Eli Gold on parting with Alabama, the Gravedigger call and his first game as the voice of Alabama
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- Опубліковано 17 жов 2024
- On November 25, 2023, Eli Gold delivered his final call as the voice of Alabama. It was one of many instantly iconic Eli Gold calls: a hail mary touchdown pass from Jalen Milore to Isaiah Bond to win the Iron Bowl in Auburn. Eli wouldn't learn for several more weeks that it would be his last call after 36 years in the booth for the Crimson Tide.
Today, on the first episode of Beat Everyone's Golden Age miniseries, Eli Gold takes us into the booth as he made that call and shares his perspective on everything that happened afterward. Why did he and Alabama part ways? What's next for Eli? What is his message to fans?
Eli also shares the story behind his first game for Alabama and his early relationship with Paul Finebaum.
Plus, you'll have an opportunity to leave a voicemail question for Eli Gold. Join us on the latest episode of Beat Everyone.
Thank you, Eli! We've often turned off the TV announcers to listen to you call a game. I wish I could meet you in person to tell you how much you have meant, especially, to my Father, as he would listen to the games, mostly on the radio. He's 86, now. Just know, from this Alabama alumnus, you are loved!❤️
As an Alabama fan I'm embarrassed at how they handled this entire situation. Eli is a national treasure and my man you will be missed calling games for Bama. Not once did I ever feel like you were not up to par. Good luck with your new career good sir.
Yeah man I agree and think at the worst case scenario just let him and Chris call games for this final season coming up instead of kicking him to the curb. Not a good look at all and I like Byrne
@jm12green31 this is one of very VERY few times I disagree with the way the AD moved. Eli was always 100% in his calls and you could feel the emotion.
Eli is the man! I am embarrassed by the way the University handled this. They should have let him do one more year. I been listening to this man for over 3 decades. They should have let him do a farewell tour.
I am a Tennessee fan and always have been. However, on any given college football Saturday if Vols game is over or not began and Bama is playing I will tune into the Bama game just to listen to Eli. Always have. I am from old school and still love the radio calls. The 2 greatest radio guys for college football were Eli and John Ward for UT. No other compares to these 2 awesome men. Best of luck Eli and this UT guy will miss your calls.
For years I turned the sound off on the TV and listened to Eli call the games. I wish you good health and nothing but the absolute best in your future endeavors. God Bless.
Eli Gold could announce play by play of old men playing checkers & make it exciting. He was also 1 of the best calling Nascar races
Love Eli Gold...thank you for everything
Eli Gold will always be the greatest voice of the Alabama Crimson Tide Football broadcasting team !!! No body can do it better
He was good but Forney is the GOAT
Thank you MR Gold….the memories will never be duplicate d. I will never forgive or forget the University did to you. The real Bama nation choose You
I, too, would turn announcer's down {ie. Gary D😂} down on the tv & listen to you call the games instead!! A fan since 2007, you'll forever be "the voice" of The Tide for me. Thank you for your service to UA. God bless you in all your future endeavors!!
Im pretty sure we all turned those dumb announcers down to listen to eli gold instead which is probably why they wanted to get rid of him.. i never liked alot of the announcers because alot of them hated Alabama and eli just sounded right when Alabama made a big play you could tell he really loves the team
What happened to Eli was underhanded and a slap in the face to all Bama fans. He is Bama football! I will not listen to Chris this year because he sounds like a hyperactive kid on the radio. Eli is class, just as Bama football is. Eli, you are loved and respected by us all. Prayers for your happiness, further success, and good health.
I always listened to Eli! Loved him. I will not listen to Chris! Ugh!
I love Eli Gold! We've been friends for years. He's the consummate professional! He gave his heart and soul to the University of Alabama for 35 years. Shame on the university for treating him so disrespectfully 😡
I'm 24 and have been a Bama fan for as long as I can remember. Chris Stewart is good and will do well is is as gracious as one can be when replacing a legend, but man it's gonna be really weird not hearing Eli call those games. I remember in 2010 when Bama won the 1st championship Eli saying " And the roses in this grand Ole stadium are once again crimson".
Yeah that was epic!!!
I could actually just listen to the game and be into it with him announcing
Eli will forever be the voice of Alabama football 😞
Grew up listening to John Fourney. Took me years to listen to you and appreciate. Thanks for the memories Eli. God bless
Yeah, I was a kid listening to Forney call Walter Lewis and Joey Jones making plays on my dad's '77 F-100 AM radio. I think Eli is just as iconic though.
That's kind of an insult!!! What if I said to you "It took me years before I could tolerate listening to you" ?
@@danielmelcher5310 read it as you will. No one will compare to John. And Eli crying like a bitch. Lost respect for him
Great to see Eli.
