← Bubba On the Lake
Bubba On the Lake
#22 A Visit With Legendary Broadcaster Eli Gold
01:09:18
Bubba talks with Legendary Broadcaster Eli Gold. He covers his beginnings, sports he's done, his favorite, his least favorite, Nick Saban, Alabama Football, his health, Jacksonville State University , and much more.
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- [00:00]
Bubba Bussey
This podcast is brought to you in part by Coke, Buffalo Wild Wings, Southern.
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Eli Gold
Immediate Care, Guaranteed Labels, Central State Bank.
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Bubba Bussey
Sunrise docks, bankers Bounty, Dr. Thomas Dudney.
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Eli Gold
And the Green Monster Fishing Light.
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Bubba Bussey
Now back to Bubba on the lake.
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Bubba
Hey, it's Bubba.
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Eli Gold
Hey, Bubba.
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Bubba
Bubba on the lake. It's Bubba.
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Eli Gold
Hey, Bubba. Hey, Bubba.
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Bubba
Got it going on. Gotta come and check this. Talking people, talking places from Bubba's perspective.
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Mike
Bubba, this is Mike in South Carolina. You haven't taken any call or comments in a while, so let's get that going again. When you do the Tailgate Tailgate show, how about having a contest to pick the score, the big game of the week, and the winners get Bubba on the Lake Merch. Enjoying the show? Keep up the good work. Yeah, baby. I was there. I was listening. I just want to say I like me and my wife, love the Betty and Bubba show and want y' all to keep it up. We listen to every episode. Hey, Bubba. Please get Betty to tell us her favorite recipes and her favorite Amazon finds that will be perfect for Betty. Say what? Hey, Bubba, this is Adam from Lincoln, Alabama. Hey, you was talking about the possibility of doing another pigskin roundup type show. How about doing a Facebook Live or maybe some format like that where you could actually be live and do it like it was in the old days, which was awesome, by the way. My girlfriend at the time, which is now my wife, we used to sit and enjoy it and that was our Friday night. As boring as that may sound, we loved every minute of it. But thanks a lot, man. You're doing a great job. Appreciate it. Awesome show, awesome podcast, and I'm keeping up with everything that you do. Danny. Bubba, this is Patrick from Birmingham. Been listening to you for 30 years. Just want to let you know I'm catching up on my podcast and listening to number 11. Really enjoyed the interview with Helmsy and Stuart the tech guy. Keep it coming.
- [02:46]
Bubba
Well, hello everybody and welcome back to Bubba on the Lake, broadcasting from the Malayala studio. I am your semi retired, mostly washed up host formerly of the Rick and Bubba show, and I want to welcome you to the podcast. A lot going on and you can check that out@bubbaonthelake.com and of course we have the message line. You just heard those little pearls of wisdom coming from that 308 big lake. Feel free to call and leave a message. It may make it to air. Excuse me, a lot of comments there. We have been working on developing a sports show for the fall, the working name being the Tailgate Tailgate Show. Just weird. Enough for me, of course, and we're, we're having to jump over some hurdles. I'll tell you more about that later. There were several things I wanted to go into here, but we have a really great interview with Eli Gold, legendary broadcaster. I get a lot of questions about Eli because I work with him now at Jacksonville State and we addressed a lot of those, talked about his past and the end with Alabama, what he's doing with Jacksonville State. Very interesting and informative and I think it's something that you're going to enjoy. So we're going to save as much time as we can and go ahead and get into that because we ran a little long with that and if we can come back and pick up some of these questions, we will do that. We do want to remind you to subscribe, turn on notifications, we don't want you to miss anything from the show and also follow us and check the boxes on social media. We gotta have that. That's the world we live in now. So anyway, thank you for being here at Bubba on the Lake. We're gonna take a quick break and we'll be right back with legendary broadcaster Eli Gold.
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Eli Gold
It's Bubba on the Lake. Bubba on the Lake A lot of.
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Bubba
Well, joining us on the podcast, we have a show enough broadcasting legend. We've known him for a long time. We have an opportunity to work with him now at Jacksonville State. Please welcome Eli Gold. Eli Howard Buffer.
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Banker Bounty Voice
Ya.
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Eli Gold
I'm great. Thank you. And what a treat to be on with the legendary Bill Bubba Bussey. It doesn't get a whole lot better than this.
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Bubba
Ah, you're too kind. You're too kind, Eli. You're the. And I know you've been interviewed a thousand times and you've probably answered the same questions, but I do want to ask you. And we'll kind of start where you started because, you know, you grew up in the Big Apple. That has to be unique in itself. But then to get into the broadcasting business there, that was kind of crazy. Tell us a little bit about growing up.
