SECRivalry.com

theballguy wrote: ↑Thu Feb 22, 2024 12:53 pm Personally, I've always liked the guy. Anytime, they've had some Eli Gold announcements of big games we've won on YouTube, I've been sure to watch those and listen in. Living in Georgia and then later in Colorado, I wasn't always able to just turn down the sound and turn Eli on. I would have if I could have, anything's better than Gary and Vern during a nerve-wracking Iron Bowl game.

But all in all, I never felt like he was a great Bama announcer. To me, it seemed his commentating was a little off at times. IMO, he's missed a few big calls and that was before his last illness. I don't want to blast him but I am looking forward to us having another announcer esp. since we're moving to Huntsville for a new assignment. Anyways, I do wish him well. He was a very good NASCAR and hockey announcer from back in the day. Any other thoughts on the subject?

theballguy wrote: ↑Thu Feb 22, 2024 12:53 pm Personally, I've always liked the guy. Anytime, they've had some Eli Gold announcements of big games we've won on YouTube, I've been sure to watch those and listen in. Living in Georgia and then later in Colorado, I wasn't always able to just turn down the sound and turn Eli on. I would have if I could have, anything's better than Gary and Vern during a nerve-wracking Iron Bowl game.

But all in all, I never felt like he was a great Bama announcer. To me, it seemed his commentating was a little off at times. IMO, he's missed a few big calls and that was before his last illness. I don't want to blast him but I am looking forward to us having another announcer esp. since we're moving to Huntsville for a new assignment. Anyways, I do wish him well. He was a very good NASCAR and hockey announcer from back in the day. Any other thoughts on the subject?

SummerOfGeorge wrote: ↑Thu Feb 22, 2024 1:01 pm
You summed up my feelings pretty well. Eli has been somewhere between below average to awful at his job for a decade now. Alabama has tried their best to get him to realize that and gracefully step aside (he's 70 years old), but he has refused. We have an excellent guy ready to take over who the fanbase is extremely familiar with and loves (and is great at the job), but Eli absolutely decided he was going to make them fire him/not renew him.

We just had the greatest 15 year run in college football history and I can only think of 2-3 plays where when I want to watch a clip I make sure to find the clip with Eli's call. That's laughable, and doesn't even account for the fact that he is awful at the mechanics of calling a football game (down and distance, time, tone of voice matching the import nature of what just happened). I think we all thought Eli was a great dude who loved Alabama and was a professional, but it always sounded like some guy from Westwood One was calling our games while Auburn had Jim Fyffe, Tennessee had John Ward and Georgia had Larry Munson. Chris Stewart fits much more in that mold - pretty professional but absolutely willing to homer it up a bit and let you know who signs his paychecks.

Pretty disappointed in the way he's publicly bickered like this. The University stood by him his entire sickness and even tried a unique solution last year to let him work. He's currently putting Chris Stewart in a really rough spot - a guy who has waited his turn (and dealt with tons of medical hardships himself) with grace and humility for years.

EarlyCuyler3 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 22, 2024 1:21 pm I'm in the area, welcome to north alabama.

I'm in the area, welcome to north alabama.

Harry Rex Vonner wrote: ↑Thu Feb 22, 2024 3:57 pm I met your new guy Chris Stewart while sitting at a bar in Fayetteville 6-8 years ago. I don't remember if Bama was in town for basketball, or if it was baseball, I think it was baseball.

We all did the old "What kind of work do you do?" type stuff and at that point I realized that he liked not being recognized, so he could just be a regular dude. He had some of his crew with him, I had a buddy or two I guess. One of his radio guys was a Michigan State grad I remember, on-air talent or production crew, I don't know.

Very cool dudes.