Message to GHSA from Tommy Palmer, longtime host of Georgia High School Scoreboard Radio Show and color-commentator for GPB-TV football broadcasts:
As I begin this Blog, I am reminded that this past March, signaled my 60th year in my chosen profession of Radio, Television and Newspaper.
Radio was first, (1960), then came newspaper, (1961) and Television (1981). After all of these years, I would be hard-pressed to pick a favorite of the three, since I dearly love all of them!
This Blog comes at a most convenient time because one never knows if there will be a football season to write about this fall.
I am also using this Blog to inform long- time listeners of the “Georgia High School Football Scoreboard Show,” my status as far as the 2020 edition of the show is concerned.
As many of may know, I have been fighting Cancer in my right lung since August 2017. As of this date, I have gone through three major surgeries, Chemo, Cyber-knife, numerous Biopsies and so much more. This is for information purposes only and not for any pitty-party gatherings at the Palmer House, or out in the vastness of Radio land.
I have produced and anchored the Scoreboard Show since 2005 and I want thank the GHSA, Alan Sharp, Dr. Ralph Sweargin, Dr. Gary Phillips, Dr. Robin Hines and John Clark of GNN, for the support they have given me over the past 15 years as well as all of those loyal show sponsors.
I have recently returned home after a lymph-node biopsy and right lung surgery and biopsy, at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Savannah. The results were not what I, or my Doctors, had hoped for.
After many consultations with my Thorasic Doctor and my Oncologist, 15 days of rest and recuperation at St.Joseph’s Hospital, it is now time for me to begin my final days under local Hospice Care.
I have no idea how much time I have left here on earth, but, I have run the race…kept the faith and will continue to do so until God calls me home. Over the next few months and weeks, I will be available by Instagram, Twitter and Telephone and will be answering your questions about hospice care, battling this dreaded disease called Cancer. If I am unable to answer your questions, I will provide links to professionals who can help. There is no dress rehearsal for this territory I am about to walk through and I ask for your prayers as we move forward into the last half of 2020.
Hopefully I can be a blessing by social media as I relate to you either by voice or the written word. I am a blessed man and I do not take that fact lightly.
As to who will replace me on the “Scoreboard Show,” I have no idea, though it would please me greatly if my son Jay would have an opportunity to give it a go. There are many others who are waiting in the wings for an opportunity as well.
My dear friend Coach Ed Pilcher had always maintained that he and I were lifers at what we do, and would do what we do until we couldn’t do it anymore.
I will update you a couple of times a week to let you all know where I am physically and mentally.
For the record, my doctors give me a less than 1% chance of making it 6 months. I look forward to hearing from you.
Contact Information:
Instagram ---@tjpalmersr
Twitter --- @gahsscoreboard
Phone --- 912-687-9342
E-mail – tjpalmersr@gmail.com