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Eli Gold
Well, growing up, I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. I lived there till I was 23 years old. I was not much of a student, so I really paid very little attention to class. And what I did do is pay attention to sports. I was not an athlete, was never going to be an athlete, but I did follow sports intently. I knew the batting averages, I knew the fielding percentages. I knew the goals against averages. I followed sports. So eventually I said, how can I make a living in sports without being an athlete? And the answer was broadcasting. I didn't need to know how to do mathematics, which were terrible for me. I mean, as I always tell people, I always tell people that fourth grade math were the six longest years of my life. So I had to do something that didn't require math. And I guess God gave me the ability to describe things as I saw them. And as a young man, I became, at 15 and a half years old, I became a broadcaster in the Eastern Hockey League, the lowest rung of hockey's minor league ladder. If you got cut as a player from the Eastern League, you were going home. There was nowhere else to go. And I broadcast in that league. It was the league about which the movie Slap Shot was made. And then I worked my way up just like any player did. And eventually, in 1977, I made it to the National Hockey League as the voice of the St. Louis Blues on TV while the legendary Dan Kelly did the radio on KMOX. And that got me started. And I, you know, one thing led to the next, to the next, to the next, but that's what got me going. I was a, as, as a kid, I used to sell peanuts at Madison Square Garden. That was my way of getting in to see the games without having to pay my way in. And then I eventually became an office boy at Madison Square Garden. I delivered mail, I made copies, I ran errands, this kind of stuff. And eventually I got to where I am today on a podcast with Bubba.
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Bubba
Well, I don't. I don't know if that is the correct way to climb the ladder for sure, Eli, but when you, when you showed up with these guys, even at the Eastern League, I mean, they're not going to just let you on the air. Did you do demo tapes? Did you practice? Did you sit in front of the games and record yourself? Or how did you do it?
- [10:20]
Eli Gold
I practiced a lot. I went to the Garden and many in those days, the Rangers and the Knicks were not filling the place up. And as being an employee there, I was able to get in and I'd go to the upper deck, sit in the corner and practiced my play by play into my little tape recorder. That was the days when we had those little cassette tapes and I had a little cassette recorder. Then during the spring and summer months, I would go to Yankee Stadium. In those days, the Dodgers and the Giants had already left. The Mets hadn't been born yet. So I went and sat in Yankee Stadium. You could get into the center field bleachers for 65 cents. You can get into the upper deck for $1.05. A little different than it is today, but I would go and sit in the farthest outfield seat, not near anybody, and I would practice my descriptive skills. I didn't know who the players were necessarily. I didn't have statistics, I didn't have notes. I just made names up, you know, Jones and Johnson and Smith and what have you. And just, you know, that's how I did the play by play. And it kind of. It led to where I am today. But yeah, I practiced hundreds of games into my little tape recorder. Basketball, hockey and baseball.
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Bubba
Do you think a lot of the kids coming along now that want to do this for a living and we deal with them at school, sometimes they have their aspirations too high too soon, that they're not willing to do things like that. Or do you run into a lot of them that are willing to work?
- [12:19]
Eli Gold
There are some, but most don't want to be involved in radio. They want that FaceTime on TV and they just are not willing to put in the work. They're not willing to put in the time. Now, some are. I'm not making a blanket statement here. Some are, but for the majority, they'd Rather, and they don't realize that even on tv, your face is only seen on the screen for a minute. Minute and a quarter, minute and a half. That's about it. They just want to be on television. They do a lot of things they call games like they're a comedian because they feel that's what's gonna get them on Sports Center. Well, I just never worried about that. I was a radio guy. As the old joke goes, I have a face for radio. But in all seriousness, I love the challenge of describing as opposed to putting a caption on the picture. And when. When this guy said, I don't want TV and I don't want TV and I don'T want TV, Eli came in and swooped up those jobs, and I said, I'll take radio anytime. And that's how I got to where I am.
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Bubba
Well, I know you have a love for radio, much like myself and other people. You grew up listening to these great announcers on TV that you felt like you knew and you wanted to be one of those guys. You wanted to be relatable. And I think if you get good on radio, the transition to TV is rather simple after that.
- [14:06]
Eli Gold
It is. It is. It's a different science. But, yes, you know, you tend to talk too much as a radio guy for a classic television telecast. But it's how you do it, and you do. There's a relationship on radio that TV never gives you. You know, the relationship with me when I was doing the Bama Games for 36 years, the relationship that I had with the listener, it's nothing that you can replicate on television. When you had Vern Lundquist doing one game and this guy doing the next game and this guy doing the next game. But when you're there every game, when you're a Vin Scully type in baseball or a Mel Allen type in baseball, when you're there every day, you're like that comfortable pair of shoes that the fan, the listener, just loves. And TV can never replicate that. That's why I say that radio is a romantic medium, and that's a truly wonderful way to describe it. You build a relationship that can never be built like that.
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Bubba
On the TV side, Eli, what all sports have you had the privilege of calling?
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Eli Gold
I've done everything but golf, Bubba. Seriously. Seriously. I've done all the major sports. I've done arena football. I've done horse racing. I've done auto racing. I've done so much. The only thing I really have not done, I've not done lacrosse, although I'm sure I could with its similarity to hockey. But the only sport I've not done is golf. And that's for two reasons. Number one, I've not been offered an opportunity. But even more so, I don't play golf. And I think that golf is one of the very few sports where you really have to have a working knowledge of the sport to broadcast it well, and I don't have that. But otherwise, you name the sport, I've done it. I have done it over the years.
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Bubba
Do you have a favorite or a.