Why the heck would they get rid of Eli? Crazy. It’s not the same without him.
Love you Eli! We will miss you in Roll Tide country. ❤👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
If asked....Eli would be brought by fans
So happy to see answered prayers and Eli back in good health! Roll Tide!🐘
I actually new of Eli from MRN before he took the Bama gig !! I was excited to hear that he was calling for the Tide !!! Grew up a NASCAR fan, but was only 18 when Eli started to work for Bama !!!! The block against Penn State that year was one of his absolute best of so many other great calls !!!
I don't know which is more disheartening, the retirement of Coach Saban or the loss of THE VOICE of Alabama football.
Eli thank you so much for all the great calls and great memories. I was 12 years old when you took over and in small town North Alabama listening to Alabama on the radio every week with my late father and doing the same with my daughter as she grew up are memories I Will cherish forever. Thank you for being a huge inspiration and part of this life long Alabama fans memories. Best wishes in all your new endeavors. Roll Tide!
Eli Gold The Goat
Eli's voice is so incredible, and his color commentary makes u feel like you're right in the thick if things... And I NEED that throwback Bama hat behind Eli
Eli, you will always be the voice of the crimson tide to me and many, many others! Thank you for all you've done. I wish you the absolute best going forward, You will be greatly missed,
You ❤️ will be missed #staygold
I have listened to Eli all my life. Alabama football will not be the same to me without him. We love him and my whole family loves him. I hope nothing but the best for him and I am ashamed of Alabama the way they did them. We love you.❤❤❤
So many good memories. It is a shame, Eli is a class act and will be sorely missed.
As a lifelong Bama fan, this hurts me. I do not like that they parted ways with Eli, and I don’t like that they weren’t big enough to tell him why. Thank you Eli for all the memories and all the great calls. A legend and a true class act.
I love this man's play calling.. They did him dirty has they could ..Embarrassed what they done..
As a Auburn Fan really hate that Eli was let go, he was a legend for Alabama
I grew up listening to Doug Layton and John Forney, and thought no one could equal (or surpass) them, but Eli certainly did. I was embarrassed for the University and thought it was handled about as badly as one could imagine. Eli will always be beloved by the Tide Faithful.
Something else Eli should always remember... Alabama Fans will Always Remember him!!! Understand that 2 generations know no other voice. I've been blessed to remember Duncan, Forney, Layton, and Roberts too. But Eli was like watching the game with an old friend, EVERY game!
Eli thankyou for everything. Listening to the games will NEVER be the same. I would most often turn down the television and listen to you call the game as I would watch the games. The higher up got this call WRONG!!!
Not just Alabama football but also NASCAR for so many years. Thank you Eli you’re truly one of the all time greats! Best wishes going forward.
Eli Gold !
Im. a huge fan of yours ! Im from Kansas City MO ! A Missouri tiger alumn!
But theres nothing better than college football and listening to College footballs best play by play announcers !
You Sir! ars the BEST ! Thank you sir for your years of bringing Alabama football to th radio !
Dave Johnson
Thank you Eli for all you have done for Alabama. We always muted the tv to listen to you call games. Wow. Just sad how this was handled. We look forward to listening to you at your next broadcasting game. Your fan Barbara
Thank you Eli. My favorites are you and the Snake. I hate that it went down like it did and wish you the best Sir.
I'm an Auburn man, and an Auburn fan. Been listening to Eli on the radio since his AM radio days( anyone remember the WERC afternoon show " Calling all Sports?). Eli is a class act, and the University of Alabama should be ashamed.
I'm 61 always been a die hard tide fan & i agree with you sorry war eagle fan ha,ha but my mom was a war eagle fan
Love all the memorabilia on your shelves the Bear Bryant coca colas, phone,hats, and pompoms are a nice collection of Roll Tide excellence.
As a lifelong Bama fan born into a Bama family where everyone is an alumni of THE University of ALABAMA….we all are so saddened that you were pushed out Eli. You fought so hard to battle cancer and get back on the sidelines (in all honesty probably before your own doctors truly wanted you to and probably before your body was ready) and you did so FOR us fans and FOR the university. For the powers that be to have not let you have a farewell tour of ONE more full season is disgraceful. They weren’t willing to give you a chance to continue bouncing back with your health. Your performance last year may not have been 40 year old Eli. But you were still Eli Gold. And at 70 years old I thought it was pretty damn good myself. Loved listening to the Nick Saban Show with you. Thank you for ALL that you gave the crimson and white. We will miss you and it will NEVER be the same. We lost two legends this offseason. Eli Gold and Nick Saban. And you are a legend.
