Eric Zeier in younger days. Photo: Dawgbone.net

Ever since the topic of Larry Munson’s semi-retirement came up, I’ve thought that the question isn’t so much, "who should replace Munson?" as it is, "who should replace Scott Howard?" It just made sense to me that Howard would slide into the lead role of the broadcast team, essentially taking Munson’s place. It’s a role he has earned on the basketball broadcasts, and it’s natural that he’d make that transition for football. The question of replacing Howard is a lot less emotionally-charged than a discussion about replacing Munson.

Athletic director Damon Evans and flagship radio station AM750 WSB announced today that my contemporary at UGA, former Bulldog legend Eric Zeier, will join Howard in the broadcast booth for road games this season. Munson has already announced that he will skip road games.

This might ruffle a few feathers given Munson’s popularity, but I the Howard-Zeier team will be an improvement from an informational standpoint. The game should be easier to follow, and the quality of information should be richer. As anyone who listens to Georgia basketball games knows, Howard is at home doing play-by-play with all of the passion that Georgia fans want. He has worked as part of the football broadcast team since 1993 and is familiar to fans. He is comfortable enough in a Georgia broadcast booth to avoid the temptation to imitate Munson or to be intimidated by Munson’s legacy.

Although Zeier is a relatively inexperienced broadcaster, he seems like a great choice as a color analyst. In his career as Georgia, he was known as an intelligent quarterback with an above-average understanding of the game, and his college and professional experience should add quite a bit of insight to the broadcast. As a fan favorite from 1991-1994, Zeier should find quick acceptance from the Bulldog faithful.

The rest of the broadcast team, including Loran Smith and Hondo Williamson, will remain unchanged. We’ll miss Munson’s distinctive style and cherish the remaining broadcasts during home games, but the future seems to be in very good hands.

Zeier’s first broadcast will come against Alabama on Sept. 22 in Tuscaloosa. Tuscaloosa was also the site of Zeier’s first road game as a Georgia quarterback in 1991. Hopefully this Zeier debut will have a better outcome than that 10-0 loss.