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Eli Gold
Least favorite favorite would be pro hockey. I grew up as a hockey fan in New York. I broke into the business doing hockey and that doesn't mean I don't love JSU football and hoops or Alabama when I did them. It doesn't mean anything other than my favorite is pro hockey. I just love the National Hockey League. I was in the NHL with both the St. Louis Blues and the Nashville Predators. I've done hockey for many, many, many, many, many, many years. And it's just my favorite, my least favorite is nothing. I enjoy every one. I truly enjoy working. I enjoy every sport. I enjoy whatever I am doing on that given day. I have no favorites other than hockey. I love. But nowadays if I'm doing hoops or football or volleyball or I don't care what it is when I'm doing it, that is my favorite and that's what's worked well for me.
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Bubba
You know, Eli, you mentioned volleyball. I have to tell you, probably my dark horse sport that I enjoy hearing you do is volleyball. And you do that for us at Jacksonville State. You volunteered to do it when we were trying to put that together. And I really have got into watching volleyball more than I ever have. You do a good job with it, of course, like you do with everything else. But you know, it is, it is a lot of fun and a fast paced sport and you don't have to worry about rain outs, you don't have.
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Eli Gold
To worry about the elements. That's exactly right. And they are so excited, the players, the coaches, the administration. They are so excited when you show interest in one of those Olympic sports that they can't do enough for you. You know, Coach Schroeder Decks is a great guy. The ladies who play are quick to answer your questions. I was far from a volleyball expert and still am far from that. But you can sit down with anybody and get straight answers, extensive answers. Same thing with bowling, you know, dealing with the coaching staff and the ladies at bowling. Not that I have ever done one of Our bowling matches. But traveling with them, with Shannon and so on, they have taught me so much about bowling that I could go on the air right now and do a bowling match and not feel that I'm totally out of place. And that's what you get with the. You hate to say secondary sports, maybe non revenue sports or what have you. You know what I mean? The non football and basketball outside the Big three.
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Bubba
Yeah.
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Eli Gold
Yes. When you get that, they just love. They value you for being there to give them coverage and they're great to.
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Bubba
Work with as a broadcaster. Is there something that you haven't done that you would like to do? What is on Eli's bucket list?
- [20:08]
Eli Gold
Yeah. Being a Yankee fan all my life, I'd love to do a Yankee game at Yankee Stadium. Not likely to happen. You know, I'd love to do a Super Bowl. I've done lots of NFL games, over a dozen years worth of the NFL on radio. I'm not likely to get called to do a Super Bowl. So there are some things that realistically I won't get a chance to do. But the bottom line is I really enjoy what I'm doing. I love what I do. And I couldn't be happier, Bubba. I really couldn't be happier.
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Bubba
Eli, talk to us a little bit. You've worked with a lot. You're a play by play guy and you work with a lot of different color guys over the years. Tell us a little bit about what you look for in a color guy and what is something you don't really care for in a color guy. What makes a good broadcast partner for Eli Gold.
- [21:11]
Eli Gold
In a case of being a color guy, I realize that assuming that the color guy is always a former player or a coach. For instance, at Alabama I worked with Kenny Stabler for a decade, great super bowl winning quarterback. I worked with coaches, Wimp Sanderson, I've worked with so many different coaches. Bill Clark on the Jacksonville State telecasts. These guys have been there and done that. So what I do is I call the play and then I hush up. The fans. Don't. I have no right, Bubba. I have no right to analyze a play when I've got Joe Namath sitting to my right or Joe Namath and Kenny Stabler in the booth at the same time, or John Riggins, or, you know, Phil Savage who was the GM of the Cleveland Browns. I have no right to analyze a play when those guys are in the booth with me. So I just go in, call the play and then get out and let them share their expertise.
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Bubba
And then they have to hush up.
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Eli Gold
Much, though some guys will talk too much, and that's the key. Kenny Stabler was so good at making his point and doing it in about 12 seconds because that's when. That's what time he had, because he had to shush up to allow me to set the next play, especially on radio where you've got to say, these two guys are wide right, these two guys are left. You know, you got this guy in the backfield, the quarterbacks in the shotgun or he's under center. You've got to set the play up because you are the eyes of the listener. So if an analyst goes too long, you're up the creek without a paddle. And Snake was really good. When the offensive team broke the huddle, he was done. And he had explained his point very, very clearly to people who were listening and hanging on every word that he had to say.
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Bubba
You know, I don't know if people who just enjoy games have ever really paid attention to that, but there is a rhythm to that. And that corner guy has got to hush to give you time to set the play before they snap the ball. And, you know, now that we've been in this business a while, and I can hear and see guys from, I mean, they might be doing junior high football or they may be doing, you know, Sunday ticket for DirecTV or something, or, you know, big NFL game. But there's some guys who, these teams, they just have this great rhythm and I even detect it more. I love listening to NFL games on the radio because those guys are so good and they do that dance and it's just a flow. And then there's other times you hear people that don't have that flow. And that's just, I guess it's a, it's a good flow feeling to you too, as a play by play guy, when you're dancing with a partner, so to speak, and you're both dancing to the same song.