Nothing compares to Saturdays when the Tide plays and that stern, powerful, classic voice of Eli Gold coming through the radio speakers. We used to turn the TV volume off and play Eli Gold on the radio to watch games. That’s how good Eli Gold is.
You went out with class telling the University to shove their lousy attempt to appease you enough to get you to go away and take the blame. We would have wondered why you left us. It’s not just the fact that they offered you practically a Kit Kat and a coke, but to treat THE voice of the Crimson Tide like that is something us Bama fans will always remember. Offering Eli Gold 3 minutes and the ADay game. What a slap in the face to a legend. Please know Bama fans truly view you like we see Coach Saban and the Bear. There will never be another Nick Saban, Bear Bryant, or Eli Gold. That’s just a fact. Blessed to have had you for as long as we did. Blessed my parents made me a Bama fan. And forever grateful and blessed to have witnessed your career and the 7 National Titles I was around to witness you call. Roll Tide, Eli!! We will always root for you and hope our lousy leadership who made this decision doesn’t turn you away from rooting for the Tide on Saturdays.
“And the Roses in this grand ole stadium are once again Crimson.” Those words gave me chills like so many of your calls when we returned to glory in 2009. I remember so many of our greatest moments in your voice word for word. We love you, Eli!
I sure will miss Eli he is part of team. I'm so sorry. 😢
I’ve always listened to my Alabama football on the radio with Eli Gold. But if he isn’t returned, I’ll never listen to the pregames, games or post game ever again. BRING BACK ELI!!!
As a Bama fan and a JSU alum, I am glad JSU got such a great announcer.
Wow I didn't know this Eli is like the TV in my car when Bama was playing when trying to make it home from work ashame on them
my guess is they were able to hire someone for half the cost that is younger as well. This happens in Corporate America all the time.. Stinks how it was handled.
Someone for half the money that was already doing three times the work.
That is not how you conclude a partnership with a living legend who is universally admired across the entire SEC. Alabama owed Eli Gold much more than that. This is shameful!
The university has a long history of this kind of thing.
God bless Eli Gold!
I remember when Eli first began in 1989 was it? I had only ever known the voice of John Forney calling the Alabama football games. I think most Alabama fans, at that time, were very unhappy with the replacement of Forney, especially with Eli, who was not a college sports or football commentator plus he was a “Yankee.” But, over the years, Eli has earned a spot here and now history seems to be repeating itself with the way they, at the university, have replaced Eli. Thanks for the memories!
It sucks we won't hear him calling the TD's for Alabama anymore.. eli got crunk when Alabama would score he really was the voice of Alabama football.. it won't be the same without him
Don’t y’all mess with any other Alabama traditions this year. Signed the fans.
Eli gold is a true prince for not wanting to lie to the people!
How can anyone put a "price" on Eli Gold? His worth is priceless. This whole situation is unconscionable.
I am sad to hear Eli Gold won’t be calling Alabama games. He’s a great & fantastic announcer,radio, and tv broadcaster. Fans will miss your voice and personality Roll Tide!🐘 Whoever made that decision has disappointed the fans especially after Nick Saban’s retirement. Y’all could have at least kept that tradition. Still a fan of Alabama but disappointed in this news. You say whatever you want Eli because my ancestors fought for freedom of speech and we aren’t sacrificing that to anyone. Whoever made that decision needs to face alumni. JSU is getting an excellent professional broadcaster.
“It is…short” Best call ever.
Eli Gold will always be a part of Alabama’s history, but Eli Gold was getting older and didn’t quite have the same juice he did like when I first started watching Bama football in 2009… Eli Gold is the MAN, I understand why people feel like it wasnt handled right by the university, but I also support the decision and think that it is time for someone else like Chris Stewart to be the voice of Alabama. Roll Tide!
Hope that "major" network is the SEC Network he'll be calling
As a die hard Auburn fan, I can honestly say that anytime I was traveling on a Saturday in the fall & if Auburn wasn't playing while being on the road, I would search the airways until I heard Eli's voice! Tbh, even when Auburn was playing at the same time, but the game was a wash, I immediately turned the station back to Eli simply because I enjoyed listening to him call the games! Being an Auburn fan, unfortunately we know first hand what it feels like to lose the voice on the airways of your favorite team! I think that UA handled this extremely poorly & that Eli deserved so much more respect! Not just for being The Voice of the Crimson Tide, but because of his dedication & loyalty for the game of football & for The University of Alabama!
Mr. Gold,
It has been my pleasure listening to you call those Saturday games for so many years! As a listener, there is no doubt that your love & passion for the game runs deep in your blood! May God continue to bless you in your journey ahead! ❤
Subscribed!
