wide Right has not located a “Wolfleyism to English” translation dictionary. Thing is, during a Cardinals game broadcast, fans and players alike understand what Wolfley is conveying, without being able to elaborate.
“I know exactly what you’re talking about,” explains Boldin. “I can’t really explain it because only Wolfley can explain it.”
Hmmm. Wide Right continues the Q&A with the guy they call Q.
WR: “Did you use any of these sayings when you were growing up?”
Boldin: “Never, you would probably get beat up for that.”
WR: “When you’re busting 6 or 7 tackles en route to the end zone, does it ever cross your mind what the announcers are saying about the play?”
Boldin: “When you see it on Sportscenter it does. And now being around Wolf, I really think about it Sunday night what Wolf had to say because you know he is going to give you a classic every time.”
In short, Wide Right considers Wolfleyisms sort of like the gridiron version of the movie “Windtalkers,” with Wolfley speaking in code on a different sort of radio. So, what exactly are we talking about? Well, Wide Right has intercepted the transmissions from last season and we’ll let Wolfley do the talking.
Just click here and enjoy the 2005 Wolfleyisms!
Paul Calvisi
Cardinals Reporter
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It’s not taught in any classroom, not even offered in a single course catalog. During United Nations meetings, no translation exists. In fact, there is only one headset in the world where this language is spoken. And it resides in the Cardinals broadcast booth.
“Some of those sayings I have never heard of,” says Cardinals DE Bertrand Berry. “He has brought something out from a deep dark place in his mind, and you gotta love him for that.”
That mind belongs to former Cardinals Pro Bowler Ron Wolfley. And those moments when the Cards radio analyst singularly speaks his language has become known as Wolfleyisms.
“Psychotic,” laughs Cards receiver Anquan Boldin when asked what comes to mind when he hears Wolfleyisms. “No, he just comes off the top of his head with crazy stuff. I mean, sayings I’ve never heard. Honestly, I look forward to them because I know I am always going to get a good laugh.”
Sure, when taken over the course of an entire game broadcast, Wolfley’s sayings only add up to a total of 2-3 minutes of his entire game analysis. But, when you account for TV timeouts and referee replay reviews, the Wolfleyisms spell r-e-l-i-e-f (minus the antacids.) A welcome reminder that, after all, sports is entertainment. Or, as the legendary voice of NFL Films, John Facenda, used to declare: “Football is a two and a half hour carnival of color, sound, and action.”
Of course, these days, you can make that a three hour fiesta, at least. So, last season, listeners to the Big Red Rage radio show with Bertrand Berry would hear a weekly recap of the Wolfleyisms, an audio highlight reel which showcased both the Cards and their radio analyst, all carefully compiled and masterfully edited by producer Jim Omohundro.
“God Bless him those are original and he should patent them because I don’t think anybody else could think of the things he has put together,” sums up Berry. “When you think about him being in that booth on the sidelines and coming up with these things off the top of his head, you just have to laugh. He is one of a kind and we love him.”
Wide Right would ask Mr. Wolfley-ism himself for an explanation, but that would require a translation. And, to date, Wide Right has not located a “Wolfleyism to English” translation dictionary. Thing is, during a Cardinals game broadcast, fans and players alike understand what Wolfley is conveying, without being able to elaborate.
“I know exactly what you’re talking about,” explains Boldin. “I can’t really explain it because only Wolfley can explain it.”
Hmmm. Wide Right continues the Q&A with the guy they call Q.
WR: “Did you use any of these sayings when you were growing up?”
Boldin: “Never, you would probably get beat up for that.”
WR: “When you’re busting 6 or 7 tackles en route to the end zone, does it ever cross your mind what the announcers are saying about the play?”
Boldin: “When you see it on Sportscenter it does. And now being around Wolf, I really think about it Sunday night what Wolf had to say because you know he is going to give you a classic every time.”
In short, Wide Right considers Wolfleyisms sort of like the gridiron version of the movie “Windtalkers,” with Wolfley speaking in code on a different sort of radio. So, what exactly are we talking about? Well, Wide Right has intercepted the transmissions from last season and we’ll let Wolfley do the talking.
Just click here and enjoy the 2005 Wolfleyisms!
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