- [24:42]
Eli Gold
Oh, no doubt about it. No doubt about it. And I always assure them, them being the color analyst, they are the star of the show. I may end up getting more airtime than they, but they are the star of the show. And I mean that sincerely. You know, when you can hear from a Joe Namath or a Kenny Stabler or from whomever the athlete is, why the heck would I think anybody wants to hear me? So from the education standpoint and the analysis standpoint, you know, I treat my color man like royalty because they are the ones who make or break a broadcast.
- [25:34]
Bubba
We're talking to legendary broadcaster Eli Gold. Eli, thank you for joining us on the podcast. We're going to take a quick break. Come back. We want to talk about your time at Alabama, your health, what you're doing now, what's going on in college football. So we still got a lot to cover. Eli Gold is with us and we'll be right back.
- [25:53]
Eli Gold
You're listening to Bubba, Bubba on the Lake.
- [25:58]
Bubba Bussey
You know one thing I love about Buffalo Wild Wings? You can get wings with any of their 26 sauces and dry rubs for takeout and delivery. That's like bringing an entire B dubs home with you, which you can't do. I tried. I've knocked down so many walls only to then be told to halt construction because I'm not zoned to be a sports bar. Kind of just looks like a big pergola or something. Because of the lack of walls, at least these 26 sauces and dry rubs are available to to go Buffalo Wild Wings, let's go sports bar.
- [26:29]
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- [26:59]
Bubba
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Banker Bounty Voice
Bubba on the Lake speaks through the air.
- [27:47]
Bubba
We're back and we are joined by legendary broadcaster Eli Gold, who I have the pleasure of working with now at Jacksonville State University. And we'll talk a little bit about some of the things going on there as we are still growing and moving into our new shoes with Division one, so to speak. Eli, tell us a little bit you had a health scare a few years ago. Give us an update. How are you doing?
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Eli Gold
I'm doing very, very well, Bubba. Thank you for asking Yeah, I was very, very sick. I had cancer. And I was. There were a couple of days where I was not far from leaving this earth. So I was very, very sick. But I had great doctors at uab. I had great care at a nursing home that I stayed at. I really was in bad shape. And of course, my wife and daughter, who were my advocates, and you need one of those or two of those if you ever hospitalized between all of those folks. I recovered. I reacted well to the chemotherapy. I didn't lose any hair to speak of. I didn't have much to lose anyway, but I didn't. I didn't lose hair. And I had wonderful doctors. But, yes, I was very, very sick with cancer. I lost about 140 or 150 pounds, which I had to lose. As you know, I'm a big boy. I lost that much weight. And then I have since put back about 50 of them because I looked sick. Even though I was healthy. People were so used to seeing me as a bigger guy, everybody was getting scared. So I put a little weight back on. But I am doing great. I have to go back in two weeks. Now, as you and I are talking here, I gotta go back. I think it's the 1st of August. I go back for a final set of scans, PET scan, CAT scan, this, that and the other scan, all the blood work, what have you. And the doctor tells me that if I continue to be wonderful, as I have been on all of these tests, that I won't have to come back for a year. I feel great. My walking, my right leg is still a little bit funky. It recovered about, I don't know, 85% or so. So I'm not running the marathon like I used to, which I never did, of course, but I still walk a little haltingly. But otherwise I am as healthy as can be. And of course, my line of work, as you understand, is a lot of sedentary work. So you're sitting courtside, you're sitting in the press box. You're sitting here, there, and the other way. So, you know, you can go and talk to people. You know, even if I'm traveling with the team and I'm talking, you know, baseball with Coach Beezer, you know, we'll sit down in the dugout and shoot the breeze. So I don't necessarily have to stand and pressure myself. But I'm doing really well. Thank you for asking. And I'll tell you, there's nothing like getting back to work. You know, what else has really helped, and you'll understand this, but even more so on the sports side, doing all these games. And last year, I did over 100 events for Jacksonville State between volleyball, men's basketball, women's basketball, baseball, talk shows, between all of that stuff.
- [31:41]
Bubba
Radio in there, too.
- [31:44]
Eli Gold
Yes, exactly. I'm always memorizing names and numbers, and that was never a problem for me, and it's still not a problem for me. But I am able to memorize things and then forget them very quickly after the game is done so you can prepare for the next one. And that is good. That's kept my mind very sharp. And thank God my voice was not affected by the cancer. So I still sound like I'm far younger than I really am. And, you know, and here we are. We're working and having a great time, and I really don't plan to retire anytime soon. I really don't.
- [32:33]
Bubba
Well, Eli, I think I can speak for the athletic department. We're hoping you don't. And we're. We're excited to have you there. And we'll talk more about that in just a minute, too. You were the voice of the crimson tide from 88 to 24, right? Was that.
- [32:52]
Eli Gold
Yeah, whatever that 36 years. Yes, sir.
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Bubba
And that was during some of the most successful time the program has ever had, especially in the era of football that we're playing now. Tell us a little bit about what that was like, being really the voice of the Crimson Tide and what. Who everybody related to, because everybody knew you. They listened to you, and you were there at some of the biggest athletic moments in their life.
