Terry Wallace has passed

[cj]

https://twitter.com/rollyhoyt/status/1070879223068483584

[v j stauffer]

20,191 consecutive races called. Every one with more passion and love for the game than the one before.

Terry will ALWAYS be the voice of Oaklawn.

Sad day for racing fans all over the world.

:rip:

[JustRalph]

20,191 consecutive races called. Every one with more passion and love for the game than the one before.

Terry will ALWAYS be the voice of Oaklawn.

Sad day for racing fans all over the world.

:rip:

Hell of a number!

[wisconsin]

I would imagine a stakes race in his honor will be coming to Oaklawn.

In his prime, he was real good, whether at Oaklawn or Aksarben.

:rip:

[Zman179]

https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/231038/longtime-oaklawn-track-announcer-terry-wallace-dies#disqus_thread

[dilanesp]

Wasn't a fan of his work, but my mother went in a tour group with him to Paris to see the Arc and loved the guy.

[Pigpen]

RIP Terry.

[chiguy]

Wasn't a fan of his work, but my mother went in a tour group with him to Paris to see the Arc and loved the guy.


Not looking to start a fight or anything here but can we just be a little nicer?


My mother went in a tour group with him to Paris to see the Arc and loved the guy would have sufficed considering the guy just passed away.

[v j stauffer]

Wasn't a fan of his work, but my mother went in a tour group with him to Paris to see the Arc and loved the guy.

You felt the need to share you didn't like his calls?

Wow. That's some cold blooded heartless shit.

[dilanesp]

You felt the need to share you didn't like his calls?

Wow. That's some cold blooded heartless shit.

Vic, I was pretty mild ("wasn't a fan").

You are acting as if I spit on his grave or something. I didn't.

[thaskalos]

Dilanesp is a lawyer...so...we should make allowances.

[dilanesp]

Not looking to start a fight or anything here but can we just be a little nicer?


My mother went in a tour group with him to Paris to see the Arc and loved the guy would have sufficed considering the guy just passed away.

I wasn't a fan. Sorry.

[v j stauffer]

Vic, I was pretty mild ("wasn't a fan").

You are acting as if I spit on his grave or something. I didn't.

I shouldn't have to explain this.

But, Terry was a friend. I knew him very well.

What if the roles were reversed and I said something similar about someone you'd just lost?

[Zydeco]

I can't believe his last call was in 2011. Doesn't seem so long ago. RIP Terry.

[Nitro]

I shouldn't have to explain this.

But, Terry was a friend. I knew him very well.

What if the roles were reversed and I said something similar about someone you'd just lost?
Well said Vic!

The negativity on this board never ceases to amaze me. No matter what the topic there always seems to be someone who in their egotistical wisdom decides to attract attention to themselves by making a stupid decision by posting something that’s inappropriate.
This may be self-evident, but why not just follow a very common rule of thumb:
If you have nothing nice to say, why say anything at al1? :bang:

On a personal note I want to also offer my sincere condolences to Terry’s family, friends and relatives. As an avid follower of Oaklawn Park racing for many years, I had the pleasure of hearing many of Terry’s calls. His obvious enthusiasm for the game was certainly reflected in his calls.
May he Rest in Peace.:rip:

[ElKabong]

RIP

[Afleet]

track condition......................................... .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ............Fast


:rip:

[airford1]

:coffee:

[Holybull1]

You felt the need to share you didn't like his calls?

Wow. That's some cold blooded heartless shit.

I ageee. One of the most classless post I’ve ever seen on this forum.

[Brass Hat]

Dilanesp, I wonder if I was on that trip with your mother? My wife and I met Terry on a trip with Art Kaufman in 2007 to the Arc and a few courses in England. Maybe if you had met him you would have felt differently. He was a friendly, warm, guy with a great sense of humor. His partner at the time, Marty, shared the same characteristics, a funny and very engaging lady. She passed some years after the trip, as unfortunately did Art, and some others. Now Terry.


I always remember him howling with laughter listening to a joke told by our Scottish guide in the hotel bar in Paris the night before the race. He had a tremendous sense of humor and was a fine joke teller in his own right.


He attempted to round up a number of us for another trip to Paris after Art passed, but this was a few times in a lifetime trip for my wife and I. He went, with the British contingent and the same guide, Willie, and had a great time.


We had dinner with he and his wife Alice the night before the Oaklawn Derby that Creator won, and had a very nice time.