Very disappointed in the executives of U of A on how they handled this concerning such a great person in Eli Gold. U of A where legends are made...but how are we treating our legends?
Love the WKU glass!
We Were Not Getting The Down And Distance Many Times From Eli!
Wonder if Eli and Chris Stewart get together for lunch regularly to hangout and talk?
We love you, Eli. This hole thing disgusts me. The university will be downgrading, no matter who takes your place. You can not be replaced. Should have been yours until you didn't want it. Unbelievable. Thank you for all of the great calls, and special memories.
The University of Alabama, Nick Saban retires, & Eli Gold is "Let Go", now ICON-FREE!
Alabama has enough money and Name recognition whereas it should Never have a losing season.
I believe they got the new guy for a lot less money but I am ashamed how they handled the situation.
You are probably right. It usually always boils down to that almighty dollar.
@@DrewHanks2083 yep. As bad as I hate it.
Could you imagine if Coach Bryant was treated this way?
As a Alabama fan I can say you did nothing wrong... you are the goat 🐐... Greg Byrne and Learfield can suck it...
Shame on AL for how this unfolded. Now the sea change outside of this has some leaverage, although it should not have been complete- due to respect for the body of work Eli should have been given. Eli is a treasure, he did sound a little funny his first years being from somewhere up North :).
Good job guys. We Aubies understand loosing a legend of the air waves. This was poorly handled. Not detracting from Chris Stewart but UA could have handled it better. Thanks for the interview.
Nobody Wants To Take Away Eli's Memories Or Bama Hilites!
Definitely lost some fandom for the decision to let him go. We use to mute the TV and turn the radio on, before the delay.
It was time for him to step down. Chris has much better delivery now. Eli was great in his time but it was time to pass the torch. Alabama made the right move.
Wish he stayed rtr
Is there not a petition we can start? to let the University know of the mistake they are making!
I like Chris Stewart, but Eli is a tradition. They should have kept him as long as he wanted to be there.
The way they did Eli is so wrong. I can't believe they went with Stewart.
I just don't look at Alabama the same, because of the treatment of the greatest voice in Ala. history. i use to turn the TV sound down and listen to Eli. Chris Stewart is too boring and can't carry Eli's luggage, shame on the University. Why didn't Nick have his back?
they shoudlnt have fired him.. shoulda let him do it as long as he wanted.. shame on them.
He will be missed that’s for sure
How in the world do you get rid of one of the most iconic football annoucers in college football history? That was definitely bamas loss more than Eli's!!
Love Eli. Audio is horrible
It seems to me that someone “close” to Eli in the booth wanted him gone…. Imo
The only thing the university of Alabama got right was this is a exstreamlly bad look for them as a life long fan Iam embarrassed and ashamed of this decision 😮
This AD at Bama should be fired, how do you not bring Eli gold back.
We want you back Eli! Fans should boycott!
So Boycott listening on Radio? Your Crazy if you expect fans to boycott Watching the Game.
You can't be serious. He's awful. Try following a game by just listening to Eli.
If yall have ever listen to another teams broadcast, you would appreciate Eli more than ever. The Florida guy is terrible he screams at every play.
This disgusts me. The administration at the University of Alabama is going in the wrong direction. I hope the karma comes back around
No one will be able to announce Alabama football as well as you did. You ARE Alabama football. I would turn off the TV sound and turn on the radio to hear you call it. A three minute part during a three hour show is an insult.
Eli pissed off the wrong people.
Shame on Bama!
Greg Byrne should be the one fired.
Thanks for the job you did Eli. But he could have accepted a lesser role at Bama, and that is a business decision. It was his decision not to accept it. If your boss feels you are not up to their standard, then that is their call. People have to remember, your employer owes you nothing but a check for services.
So much for loyalty….
hes genuinely hurt, and they shouldn't have done that to him. total embarrassment
Alabama did him so wrong!
This will ultimately bring bad Karma their way
This is a huge black mark on Alabama. Stewart doesn't come close to Eli. Not even close. Shame on you, Alabama.
Eli wont be missing ANYTHING at alabama since that program is headed for a major downhill slide anyway ... Farewell Eli.
I'm sorry but this was a classic Bobby Bowden type of situation. His performance was slipping over the last few years and he would never leave on his own. He thinks the university owes him something (they don't) for the years of service. Chris Stewart has 100x the energy and enthusiasm.
Yes you are sorry
Found Chris Stewart’s alt account.
Seriously - I can’t fathom takes like this that are completely devoid of compassion or empathy. Imagine returning to your workplace while you’re still recovering from spending a year in the hospital and almost dying from cancer only to be treated like this.
It’s not about being “owed” something, it’s about wanting to be treated with respect.
You are a class act
You are full of shit