- [33:21]
Eli Gold
It was special. I will never say it was not. It was very, very special. And you're right, I was there during some of the absolute greatest moments and in Alabama sports history. You know, I was there from the first game of. Well, I was there starting with the Bill Curry era. I was there through Gene Stallings in football and when he won the national title with his team in 92. I did all sorts of great basketball when the Tide was coached by Wimp Sanderson and had great, great successes. They won more games in the SEC during that period than any team other than Kentucky. I was also, you know, with, you know, There were some seven. There were 17 years there in the middle where the team didn't win championships, so we had to put up with that. But, you know, you do. You do it the best you can because these kids all deserve the coverage. And then, of course, I was there from the first game of Nick Saban right through to the end of the Nick Saban Era, and that is likely an era that will never be replicated at the University of Alabama or anywhere, for that matter. So, yes, I saw great. I made friends with some of the best players to ever play in the game, and I couldn't. You know, I've had some legendary calls that thankfully, I didn't screw up. So they can live on. So they can live on for years to come. So I have been blessed, Bubba. I really have been.
- [35:12]
Bubba
To say what was your favorite call is just unfair because you had to have 300 top calls okay with that kind of winning streak, but is there one that you were even shaking your head when it was over, going, I cannot believe I just saw that?
- [35:29]
Eli Gold
I would have to say, yes, the answer would have to be TUA to devonte to beat the national title against Georgia after TUA had just taken that terrible sack on the previous play, and you were down to no time. And here you come with, you know, you go from your, you know, we're fans, and we were lower than whale dung sitting there in the broadcast booth. I mean, we were. We were down. And then seconds later, here comes this play to win the national championship. There were other great plays as well, but if I am limited to just one, it would have to be that. And then, you know, I heard that play just the other day on something. And what amazed me was not so much that I made the call. It was, you know, it was a good call, but I was amazed that I was able to sum everything up as soon as the play was over, it was this national title. And this did this. And for Nick Saban, it was this and that. The only thing that people don't know about that call is that I ended my call. My voice was on an upward lilt. I said, alabama again, the champions of college football. And I'm sitting there and I'm saying, this goes through your mind in an instant. And I'm saying to myself, while I'm sitting there, I said, you can't end the cut like that. It's going to sound like crapola when they play it in the future, when you end it with your voice going up like it got cut off or something. So I sat there and I ended it by saying, as a tribute to a former voice of the Crimson Tide, I said, how about that? And that's how the cut ends, with my voice heading in the right direction. And that former voice of the Crimson Tide, who was known for saying, how about that? On his years and years of New York Yankees baseball broadcasts was Mel Allen. People don't know that Mel Allen was at one time a voice of the Crimson Tide. And all of this goes through your mind in like a split second. And I said, how about that? And that way the count, the call sounded good and ended well. But you know, that was a great call. Obviously. Terrence Cody, the blocked field goal against Tennessee, that was huge. There were so many. Thomas Rahm blocking that last second field goal at Penn State back in 1989, that was spectacular. The win over Texas. And when Tom Stipe, our producer and I collectively came up with the idea of, of what to say or what direction to go, we wanted, if we said before the game that if we win we've got to say something on the air that kind of wraps up history because folks may not remember the day you and I do because we're a little bit older, but people don't realize that years ago Southern college football was nothing like it is today. In those days, west coast football was the big thing. That was the big thing. Well, then Bama goes out to the west coast to play some Rose bowl games and the Tide wins and they elevate Southern college football to where it is today. So Tom and I knew we wanted to do something to tie in the history of Bama going out to the Rose bowl, you know, winning those Rose bowl games and establishing Southern football as a thing. And that's where that line of and the roses in this grand old stadium are once again Crimson. Where that came from. Harkening back to the tides, winning the Rose bowl games years back.
- [40:25]
Bubba
Eli, you probably knew Nick Saban as well as anybody. I know you have a lot of great Nick Saban stories. I think he was by far and away the best coach we've seen in college football. No offense to any of the legends, but doing it, when he did it, how he did it, I don't think there's anything to compare it to. And you know, he was tough and he talked about the process, but was there anything else? Because there's a lot of other hard nosed coaches and there's a lot of other ones that believe in building a process. But what was it about Nick Saban that just was that missing piece that so many other coaches get close but don't have?
- [41:11]
Eli Gold
Boy, that's a great question. Other than the fact that the guy always worked. I mean, he was always, you know, he's up at 5 in the morning, he's still working at 11 o' clock at night. And he perfect process of his, but he was so good at getting these Kids to give more than they themselves even thought they had to give. He was just wonderful in dealing with people. I'd seen that, I mean, so often. And he was just, you know, he had a good sense of humor, but he kept it well hidden at times. But it's starting to come out now on his, you know, on the Home Depot college game day show. But he was, you know, he kept that hidden a good bit, but he was just a wonderful man. If you didn't learn about life from Nick Saban, then you just weren't paying attention. And that to me was, was, you know, you learned so much just by listening to him. And, you know, me hosting the talk show, as I did for all those years, you know, every Thursday night, I learned so much about football, about life from Nick Saban, that I'll never be able to. I'll remember it forever and never be able to understate what it meant to me.