The fan who never met him but liked or didn't like his calls and never got a chance to spend time with him missed out meeting a unique individual, a larger than life guy who was kind and funny, that you meet too few of in a lifetime. There are a lot of great individuals in racing, unfortunately, too few of us get to see other than the professional side.

[dilanesp]

Dilanesp, I wonder if I was on that trip with your mother? My wife and I met Terry on a trip with Art Kaufman in 2007 to the Arc and a few courses in England. Maybe if you had met him you would have felt differently. He was a friendly, warm, guy with a great sense of humor. His partner at the time, Marty, shared the same characteristics, a funny and very engaging lady. She passed some years after the trip, as unfortunately did Art, and some others. Now Terry.


I always remember him howling with laughter listening to a joke told by our Scottish guide in the hotel bar in Paris the night before the race. He had a tremendous sense of humor and was a fine joke teller in his own right.


He attempted to round up a number of us for another trip to Paris after Art passed, but this was a few times in a lifetime trip for my wife and I. He went, with the British contingent and the same guide, Willie, and had a great time.


We had dinner with he and his wife Alice the night before the Oaklawn Derby that Creator won, and had a very nice time.


The fan who never met him but liked or didn't like his calls and never got a chance to spend time with him missed out meeting a unique individual, a larger than life guy who was kind and funny, that you meet too few of in a lifetime. There are a lot of great individuals in racing, unfortunately, too few of us get to see other than the professional side.

To be clear (and I thought I was), my mother thought he was a sweetheart. I am quite sure he was.

But look, I was not a fan of his work, and I also strongly reject the idea that saying THAT is some sort of horrible disrespect of the dead. It is just a statement that I wasn't a fan. We just had a former President die. Not everyone who talked about him on TV was a fan of his presidency. I don't think that this is some grave insult nor do I think that saying THAT is remotely the same as, say, saying a person was terrible or reciting all their worst moments, which is what the actual practice of "not speaking ill of the dead" is about.

[Holybull1]

To be clear (and I thought I was), my mother thought he was a sweetheart. I am quite sure he was.

But look, I was not a fan of his work, and I also strongly reject the idea that saying THAT is some sort of horrible disrespect of the dead. It is just a statement that I wasn't a fan. We just had a former President die. Not everyone who talked about him on TV was a fan of his presidency. I don't think that,, this is some grave insult nor do I think that saying THAT is remotely the same as, say, saying a person was terrible or reciting all their worst moments, which is what the actual practice of "not speaking ill of the dead" is about.

You don’t think what you said was disrespectful? If my son’s college football teammate died, would you think I was an a@@hole if I went to his team messageboard right when he died and said “He was a lousy player, but my son said he was a nice guy”?
There’s no problem in going to a thread about best/worst racecaller and mentioning Wallace as one of the worst if you feel that way sometime,but any adult with common sense would know not to have disparaging remarks about someone right when they heard they died.

[Valuist]

When I think of Oaklawn, I think of Wallace. He had a definite passion for the game.

[delayjf]

WOW - sad day, I cut my handicapping teeth listening to his calls at Ak-SAR-BEN. My flag is at half mast. Wallace died from complications from supernuclear palsy, which I guess is similar to Parkinson.

[JimG]

But look, I was not a fan of his work, and I also strongly reject the idea that saying THAT is some sort of horrible disrespect of the dead.

I thought it was disrespectful as well. It was not the time (thread) to talk about whether you were a fan of his work. As an adult, if you ever dealt with death, you should know that. But hey, it's the internet. Easy to use as an excuse to be rude as you are not dealing face to face with someone.

Jim

[wisconsin]

https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/hot-springs-ar/terrence-wallace-8080735

[Pigpen]

He passed on the same exact date a Charles Cella.

[clicknow]

guy who was kind and funny

Add warm and passionate about his chosen career.....and that's pretty much EVERYTHING.

Or, at least everything I consider that *counts*.

[Redbullsnation]

Dude WAS Oaklawn for me growing up. So sad to see him dead


RIP

[PaceAdvantage]

Wasn't a fan of his work, but my mother went in a tour group with him to Paris to see the Arc and loved the guy.You guys are being WAY TOO HARD on dilane...and I'm not a fan of dilane...

but really...what he wrote was something I've seen MANY times before when someone dies...MANY TIMES.

