Senate Concurrent Resolution 540

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING THE POSTHUMOUS INDUCTION OF LEGENDARY SPORTSCASTER BILL GOODRICH INTO THE MISSISSIPPI SPORTS HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2005.

WHEREAS, the Jackson Touchdown Club and Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame has unveiled the Class of 2005 of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame, which features the posthumous induction of legendary sportscaster, Bill Goodrich; and

WHEREAS, Bill Goodrich was an outstanding sportscaster who served as play-by-play announcer for the Ole Miss Rebels, Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles, the Louisville Cardinals, the Clemson Tigers, and the ABA Kentucky Colonels; and

WHEREAS, upon induction, he will become the seventh sports media member of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame; and

WHEREAS, his trademark call was "Whew-Hoo Mercy!"; and

WHEREAS, a native of Pennsylvania, who was raised in Fond-Du-Lac, Wisconsin, and attended Wisconsin on a boxing scholarship, Bill was an Army veteran who took part in the D-Day Invasion in World War II and received two Purple Heart medals, the Bronze Star, Silver Star, and a Presidential Citation; and

WHEREAS, Bill served as play-by-play announcer for Jackson Central High School, Hinds Junior College (now Hinds Community College), and Jackson Senators Baseball Team in the old Southeastern League from 1947-1952; and

WHEREAS, he re-created road games from Western Union reports; and

WHEREAS, Bill was the Sports Director at WLBT-TV and play-by-play announcer for the Ole Miss Rebels from 1958-1965. He called the action of three Rebel national championship and SEC title teams, worked the Gator Bowl, the Cotton Bowl, the Bluebonnet Bowl, and four Sugar Bowls while announcing Ole Miss football games led by Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame member Coach John Vaught; and

WHEREAS, he was the voice of the Clemson Tigers from 1965-1969, TV Voice of the old ABA Kentucky Colonels franchise and road radio announcer for the Louisville Cardinals Basketball Team from 1969-1972, returned to Mississippi in 1972 to WFOR Radio in Hattiesburg and became longtime voice of Southern Mississippi Golden Eagle Football, Basketball, and Baseball; and

WHEREAS, Bill mentored current Southern Mississippi play-by-play voice John Cox and while at Southern Mississippi, he called games involving Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame Coaches P.W. "Bear" Underwood and Bobby Collins; and

WHEREAS, Bill Goodrich passed away in 1999 at the age of 84; and

WHEREAS, it is with great pride that we recognize this outstanding sports personality who was part of the fabric of sports in Mississippi for decades and brought honor to the State of Mississippi:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby recognize the posthumous induction of legendary sportscaster Bill Goodrich into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame, Class of 2005, and extend to his surviving family the best wishes of the Legislature.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to the surviving family of Bill Goodrich at induction ceremonies, and be made available to the Capitol Press Corps.