Most of you remember John Murphy first as Van Miller鈥檚 sidekick in the Bills broadcast booth and then for the graceful way he took over the main chair in the early 2000s and became The Voice on his own.
I remember something else: That wasn鈥檛 the first time he replaced a legend and became one in his own right.
The year was 1984 and the unforgettable gravelly voice of Stan Barron was forever silenced by cancer. 鈥淔ree Form Sports鈥 on WBEN was appointment radio if you weren鈥檛 watching a game. Barron had the guests, the scores, the chatter, even played some music every so often. It had been that way since the 鈥60s and now he was gone.
People are also reading…
The station made a bold move. It hired a 27-year-old who was working at his hometown WLVL in Lockport. 鈥淲BEN One-on-One Sports with John Murphy鈥 was born and so was a new voice in Buffalo radio.
John Murphy, shown at Dave & Adams Card World on Wednesday in Amherst, is a member of the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2025.
Murphy had the scores and the interviews, just like Barron. And he鈥檇 be out on the town at Bills training camp, or from War Memorial Stadium as a lead-in to the Bisons broadcasts. But it was his show and some things were going to be different, too.
鈥淚 had to read (horse) race results like Stan and eventually we cut back and quit that but we didn鈥檛 advertise we were doing that,鈥 Murphy said with a laugh Wednesday at the unveiling of the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame鈥檚 2025 class at Dave & Adam鈥檚 Card World in Amherst. 鈥淪tan used to play records too. I didn鈥檛 play records. 鈥楾ie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree鈥 and stuff like that. Didn鈥檛 want to do that.
鈥(Longtime WBEN producer) John DeMerle had a great amount to say about everything, and we did our own thing. It was fun, so much fun.鈥
All of Murphy鈥檚 years in the Bills booth and all those years on television at Channels 4 and 7 really date back to all those weeknights in the radio studio on Elmwood Avenue. Murphy did the talk show until 1995, with many of those years also spent doing Bills games.
鈥淰an was so great. He never sat me down and said this is how you do this or that,鈥 recalled Murphy, 68. 鈥淗e always encouraged me about what I was doing. When I did something well, he told me.鈥
Murphy also did the Bisons home games with Pete Weber from 1985-88, including the 鈥87 farewell tour of War Memorial Stadium and the 鈥88 opening of Pilot Field.
鈥淚 really didn鈥檛 know anything about what baseball was like on the air because there鈥檚 so much time to fill, so it was great having Pete there,鈥 Murphy said. 鈥淚 got used to having Pete next to me and then after a few games he鈥檇 get up and leave at War Memorial and go for a walk or something.
鈥淚鈥檇 be up there all of a sudden by myself talking but you learned how to really do a baseball broadcast. I was so lucky to learn from them. Both giants of the business.鈥
Rich Baseball Operations President Mike Buczkowski is joining Murphy in the 12-member class and was an intern under him at WBEN in the mid-鈥80s.
鈥淚 think of Murph as really the bridge between what we have now and legends like Stan Barron and Ralph Hubbell and so many others,鈥 Buczkowski said. 鈥淎s great as he is at his job, he鈥檚 that great of a person.
鈥淚鈥檓 interning with Murph and John DeMerle and I鈥檇 go to a high school basketball game and I鈥檇 call, 鈥楾imon鈥檚 beating Canisius by 10 points at halftime, this guy is leading the scoring鈥 like I was on the radio.
鈥淲ell, Murph never hesitated and would say, 鈥楬old on, I鈥檓 gonna put you on.鈥 I鈥檓 thinking, 鈥榃hat do you mean you鈥檙e gonna put me on? I thought I was just gonna give you some details you鈥檙e going to relay.鈥 He put me on and there I was talking on the radio. And I鈥檓 sure he鈥檚 helped countless other people like that.鈥
Murphy鈥檚 career on the air, of course, has ended now as the stroke he suffered on Jan. 1, 2023, has caused speech impediments. But later in 2023, Murphy collaborated with veteran Rochester writer Scott Pitoniak on a book, 鈥 Stories from the Buffalo Bills Sideline, Locker Room, and Press Box.鈥
I鈥檓 happy to say he looks great, can carry a conversation, and still has sharp recall of dates.
鈥淚 feel great. I just can鈥檛 talk well and it drives me crazy,鈥 he said. 鈥淚鈥檝e lost 70 pounds. I鈥檇 still like to work.鈥
He鈥檚 still got opinions, too. He鈥檚 like all of you, waiting for the Bills to get back to the Super Bowl. You appreciate the 鈥90s even more now.
鈥淭he playoff drought ended in 2017 and that was huge. It was unbelievable,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 mean, there were people weeping, they were so happy, and now they make the playoffs every year. They just have to get to the Super Bowl this year or next. I think it鈥檚 all set up for this year.鈥
Especially when you have a quarterback like Josh Allen.
John Murphy will go into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame with Rich Baseball Operations President Mike Buczkowski.
鈥淚 never thought they would find the guy who would like to play in Buffalo as much as Josh, he鈥檚 unbelievable,鈥 Murphy said. 鈥淎nd to see the look on his face the other day and with the wedding ring on, he鈥檚 just so happy. I love the guy. He fits right in with the rest of the community. He鈥檚 perfect for the town.鈥
Come fall, the Hall will induct its usual diverse class. There鈥檚 Super Bowl champion James Starks of Niagara Falls, Olympic skier Jillian Vogtli, women鈥檚 basketball star Kathy Sweet, World Series champion Paul Owens, University at Buffalo legend Jim Peelle, women鈥檚 hockey standout Meaghan Sittler, wrestler Clar Anderson, boxer Joey Giambra, bowler Jack Jurek and cyclist Tom Montemage.
No stretch to say Murphy will be a star attraction.
鈥淗e loves baseball, still comes to games with (his wife) Mary,鈥 Buczkowski said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 unbelievable to go into this hall of fame, but for me to be in the same class as Murph really means a lot.鈥