- [42:51]
Bubba
Do you think, and many people do, that the out of control money situation in college football expedited his exit?
- [43:02]
Eli Gold
You know, I can't speak for him, Bubba, I really don't speak for him, but that money has certainly changed the game and will change the game forever and ever.
- [43:16]
Bubba
Amen.
- [43:18]
Eli Gold
Now, whether that expedited anything or was the root of his departure, you know, he's never told me that, and I can't speak for him, but it certainly has changed the game to a huge degree and, you know, not just the nil, but the transfer portal, you know, guys playing for five different schools in five different years, it's, you know, it's a free agency system. You know, all that stuff probably had a little input. But, you know, I can't speak for the coach. He never told me, and quite honestly, I never asked him. If he wanted me to know, he would have told me.
- [44:05]
Bubba
Eli, your time with Alabama came to an end in 24 and to a lot of people's surprise, a little abruptly, including my own. Yeah, yeah, you have handled this very well in the public and. But that. Can you talk any more about that now or is there anything else you want to add to that?
- [44:30]
Eli Gold
There's nothing that we've held back, Bubba. The fact of the matter is the university had the right to make a change. That's the ultimate bottom line here. I worked for a broadcast rights company, Learfield, based out of Missouri. We all did. And they had a contract with the university, and the university had the say so on who does their broadcasts. And I was able to. Excuse me. And I was able to stay there for 36 years, working for many different athletic directors, but ultimately they had the right to make a change. I didn't agree with it, obviously, I don't know exactly what happened. I thought I was still doing a good job, but again, I had been out for a year and change with cancer. They felt it was time to make a change. And that's what the athletic director told me. He said, we have chosen to go in a different direction. And I asked, well, what does that mean? Why? Well, we have just chosen to go in a different direction and you know, you can't fight city hall. I still don't know what, if anything, I did wrong. I don't know if somebody on the board of trustees was tired of me. I don't know. I really don't know. But the fact is they had every right to get rid of me. My contract was up, they paid me every cent that I was due and that was that. I was just terribly disappointed. My disappointment changed though. Two hours after Alabama cut me loose, they put out a press release which in its own right was a different story. Cuz we had agreed on a press release, but they never did release that. They just put out a couple, three sentences and it was clear somebody was ticked off at me, but I don't know what the deal was. But two hours after they put out that press release, my phone rang. And it was a gentleman that you know very well. Greg Seitz, the athletic director at Jacksonville State. And he and I have been friends for years. I knew Greg when he was a sports information director at jsu. I knew Greg when he helped out in the public relations department at Talladega Superspeedway during the race weekends. So he and I go back a long way. Phone rings two hours after I was cut loose by Bama. And he calls me and as a friend he says, hey, how you doing? I said, well, I've had better days, thank you. He says, I hear you're looking for work. I said, yes, I am. He said, well, I'm looking for somebody. There was a young man there and you can probably tell me his name, I have forgotten, but a young man who worked in the broadcasting division who had taken a job in West Georgia. He had left Jacksonville State and had moved to West Georgia at the same time. I mean, this happened like within a day of each other. And Greg called me and he said, hey. He said, I hear you're looking for work. I said, yeah. He said, I need somebody for work. I said, I'll take it. That was exactly the conversation he said, well, he said, you don't know what it is. I said, does it have to do with broadcasting? He said, yes. I said, I'll take it. He said, don't you want to know what it pays? I said, I'm sure you'll be fair. We'll talk about that later. And we talked for another moment, literally for another minute. And as we're getting off the phone, I said, now, Greg, I said, is this for real? I said, did you just hire me? Did I just get work? He said, yes. And a week and a day later, eight days later, I'm on the air doing JSU baseball. And that became, you know, everything that I'm doing now. You know, the first thing I did when I got off the phone, first thing I did when I got off the phone with Greg Seitz was I picked up the phone again and I called Mike Paris, who, as he is known, the Voice, and he has been the voice of JSU on radio for, for 20 some odd years. And I said, I called Mike and I said, hey, how you doing? He goes, eli, how you doing? He commiserated. He had heard that I was let go by Bam. I said, yes, but listen, I need to tell you that I just signed on with Greg Seitz and jsu. And there was silence on the other end of the phone, as I expected. And I said, but I want you to know that every bit of work that I'm going to do is on television. I am not coming after your job. I'm not here to spin you out. I said, you are as secure as you ever were. That is your gig. I'm not taking it. I'm filling in for this guy who just left, and I am not taking over the radio at all. I said, please do not lose a second of sleep over this. I am doing whatever you're not doing because I don't spin people out of jobs. I've been around too long. I got a few too many years on me to worry about spinning people out of work. So I called Mike and told him all of that, and he was fine with it. And I've known Mike again, you know, we're all in the same business. I'd known him for years, not well, but I'd known who he was. And we talked and he was great. And as it turned out, you know, he didn't necessarily want to do the call in show. So I gave him, you know, I told him, well, I'll do it. And he was great with that. And then there were times this year Where I've needed to fill in for him on radio when there were conflicts between football and basketball and what have you, and the, you know, the work just had to be done. So, for instance, when the basketball team got, you know, snowed in out at Air Force Academy earlier this year and couldn't get out, that was bizarre. And, well, that conflicted with him being in Daytona beach doing a basketball tournament. He was out there with something, I forget. And however it worked, he couldn't get back from the Air Force Academy. And I went to Daytona and I ended up doing a basketball tournament. And then there was another conflict with the football. No, that's what it was. It was a conflict with football. He was also in somewhere.
