Eli on the radio this morning teasing his new job.

[colbysullivan]

Please point out anything at all in my post that is untruthful...

The last game I listened to exclusively on the radio was the Houston game in 2007. I remember telling myself "Man Eli, you're getting bad at this" during the game. That was SEVENTEEN years ago...

You're not the only one who thought he was mediocre, or worse. But again, he's also a Bama institution. Kinda weird how it works sometimes lol.

 

[uafan4life]

As usual, I'm in the "two things can be true crowd". Was Eli bad at play by play, by modern standards? Yeah. Did he deserve a better send-off from the university? Absolutely, yes.

On the other hand, doesn't he bear responsibility for refusing the better send-off the University had in mind?

And he certainly bears the full responsibility of his actions following that decision...

 

[2003TIDE]

The damage has been done and he's responsible. He might not have liked the decision, but he shouldn't have tried to burn down the house as he left. He showing older folks how NOT to do this.

He’s a Boomer. This is pretty typical Boomer behavior. I’m generalizing, but that entire generation thinks the world revolves around them. Might as well post this on /r/BoomersBeingFools

 

[SkullDuckery]

I swear I’ve tuned in to games while on a work break and went a whole quarter without the score being announced by Eli. Prior to smart phones it was maddening not knowing who was winning the game.

 

[crimsonaudio]

*sigh*

Wish Gold would just fade away with class, but here we are, three pages in...

 

[Isaiah 63:1]

But you always knew the colors of the uniform pinstripes. The description of the uniforms pre-game always made me chuckle and seemed to be the most detailed information during the games.

I always felt he started his Alabama career trying to channel (or perhaps as an homage to) John Forney, who always described the uniforms just before kickoff. The similarity between the two men ends there, I think…

 

[Padreruf]

He’s a Boomer. This is pretty typical Boomer behavior. I’m generalizing, but that entire generation thinks the world revolves around them. Might as well post this on /r/BoomersBeingFools

Has nothing to do with this...and everything to do with class. I've known a lot of Boomers who had it and a lot who did not. Eli is a pompous, self righteous, un-educated boor whose name you would never. know if it had not been for UA football. Please don't color the rest of us Boomers with that brush....too broad.

 

[tusks_n_raider]

I always felt he started his Alabama career trying to channel (or perhaps as an homage to) John Forney, who always described the uniforms just before kickoff. The similarity between the two men ends there, I think…

I don't really remember Forney because I was still very young when he was doing play-by-play but my Dad always told me about how great he was.

He said that Forney painted such a vivid picture of what was happening that you could almost see the game in your mind's eye.

Listening to Eli for me was like watching the game with a Blindfold over my eyes with someone talking about everything but the most relevant information.

I'd rather listen to Beth Mowins with RGIII and Danielson than Eli.

 

[teamplayer]

*sigh*

Wish Gold would just fade away with class, but here we are, three pages in...

I also wish he would have. He chose not to do so. C'est la vie.

 

[CB4]

I don't really remember Forney because I was still very young when he was doing play-by-play but my Dad always told me about how great he was.

He said that Forney painted such a vivid picture of what was happening that you could almost see the game in your mind's eye.

Listening to Eli for me was like watching the game with a Blindfold over my eyes with someone talking about everything but the most relevant information.

I'd rather listen to Beth Mowins with RGIII and Danielson than Eli.

Forney was very good. I think it was 1968 when I first heard him (I was eight years old). Of course so few games were on TV at that time you leaned heavily on those radio broadcasts.

However, very much the same as Eli, Forney’s abilities began to wane by the late 1970’s. No one outruns Father Time.

 

[imauafan]

I don't really remember Forney because I was still very young when he was doing play-by-play but my Dad always told me about how great he was.

He said that Forney painted such a vivid picture of what was happening that you could almost see the game in your mind's eye.

Listening to Eli for me was like watching the game with a Blindfold over my eyes with someone talking about everything but the most relevant information.

I'd rather listen to Beth Mowins with RGIII and Danielson than Eli.

That is a little harsh about Eli. In his prime, he was good IMHO. He was never great at painting a picture as Forney was (I agree with your dad) but even Forney wasn't as good at the end of his career.

However, I think part of the problem is that we all used to be better at imagining things in our mind with not as much description needed as we need now. Now we have video screens everywhere with every type of content imaginable at our fingertips. Years ago that was not the case so we used our imaginations more so when someone described something they probably didn't have to work as hard for us to be able to imagine what they were saying. Now we don't have to use our imaginations as much so when we listen to something we have to been told in much greater detail. That doesn't excuse going long periods of time during a game of not giving the score, down, distance, etc. but at the same time if a person was listening to a game in the 70's they probably had that information in their minds because they were following along more closely. Now we're distracted by any and everything and we don't store information like we used to. I'm just as guilty as anyone of this. Before we had every bit of information available at our fingertips, I could remember many, many things that I can't remember nearly as well anymore.

But specifically about Eli, he always had a bad habit of making a play seem different than it was in reality. He would get really excited as if a player had made a long run when in reality it would only be 1-2 yards and vice versa, he could make a 5-7 yard run seem like a 1-2 yard run. His voice and ability to speak were always topnotch but I think he over-relied on his natural ability and never quite mastered the actual craft of calling a ballgame accurately.

 

[Countrytider2]

S.N.A.S.S.

I agree. Not sure why you directed that at me.