Hal and Ted Ramey – Hal and Ted Ramey are the first father-son duo to win this recognition. Hal broadcasted for the Earthquakes from 1976-1983 and later provided television play-by-play coverage for San Jose in the inauguration of Major League Soccer in 1996. Ted would follow his father’s footsteps by becoming the current radio broadcaster for the Earthquakes. Since 2014, Ted’s dedication and commitment has motivated him to voice the Quakes’ games, as well as his radio show “The Ted Ramey Show” and his participation in “The Soccer Hour”, which can both be listened to on KNBR 1050. Ted continued his match broadcast this season by attending an empty Earthquakes Stadium every gameday and highlighted the team throughout the season in his radio shows.

You’re officially a Quakes Devotion Scarf recipient! Explain what it means to you to get this honor?

First off, it is a tremendous honor, as I know who previous recipients have been. It means I have been identified as someone that represents the club ideals. This honor transcends position, and gets to the heart of what the club is about, and to have been even been thought of, let alone given the honor, is humbling to an extent to which I don't think I can truly express, especially considering it was given in conjunction with my dad, who started working with the club almost 45 years ago, long before I was even born. There's a lot of pressure going into the same field as your dad especially when it is a.) a public position like broadcasting, and b.) when it is literally the same job he had. I'm not just representing myself, but the family in that regard. The Earthquakes have given me the opportunity to represent the club to the general public in game broadcasts, a radio show and podcast, at jersey unveilings, on the website/social/digital, at assorted public gatherings, and it's something that I have always taken extremely seriously and will continue to do so for as long as I am fortunate enough to do so.

Talk to us about your Quakes fandom. How long have you been cheering on the black & blue? What is your most memorable moment?

Well, before MLS, my dad represented the Earthquakes on the radio in the NASL days, so there was a built in fandom based on the stories of the long gone league, and when the World Cup was awarded to the States in 1994, that was when my dad (and he probably knew long before he told me) started telling me that the Earthquakes could come back with the new "top level American Soccer league" that was to be constructed as part of the deal that brought the WC to the USA. So that was when I started thinking how awesome it was that that we'd have a team and league. I was 13 when the league started, a very impressionable age when it comes to sports fandom, so when the Clash started, and with my dad doing the TV broadcasts, I was all in. I was at the first MLS game ever at Spartan Stadium, and plenty more thereafter. I precede the black and blue and go back to the "celery green."

Who is your favorite Quakes player and why?

I could go back to MLS Cup wins, obviously, but it all took on a different context when I started broadcasting the games. It morphed from just fandom to performance in that way, and you want to live up to these big moments with your broadcasts. So, while you do think of Wondo's record breaking goal(s) against Chicago in 2019, or Shea's stoppage time heroics, the one that immediately comes to mind was the win against Minnesota on decision day in 2017. It was about as beautiful a fall day as you can ask for, my wife and kids were there, and my mom and dad were there (and Joe Cannon's wife and family were there, and we were all in the booth together celebrating after the win). It was a classic back and forth game with the playoffs on the line, and Marco Urena came through with the stoppage time goal that sent us to the playoffs. The stadium shook, Joe and I went nuts. It was perfect. You got an instant historic moment in about as dramatic a fashion as you can ever hope for. I was buzzing off that moment even after the loss to Vancouver. 

Who is your favorite Quakes player of all time?

There is a part of me that immediately goes back to 1996 and thinks of the Doyles, Wynaldas, Dayaks, and Bravos because they were the heroes when I was 13. but the answer has to be Wondolowski. He has provided me, as a broadcaster, literal history to broadcast. Beyond that, he's the hometown hero that lives and dies for the club and leaves it all on the pitch. He's what you want all sports super stars to be. The fact that he's only 6 months younger than me, and is living a similar life to mine as the father of two young children, and went to a rival high school (at the same time as I was), there's an appreciation for the life he's living and how he's performing. Other than him being a Raiders fan, there's probably not much we don't agree on, and everything else we do agree on, we would gladly discuss over multiple Sierra Nevadas.

What would be your message to Quakes fans out there?

The Earthquakes fan base has been putting bread on the Ramey family's table since 1976, and that's something I take into every broadcast I do, nor would I ever forget that fact. I have a dream job, and a huge part of that is the friendships I have made with the fans as individuals, and it's something that made 2020 so frustrating. I'm used to talking to friends and fans before each game, after each game, and at various events or games on the road. The pandemic made that impossible, but it also reminded me of how important my job was, more than even, when people couldn't get to the stadium, or didn't have the same ability to watch and had to rely on radio more than they would have in the past. I can't wait for the stadium to be packed again, and for us to all be together as the greater collective that is the Earthquakes family. Again, I am humbled by this honor, and I will continue to do everything I can to bring fans great broadcasts and great moments. Go QUAKES!