Why this particular instance stuck in the craw of some of you so intently this time around, is a total mystery. Words of wisdom --> LET IT GO

[v j stauffer]

You guys are being WAY TOO HARD on dilane...and I'm not a fan of dilane...

but really...what he wrote was something I've seen MANY times before when someone dies...MANY TIMES.

Why this particular instance stuck in the craw of some of you so intently this time around, is a total mystery. Words of wisdom --> LET IT GO

Completely disagree. When someone you care for passes it's a horrible feeling. One thing that can soften the blow just a bit is to happily remember that person and the ways he brought joy to our lives. It's the ONE time where something being conditional does carry the day.

Everybody has something people like about us and don't. We all trade barbs in the myriad of threads in this forum. Certainly there's no shortage of opportunities to compare and contrast announcers. But to add to the downer of losing a friend. In THIS thread feels like being kicked when you are down. To write that shows such disregard for the feelings of those that are grieving. Saying you didn't like his calls was more important than the broken hearts. How can that be?

Terry DIED. The fact that we're talking about ANYTHING other than that singular horrible fact is evidence in itself that commenting on his announcing skill has no place here. How can focus of losing him be misdirected?

Terry DIED and were making posts about something other than the fact that he's gone and how sadly that makes us feel.

Why should those of us that loved him be forced to feel even worse?

I have zero problem with anyone expressing their opinion about our game. That's what PA is all about.

But to put it in THIS thread is awful.

If dying can't get you a pass??? WTF???

[PaceAdvantage]

These are the dangers you face when you decide to go public with your thoughts and feelings on these boards.

You get feedback that sometimes you expect and enjoy, and other times, you get feedback you don't expect, or that doesn't make you feel all that good.

Your experiences, thoughts and feelings regarding Terry's passing are going to be completely different then someone else (dilane) who didn't know him personally and only knew him from afar as an announcer.

Really, you should respect that, and don't take dilane's comments so personally. That's on you.

Some of you are charging dilane with a capital crime, which I find absurd. His comments weren't that out of line. In fact, they really weren't out of line at all, given HIS connection (or lack thereof) to Terry Wallace (which was like most of us...we observed him from afar and didn't know him personally).

[v j stauffer]

These are the dangers you face when you decide to go public with your thoughts and feelings on these boards.

You get feedback that sometimes you expect and enjoy, and other times, you get feedback you don't expect, or that doesn't make you feel all that good.

Your experiences, thoughts and feelings regarding Terry's passing are going to be completely different then someone else (dilane) who didn't know him personally and only knew him from afar as an announcer.

Really, you should respect that, and don't take dilane's comments so personally. That's on you.

Some of you are charging dilane with a capital crime, which I find absurd. His comments weren't that out of line. In fact, they really weren't out of line at all, given HIS connection (or lack thereof) to Terry Wallace (which was like most of us...we observed him from afar and didn't know him personally).

There are 30 announcers threads on this site. He could have chosen any of those. If you can't understand that I can't help you. That's on you.

I'm not he only one who thought the guys comments were inappropriate.

He's in 2nd place now though. For you to continue to argue this indefensible position vaults you to the front.

[PaceAdvantage]

There are 30 announcers threads on this site. He could have chosen any of those. If you can't understand that I can't help you. That's on you.

I'm not he only one who thought the guys comments were inappropriate.

He's in 2nd place now though. For you to continue to argue this indefensible position vaults you to the front.Whatever Mr. Big Font.

Again, what dilane said about Mr. Wallace has been expressed many times about someone public who has passed on..."I didn't care for the way he did this, but..."

It's said ALL THE TIME on here when someone dies in the public eye.

Now all of a sudden it's the end of the world.

Whatever. I'm done with this nonsense.

[ultracapper]

He must be a decent lawyer. He knows when to step away from a tough battle anyhow.

He probably could have saved the comment for somewhere else.

[Fager Fan]

He passed on the same exact date a Charles Cella.

I didn’t know that. How coincidental, and in a nice way. Too bad they aren’t racing on this date so that they could make it a celebration of 2 great men of Oaklawn.

[whisperlunch]

What an interesting thread. I grew up in Tulsa & the only horse racing until Blue Ribbon Downs and then Remington WAS TERRY WALLACE and Oaklawn. Terry actually called races at Will Rogers Downs in Claremore Ok for a couple years. I was a huge Terry Wallace Fan.
Also I really like Vic.

But Pace has a very valid point. And the guy that started this topic is just stating an honest opinion that I did not find offensive.