- [52:37]
Bubba
Air Force, I think.
- [52:39]
Eli Gold
Yeah.
- [52:39]
Bubba
Got snowed in.
- [52:40]
Eli Gold
Yeah, whatever it was. And I ended up having to do the game at Louisiana Tech, the football game. And then I ended up with. There were conflicts between football and men's hoops later in the year, and I ended up going to Daytona and. And doing the tournament in his place. But all of that, I called him, I cleared it with him. Even though you and I talked a lot, and Greg Seitz and I. And Greg's my boss, technically, you and him. And I said, I want to make sure Mike's cool with this. So I handled things well, I thought, and I loved it. I love doing radio, but I was just happy to be working. And I counted things up today, Bubba. Between volleyball, men's and women's basketball, talk shows, baseball. I ended up doing 106 events for Jacksonville State last year. And I loved every last one of them. I loved every second of it.
- [53:46]
Bubba
You know, you hear that number and it sounds incredible. And when I go and talk to groups, I tell them, I said, look, we do between 150 and 200 live events a year. Between football, between TV, radio, streaming. I mean, we. Once the year starts, we got two or three events a week. And we have a lot of guys that work real hard behind the scenes on that, but we're so blessed to have Mike Paris, who's been there 40 something years, you. And we have a whole lot of other guys that fill in and do other things and do color. And I mean, we have an incredible stable of talent, and that's where I come in. It's just my job not to screw that up and be sure everybody gets where they need to be and got the equipment they need. And, you know, we're for a. For a young, growing Division 1 team. I would put our broadcasters up against anybody.
- [54:46]
Eli Gold
Oh, I Would, with no disrespect to anybody else, and without patting ourselves on the back, we do put out a good broadcast. You know, there are moments, sure. And, you know, a lot of what we do is to give training to students. A lot of times we'll have students running cameras at different sporting events. We'll have students working in the graphics department. We'll have this. And then you'll notice there are some mistakes. Of course, we all make mistakes, sure. But some of the mistakes that might be of an elementary nature, but then you got to remember you've got kids, you've got students learning, and that's part of the university. That's what a university is about, a learning environment. It's not just in the classroom. For these kids who want to get into TV and radio production, the Coliseum or the stadium or the, or the soccer pitch or whatever, that's their classroom. So, you know, you. We all learn together, we work together. I'll be honest, there are times where I would be disappointed in something that came up on the screen. And, you know, I would say to you and what have you, but I would pull the kid aside, whether it was whatever student it was, male or female, I'd say, look, you gotta listen, you gotta do this. Here's this here. But that's because I want them to get better. I not only want our product to get better, but if you don't correct them, they're not gonna know that they have screwed up. So, you know, we're all in this together. We really are. And, you know, I remember back when I was a kid getting helped by a lot of broadcasters who answered my questions, who responded to my mail requests, to my questionnaires, to all of that. I was a pain in the butt to these broadcasters, but they answered me and I learned. And now I'm trying to do the same thing for these young men and women at jsu.
- [57:01]
Bubba
Yeah, people are shocked when I tell them we have two full time employees that work under me. Of course, we have all of the announcers, you and Mike and, and several others. But we have 20 students. 20. I think this year we're going to have 26, 25 that work 20 hours a week in our athletic department. The majority of them are young ladies, I'd say probably about 2 to 1. And, you know, we put them up on those camera stands and it's 100 degrees out there, wind blowing. Sometimes, you know, dealing with the elements. It can be hot and then cold as the sun goes down. And, you know, like I say, It's a learning experience. But they do such a good job and they're so eager to learn, and it fires me up.
- [57:49]
Eli Gold
Exactly. If they don't want to learn and if they, if they push you aside, that's what ticks you off. But these kids are learning, and that's part of what I do. I'm not a teacher. I can't teach a class for, among other reasons, I don't have a college degree, so I can't teach a class for credit. But I'm happy to download my brain to any of these kids who has questions and needs to be directed in a certain way. I'm happy to do it.
- [58:22]
Bubba
Eli, thank you for taking time to talk with us. You've been very generous with your time. Enjoy your time off, because it gets crazy again here. Pretty soon we'll have volleyball, we'll have football starting, and we've got quite a lineup and we're excited. Coach Charles Kelly, we got a brand new coach and I'm excited about that. He's. He's one of the nicest head coaches I've ever met. Now, he may grow out of it, Eli, but he has been so much fun to work with.
- [58:50]
Eli Gold
He's a great guy. I knew Charles when he was an assistant at Alabama. I knew him when he was an assistant at Auburn, but I worked with him when he was an assistant in Alabama. And he is an outstanding guy and has, you know, he has a great track record. This will be, interestingly, his first head coaching job in college, but he has got such a background, has worked with some of the absolute best in the business, including Nick Saban. So, you know, and again, as I said earlier, if you don't learn from Nick Saban, there's something wrong with you. And he learned from Nick Saban. So he's going to be an outstanding, outstanding head coach at jsu. And I'm looking forward to a long relationship with him.
- [59:39]
Bubba
Legendary broadcaster Eli Gold. Eli, thanks for taking time with us. I got about halfway through my list of questions. I hope we can do this again. And thank you for taking time to be with us. And we're looking forward to this next sports season being bigger and better than ever at Jacksonville State University.
- [59:58]
Eli Gold
Amen to that, and I'll talk to you soon, Bubba. You take care of yourself.
- [60:01]
Bubba
Thank you, Eli. All right, that is Eli Gold, legendary broadcaster, and we appreciate him joining us here on Bubba on the Lake. We'll be right back.
- [60:13]
Dasani Voice
Where's Bubba?
- [60:15]
Eli Gold
I'll tell you where. He's on the lake.
- [60:18]
Green Monster Fishing Light Voice
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- [60:48]
Betty Lou
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- [62:01]
Bubba
Well, we're going to wrap it up, Rafael. We thank Eli Gold, legendary broadcaster, for being with us and talking about such a variety of issues. I got about halfway through my list, so we're going to ask Eli to come back sometime and cover some more of that. But we do get to work with Eli and if you miss him and miss hearing him on the Alabama broadcast, we welcome you to come over and listen to him at Jacksonville State University. As he told you, he does volleyball for us, he does football, he does baseball, and he fills in in other sports when we have overlaps going on. And he's always been very workable in that. Of course, he does the Jack State Live and the Coach Charles Kelly show, which we do live on Monday night at the Apothecary Draft House on the Square in Jacksonville. So if you want to see Eli in action, come by. It's a great little venue to do that. And look, it's a very subdued atmosphere. I know when I signed on and they had already made the deal to go there, I thought, well, this is not a good place for a Baptist to go. But it's really a very calm situation and it's an intimate environment to to interact and we welcome you to come out and do that. It's been a lot of fun and I appreciate Josh and the folks there allowing us to do it. So. And if you can't get out, it's on a lot of the TV and radio stations at Carry Jack State Sports, so check your local listings for that. But I do want to say just real quickly too, we introduced a new feature to the Bubba on the Lake family this week and that is Bubba on the Lake Radio. We've been playing with that as a streaming radio station and we're still experimenting. We're trying to learn this system and what the capabilities are. But I basically have a bunch of songs that I like on there and we hope that you will try that out and make it a choice for your listing entertainment. So we have that is a streaming option which is live. And then we have of course the Bubba on the Lake podcast for On Demand. So we're getting a whole family of media there together and we appreciate all of you making it possible. Again, don't forget to subscribe. Turn on notifications so you won't miss a thing. Follow us on all of our social media. And of course everything is centered around the website bubbaonthelake.com the message line 308 Big Lake. We'd love to hear from you. And of course, thank you so much for being a part of all of this. And remember, being on the lake is not necessarily a location, but a state of mind. God Bless. Talk to you next time you're listening.
- [64:56]
Betty Lou
To Bubba on the Lake.
- [64:57]
Eli Gold
Hit me Bad.
- [65:01]
Betty Lou
A production of intergalactic pants and teas.
- [65:04]
Dasani Voice
All rights reserved. A lot of life can happen between sips of Dasani. You know the life moments, big and small that are worth getting thirsty for. Like organizing a family movie night under the stars. Or hearing an old favorite song and having an impromptu dance party. Or finding a new dinner recipe that the whole family loves. The crisp, clean taste of Dasani was made for all of life's thirst worthy moments. Dasani because life happens between sips.
- [65:35]
Bubba Bussey
This podcast is brought to you in part by Coke, Buffalo Wild Wings, Southern.
- [65:42]
Eli Gold
Immediate Care Guaranteed Labels, Central State Bank.
- [65:47]
Bubba Bussey
Sunrise docks, banker's bounty, Dr. Thomas Dudney.
- [65:52]
Eli Gold
And the Green Monster Fishing Light Bubba.
- [66:16]
Banker Bounty Voice
Lives on the Lake podcast. Rolling. Make no mistake, Betty Lou's got that laugh She's a hoot through the ma dog barking in the back every episode that's the neck listeners tune in. So tight Bubba keeps it light oh so bright Pontoon boat cruising free tail Telling stories? Just you and me? Guess so Great? They shine and glow? And radio expert steal the show? Oh, oh, oh, oh? Technical talk mixed with fun? Science knowledge second to none? Bubba on the lake? It's a blast? Making memories forever last? Laughing loud? We're all in sync? Pour a drink? Let's not overthink? Together we'll ride this way? Bubba's world? Where we're all brave? So join us now, don't be late? Bubba on the lake? Is fade? With Betty Lou and the crew? You know it's always brand new? Cruising free? Telling stories, just you and me? Guess so great? They shine and glow? And radio expert steal the show? Sa.